WOWOW bags Extant exclusive

Japanese pay TV provider has acquired exclusive local rights to CBS dramas Extant and Penny Dreadful.

CBS Studios International sells Extant, a sci-fi starring actor Halle Berry, and Showtime-Sky Atlantic coproduction horror-drama Penny Dreadful on the global market.

Both shows launch in 2015 on WOWOW’s Prime channel, which also runs CBS series CSI and Elementary and Nursie Jackie, which airs in the US on CBS-owned cable channel Showtime.

“Since its launch, WOWOW has built its reputation as the premiere home for major Hollywood content,” said Tetsuya Nasuno, general manager of WOWOW’s production division. “On the series front, US TV series, as well as our original drama slates, have been an essential and integral part of our programming strategies and have sustained popularity amongst our subscribers. We have no doubt that this trend will continue with Extant and Penny Dreadful.”

WOWOW plans to run an “expansive” marketing campaign around Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, who features in Extant.

CBSSI, which was funded in part by an exclusive US SVOD rights deal with Amazon Prime Instant Video, has previously sold Extant to Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1, Spain’s Atresmedia, Australia’s Network Ten, CEE SVOD service Pickbox.tv and France’s M6. Amazon also has it in the UK.

Penny Dreadful recently scored a multi-territory deal with Netflix.