AMC Theaters announced they will acquire Carmike Cinemas. AMC’s 5,426 screens combined with Carmike’s 2,954 screens would combine to form “the largest chain of movie theaters in the U.S. and the world.” Together they would have more than 600 theaters in 45 states and the District of Columbia. The companies’ boards approved the deal and expect it to be complete by end of 2016. The deal valued Carmike at about $1.1 billion including debt totaling $454.7 million.
beIN Media Group has acquired Miramax from selling shareholders Qatar Investment Authority and Colony Capital. Qatar-based media and entertainment company beIN says they will allow Miramax to continue operating as an independent film and TV studio. beIN Media Group has a sports network and a movie channel and also facilitates pay-TV distribution. The Miramax library has upwards of 700 titles including Best Picture Oscar winners The English Patient, Chicago and Shakespeare in Love. Under the new ownership, Miramax will also compile a new board of directors.
As Ben Silverman’s contract at Electus is nearing an end, Silverman is rumored to have secured an estimated $200 million from multiple domestic and international investors at media and digital companies, private equity firms and from individual investors to start a new company, one that would look to align itself with an established media company owning a network. At Electus Silverman executive produces the series Jane The Virgin, Marco Polo and Flaked. The other possibility noted is that he might use the money raised to buy out Electus.
Per Exec Shuffle, Sony Pictures Television is launching the True Crime channel in the UK on Freeview. The new channel will be the platform’s only dedicated crime channel. True Crime’s shows will include Deadly Women, Crime 360, The Devil You Know and The 9/11 Faker as well as Dog the Bounty Hunter and Paternity Court.
Richard Licata has founded Licata & Co.— The Awards Agency, a full service TV awards company with offices in Los Angeles and New York that will execute award campaigns for broadcast, cable and streaming original programs, talent and craft professionals targeting Emmys, Golden Globes and guild awards including the DGAs, WGAs and PGAs. Previously Licata oversaw marketing and publicity at Universal Television and held top communications/publicity positions at HBO, Fox, Showtime and NBC. Stu Zakim, who worked with Licata at Showtime, and Shelley Sonnentag, with whom Licata has worked on award campaigns will both join his new venture.
Per Exec Shuffle, Film and TV studio Mance Media is launching 4KUniverse, an entertainment channel devoted to 4K Ultra HD programming. The service will be available through YouTube and Vimeo to cable, IPTV, and MSO subscribers and will debut internationally in April at $5.99 per month. Mance Media is actively seeking more 4K programming for the channel.
Amazon has inked a deal with National CineMedia. The marketing deal will showcase original content from Amazon Prime Video’s programming in NCM’s FirstLook pre-show in theaters. Beginning this month, Amazon will give moviegoers a behind-the-scenes look at Bosch and Tumble Leaf. “Movie and TV marketing have always had a great symbiotic relationship, and now with the many new ways to enjoy entertainment programming through Amazon, it’s the logical next step in the evolution of media to expand that relationship to include streaming video as well,” said Cliff Marks, NCM President of Sales and Marketing.
Orion Entertainment will now be called Dorsey Pictures. The lifestyle production company’s name change follows Red Arrow Entertainment Group’s majority stake acquisition. Dorsey Pictures has produced upwards of 1,000 hours of TV programming for major US TV and cable networks that include HGTV, Discovery, History, DIY, Travel Channel, and National Geographic.
George Moll has signed a multiyear first-look deal with Cineflix Media Inc. to produce new unscripted and scripted content and Cineflix Rights will have the exclusive first-look to distribute Moll’s content. Moll will work closely with Cineflix’s development team led by Dave Hamilton. Previously Moll executive produced Becoming Us for Freeform and Behind the Music for VH1. He also executive produced the pilot To Tell the Truth for ABC, which has been ordered to series.