MIPTV 2012 – CANNES. It is the ambition of A+E Networks to launch its successful US Lifetime brand in the UK and Europe, but there are as yet no concrete plans to bring the channel to Europe.
“It is a clear ambition and priority to bring Lifetime to Europe, but we have no concrete plans at the moment,” Dean Possenniskie, managing director Europe, A+E Networks, told Broadband TV News.”And we are also not preparing a launch.”
In the US, Lifetime has enjoyed its best-ever quarter and A+E Networks is keen to duplicate its success in other markets with its made for TV movies, scripted and unscripted content.
The company is busy rolling out its brands across Europe with the launch of Crime & Investigation on four platforms being the most prominent achievement during the past few months. C&I is now available in Spain, the Netherlands (on Ziggo), Poland (Polsat) an in the Middle East on OSN.
Local production is increasingly important for the broadcaster especially when such product is successful with the viewers. “In Italy we produced a series on the Venetian mafia in the eighties and it was the best watched non-fiction programme ever in the country,” said Possenniskie.
Also coming up is a production on the 40th anniversary of the Munich Olympics, where terrorists killed Israeli athletes. Another example of international local production is the series I Survived, which features interviews of people from various countries who survived 9/11 telling their own story.
A+E Networks also stays committed to 3D production, to offer more three-dimensional fare next to sports and movies. A series about the Titanic is made available in 3D only, there will not be a 2D version, said Possenniskie.
