Stan Extends Lionsgate Partnership With Multi-Year Deal

Stan has expanded its partnership with Hollywood studio Lionsgate with a multi-year deal which includes first-run dramas, as well as premium catalogue TV series and films such as Mad Men, La La Land and Twilight.

The extended partnership will see the renewal of Lionsgate television series and blockbuster films.

The agreement is Stan’s latest major partnership with a Hollywood studio for first-run premium scripted series, following last year’s blockbuster deal with Sony Pictures Television.

The deal builds on Stan’s long-standing partnership with Lionsgate and STARZ, which has seen smash-hit series the Power franchise, Minx, Heels, Hightown, P-Valley, BMF and The Serpent Queen stream exclusively on Stan in Australia.

Stan’s new agreement with Lionsgate will see the exclusive premiere of a number of first-run premium dramas coming soon, including espionage drama Gray, starring Patricia Clarkson (Six Feet Under), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) and Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding), and based on an original concept by bestselling novelist David Baldacci. Patricia Clarkson plays a CIA spy returning after two decades in hiding, dodging government spies who suspected her of being a traitor. When she returns to her old life, a new mole within her old network puts her life in jeopardy.

Other premium dramas coming soon to Stan from Lionsgate and STARZ will include a sequel series based on the ground-breaking hit Spartacus currently in development from creator Steven S. DeKnight, expanding on the original, smash-hit fictionalised story of historical figure Spartacus, a gladiator who led a major slave uprising against the Roman republic; Welcome to Flatch, a mockumentary series following a group of young adults in a small American town, starring comedian Holmes (Call Me Kat), Sean William Scott (American Pie) and Jaime Pressly (Mom); and Canadian comedy Son of a Critch, created by and starring comedian Mark Critch. Based on his memoir about coming of age in the 1980s, the series also stars Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Pinocchio) and Claire Rankin (Molly’s Game). Stan’s partnership with Lionsgate will also include additional first-run series to be announced soon.

The output agreement also includes exclusive theatrical films such as the drama White Bird, the spin-off companion film to the 2017 hit Wonder, starring Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) and Helen Mirren (The Good Liar); and Alice, Darling, the psychological thriller starring Anna Kendrick (A Simple Favor) as a woman trapped in an abusive relationship.

Additionally, the agreement includes Lionsgate series Mad Men, Weeds, The Spanish Princess, Anger Management, The Girlfriend Experience and Black Sails, as well as an extensive catalogue of global blockbuster films including La La Land, Wolf Creek, The Artist, The Blair Witch Project and Twilight.

Stan chief executive officer Martin Kugeler said: “Stan’s multi-year output agreement with Lionsgate secures a suite of exciting new first-run premium dramas from a global content leader, exclusive to our Australian subscribers. Over the years, Lionsgate and STARZ have produced some of the most exciting Hollywood TV shows and movies, with Gaslit, the Power franchise, Minx and The Serpent Queen proving very successful for our service. We can not wait to bring the new shows to Australian audiences.

This deal is a testament to our longstanding partnership with Lionsgate and STARZ, and is the latest addition to our existing content agreements with major Hollywood studios. This deal ensures an even stronger line up of exclusive Hollywood and global content complementing our Australian Originals on Stan. We look forward to expanding our strategic partnership with Lionsgate.”

Lionsgate president of worldwide television distribution Jim Packer commented: “We’re pleased to expand our successful relationship with Stan. The agreement reaffirms the enormous value of our content to platform partners worldwide while allowing us to bring Australian audiences a deep slate of signature Lionsgate and STARZ properties, from exciting new shows like the Spartacus sequel to beloved film & TV brands La La Land and Mad Men.”