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Lionsgate partners for Asian expansion

Mad Men producer Lionsgate Entertainment and industry veteran Haim Saban have partnered with a Hong Kong company in a joint-venture that plans to launch pay-TV channels across Asia.

Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE) – established by Lionsgate, Celestial Pictures and US-based investment firm Saban Capital Group – will bring together their six existing channels and expand them through additional investment from Saban.

Celestial, owned by Asian DTH platform Astro, already operates Celestial Movies, Celestial Classic Movies and Celestial Movies On Demand. Meanwhile, Lionsgate and Saban’s Asian joint-venture Tiger Gate Entertainment’s channel portfolio comprises action-skewing KIX, horror channel Thrill and KIX HD

CTE will oversee all these channels in a combined portfolio and also intends to increase its number of channels across Asia through acquisition.

The agreement also means CTE will become the exclusive distributor for all of Lionsgate’s content in Southeast Asia and China, while Celestial will continue to own and distribute the Shaw Brothers library of Chinese films. CTE’s board of directors will include representatives from Saban, Celestial and Lionsgate.

Jon Feltheimer, Lionsgate co-chairman and CEO said: “Celestial Tiger Entertainment blends the complementary strengths and skillsets of three companies well positioned to capitalise on opportunities in the Asian filmed entertainment and pay-TV marketplace and allows us to enrich our pipeline of content and extend our distribution footprint throughout the region.”

CTE will be based in Hong Kong.

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