MIPCOM: US cable network Showtime aims to increase global recognition of its brand in a bid to rival HBO, Showtime president David Nevins told delegates in Cannes.

Speaking at Mipcom’s Media Mastermind keynote on Tuesday, Nevins highlighted the firm’s deal signed in January ^[2] with Canada’s Bell Media, which in addition to housing the US net’s programming also launched the Showtime brand outside the US for the first time.

“It really was an example of the evolution in deal making in Canada and the rest of the world,” he said. “HBO has done a great job of this – putting shows together and exporting them.

“We had a legacy deal that was expiring and Netflix had been in that market already for several years. The brand strength of Showtime in the US was at an all-time high, so it was very valuable for Bell to be able to launch its SVOD service, Crave, saying ‘We have Showtime.’”

Nevins added that it was the first such agreement that went beyond individual shows to become a major portfolio deal that also included branding. “It was the evolution of the traditional linear deal, and it was more driven by the SVoD demands that we’re seeing.”

Armando Nunez, president and CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group, who split the keynote with Nevins, added that some of the US net’s rivals had already done a good job of getting their brands out internationally.

“HBO has its global strategy, Netflix has its global strategy, so that’s why we have this strategy of attempting to roll out Showtime around the world,” said Nunez. “There is a super demand for high-end premium content; it’s the kind of content that we do at Showtime, which drives not only viewers but subscribers.”

He added that despite the over-abundance of US drama available – the much-mooted 400 shows reportedly on US TV – true high-quality product was scarce. “There’s a lot of programming, but not a huge supply of the type of programming that David producers at Showtime,” he said.

During the talk Nevins also reflected on his earlier career as a producer, working on shows such as ER, 24 and The West Wing. “I’m now at a place where I get to programme to my own tastes, or my own tastes line up with those of our audience, shall we say.

^[3]“You get to make addictive television; it may not be addictive to everyone, but people will pay money every month to get Ray Donovan, to get The Affair, to get Homeland,” he said.