HBO strikes exclusive deal in Russia

Russian pay TV and SVoD provider Amedia TV has acquired exclusive rights to HBO’s forthcoming shows and its entire programming library in the country.

The Amedia TV deal covers Game of Thrones season seven

Amedia TV will have the rights to the final season of Game of Thrones in Russia through a multi-year agreement with the Time Warner-owned network.

All new HBO TV series, films, documentaries, concerts and special events will premiere in Russia on Amedia TV at the same time as they are released in the US, as part of efforts to combat online piracy.

Amedia TV will have rights to shows including forthcoming period drama The Deuce, from the creators of The Wire; the second season of sci-fi thriller Westworld; and Julia Roberts’ first TV show, Today Will be Different.

Amedia TV operates the channels Amedia Premium and Amedia Hit, as well as the SVoD service Amediateka. The company previously agreed a similar output deal with Starz.

Last week Amediateka launched the seventh season of Game of Thrones with a special early-hours screening of the first episode at the Mayakovskaya station on the Moscow Metro.

A mixture of VIP guests and Thrones fans gathered in the station’s domed arches to watch the episode. Amediateka shows each new episode at the same time as the rest of the world, making it available from 04.00 each Monday with either Russian dubbing or subtitles.