TORONTO and LOS ANGELES – Bell Media has landed the exclusive rights for the Star Trek televsion series in Canada.
The company said Monday that its licensing agreement with CBS Studios International includes the acquisition of the exclusive linear television and subscription video on demand (SVoD) rights in English and French in Canada.
Each episode of the new Star Trek series, scheduled to debut in January 2017, will be available simultaneously with its release in the U.S. The first episode will premiere on CTV, on the same night as CBS south of the border, and the remaining episodes will air on its Space (in English) and Z (in French) services, before joining its CraveTV SVoD service.
The series’ television library, which includes Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise, will return to Space (in English), debut on Cinépop (in French), as well as on CraveTV.
“Our acquisition of the new Star Trek series delivers a unique and exclusive opportunity for Canadian advertisers to engage with this blockbuster new drama in a meaningful way,” said Bell Media president Mary Ann Turcke, in the news release. “We are delighted to welcome Star Trek back to Bell Media and amplify this iconic franchise through our multiple leading brands. With a high-profile premiere on CTV, a permanent base on Space – the long-time home of the series in Canada – and premium positioning on CraveTV – it’s ‘mission accomplished’ for Canadian Star Trek fans.”
The all-new Star Trek will begin production in Toronto this September for its January 2017 premiere. The iconic and influential global franchise will return to television for the first time since 2005 with a new ship, new characters and new missions.
In the U.S., the new Star Trek series will debut on the CBS Television Network, and the premiere episode and all subsequent episodes will then be available exclusively on CBS All Access, that network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.
