TORONTO – Not to be outdone by CanWest’s CH stations’ transition to celebrity-focused E! tomorrow, CTV today announced a multiplatform deal with celebscandal web site TMZ.com.
TMZ.com is a hugely popular web site fuelled by North America’s insatiable obsession with the rich and famous and CTV has signed a multiplatform content package for TMZ, anchored by TMZ.com and a new daily entertainment series.
The deal – brokered by CTV president of programming Susanne Boyce with Warner Bros International Television, represented by Mickie Steinmann, vice-president and general manager, Canadian operations – adds to CTV’s already celebrity-obsessed assets like eTalk and the recently acquired Star! specialty service.
The CTV Broadband Network will have exclusive access to TMZ-branded television content in Canada and TMZ – the new daily, 30-minute entertainment series based on the web site, TMZ.com – will air weeknights at 11:30 p.m. on Star! and at 1 a.m. on CTV beginning this Monday, September 10.
The deal gives CTV the Canadian broadcast rights to the daily entertainment news series as well as exclusive access to TMZ content – stories, sources, photos and video – for use in Canada. Additionally, content on TMZ.com will be repeated on CTV.ca, which will be updated around the clock.
"TMZ is one of the fastest-rising entertainment properties in the world," said Boyce, in the press release. "The TMZ series is a great companion to eTalk."
"(T)he unprecedented deal for TMZ on TV also includes several groundbreaking, multiplatform elements that integrate television programming with the Internet in ways never before seen," added Schlesinger, in the release, which did not expand on what ways.
