The basic networks used to be the kings of theater to TV imports. When I was a kid I used to get genuinely excited about Saturday night's Wonderful World of Disney movie.Since the turn of the new millennium -- been a while since you heard that phrase, huh? -- cable networks have been playing the movie game. TBS, HBO and others have all brought big name movies to television at a very slow pace.
USA Network has made a 11-movie deal with Universal Studios to bring films such as The Bourne Ultimatum and Children of Men to the NBC-owned channel.
The package also includes The Good Shepard, Breach and, a personal favorite, Ali G Indahouse. USA has been making a lot of movie rights purchases this summer, buying up Blood Diamond, Pirates of the Caribbean and Ocean's Thirteen.
As much as I love a lazy Sunday of watching movies I don't have to rent, I hate the fact it takes at least 2 years for a movie to make it on the airwaves. The Bourne deal doesn't kick in until 2010. I mean how long do executives expect DVD sales to matter? Just let me watch a censored version of Borat while nursing an extra large bowl of Captain Crunch without having to wait a decade.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-07-2007 @ 10:16PM
Eric said...
Do you really want a censored Borat? It'll just be a black screen for half the movie, with three-quarters of it a continuous "bleep" tone.
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8-07-2007 @ 11:07PM
Bill said...
Niiiiccee.
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8-08-2007 @ 1:07AM
nukethewhalesagain said...
It takes so long because the premium channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.) usually have the rights to them for a year.
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8-08-2007 @ 2:16AM
Scott said...
Why do they need to make a deal for Universal movies? They're owned by the same company. Does FX have to make a deal with Fox to show X-Men?
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