Nickelodeon Acquires The Global Broadcast Rights To Canadian Teen Comedy Series 'Life With Boys'

According to this Nickelodeon News article on Deadline Hollywood's 'Deadline TV', Nickelodeon has picked up the global broadcast rights to the Canadian sitcom "Life With Boys". Under the deal with Classic Media and the series producer, Corus Entertainment's Nelvana, Nickelodeon will get exclusive TV rights in the U.S. (Nickelodeon USA (Nickelodeon North America/Nickelodeon America)) and pay TV rights for its regional channels across Europe including Germany (Nickelodeon Germany (Nickelodeon Deutschland)), Nickelodeon Benelux (comprising of Nickelodeon Belgium, Nickelodeon Netherlands (Nickelodeon Nederland), and Luxembourg), the Nordics (Nickelodeon Denmark, Nickelodeon Finland, Nickelodeon Norway, Nickelodeon Sweden, and Iceland), as well as Latin America (Nickelodeon Latin America) and Asia (Nickelodeon Asia). Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK premiered the Canadian teen sitcom "Life With Boys" at 8pm on Friday 21st October 2011:

Nickelodeon Acquires Canadian Comedy Series ‘Life With Boys’

EXCLUSIVE: Nickelodeon has acquired global broadcast rights to Canadian sitcom Life With Boys, created by Michael Poryes (Hannah Montana). Under the deal with Classic Media and the series producer, Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, Nickelodeon will get exclusive TV rights in the U.S. and pay TV rights for its regional channels across Europe including Germany, Benelux, the Nordics as well as Latin America and Asia. The move follows the launch of Life With Boys on Nickelodeon's UK channel in November under a previous deal with Helion Pictures. “Life With Boys is a perfect addition to our programming lineup,” said Nickelodeon’s SVP programming and acquisition Jules Borken. The 22-episode Life With Boys, which premiered on Canada’s YTV in September, stars Torri Webster as 14-year-old Tess Foster, who navigates her way through the turmoil of teen life while living at home with her single, overprotective dad and three brothers. While its core lineup consists of original series, Nickelodeon supplements it with acquisitions like the Italian animated series Winx Club. Here’s the teaser for Life With Boys run on Nickelodeon UK:

Also, below is a Nickelodeon Press Release from PR Newswire:

Nickelodeon Acquires New Tween Comedy Series, Life With Boys, From Classic Media and Nelvana for Multi-Territory Roll Out

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2012 /Nickelodeon Press Release Via PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, announced today a global broadcast acquisition with Classic Media and Corus Entertainment's Nelvana for the new half-hour series, Life With Boys. The 22-episode series created by Michael Poryes (Hannah Montana and That's So Raven), starring Torri Webster as "Tess" and Madison Pettis as "Allie," is produced by Nelvana and Helion Pictures.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120206/NY48128 )

"We are excited to partner with Classic Media, Nelvana and Helion Pictures on this exciting new property," said Jules Borkent, Senior Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, Nickelodeon. "Life With Boys is a perfect addition to our programming line-up, and we feel the tween series will enhance our global audience's TV viewing experience."

"Nickelodeon is the perfect platform for this new series from Michael Poryes which we all believe will be a breakout hit," said Chloe van den berg, Executive Vice President, International, Classic Media.

"Life With Boys has enjoyed success in Canada and the UK and we are delighted that audiences in the US and around the world will finally meet these wonderfully real and memorable characters," said Jerry Diaz, Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Distribution, Nelvana Enterprises.

The partnership covers exclusive TV rights in the US and Pay TV rights for regional Nickelodeon channels, across Europe, including Germany, Benelux, the Nordics, as well as Latin America and Asia. Broadcast rights for the UK have been previously secured by Nickelodeon in an earlier announced deal with Helion Pictures.

Each half-hour episode follows 14-year-old Tess Foster as she navigates her way through the turmoil of teen life while living at home with her single, overprotective dad and three brothers. Although Tess adores the four important men in her life, they do have four totally different perspectives. Despite the shortcomings of being the only girl in a male household, the boys can sometimes offer solid advice. Whether it's building up the courage to talk to a boy, dealing with an obnoxious one, or coping with the repercussions of being the only girl on the boys' wrestling team, Life With Boys sheds a comedic light on many of life's difficult moments.

About Classic Media

Classic Media, one of the world's largest independent entertainment companies, is a leader in reinventing the classics of yesterday and creating the entertainment classics of tomorrow. The Company owns and manages a globally-recognized portfolio of well-known family and pop-culture entertainment brands, including Casper the Friendly Ghost®, Where's Waldo?®, Lassie®, The Lone Ranger®, and new brand Life With Boys™. Big Idea Entertainment, a member of the Classic Media family, is the leading faith-based studio and producer of children's programming, including the best-selling animated series, VeggieTales®. Classic Media programming is distributed in more than 170 territories worldwide and showcased in multiple formats, including TV, film, home video, consumer products, publishing, digital, and music. Visit us at www.classicmedia.tv

About Nelvana

Nelvana is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc., a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's animation. The Company's multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon (Canada), W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada), CosmoTV, Sundance Channel (Canada), Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW AM 980, 99.3 The FOX, Country 105, 630 CHED, Q107 and 102.1 the Edge. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (CJR.B). Experience Corus on the Web at www.corusent.com.

About Helion Pictures

Helion Pictures was created by Managing Director Steven Bawol to create long-running fiction series' for the international market and has been responsible comedies like "One for the Road" for Channel 4 in the U.K., interactive fiction like "Boy Meets Girl" for Swedish broadcaster SVT and Nickelodeon U.K.'s successful live-action comedy series, "Renford Rejects" and "Genie in the House". Bawol co-created "Section de Recherche", France's most successful one-hour police series for TF1, France's largest broadcaster. Currently, he is Executive producer of "The Borgias", a drama series created by Tom Fontana for Canal +, and has shows in development with Starz, Channel 4, TF1, Broadview TV and Cybergoup Studios.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

SOURCE Nickelodeon

RELATED LINKS
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Also, from RTT News via NASDAQ:

Nickelodeon Acquires New Tween Comedy Series - Quick Facts

(RTTNews.com) - Kids channel Nickelodeon, a part of Viacom Inc. (VIA), Monday announced a global broadcast acquisition with Classic Media and Corus Entertainment's Nelvana for the new half-hour series, Life With Boys. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

According to the company, the partnership covers exclusive TV rights in the US and Pay TV rights for regional Nickelodeon channels, across Europe, as well as Latin America and Asia.

Broadcast rights for the UK have been previously secured by Nickelodeon in an earlier announced deal with Helion Pictures.

"We are excited to partner with Classic Media, Nelvana and Helion Pictures on this exciting new property," said Jules Borkent, Senior Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, Nickelodeon.

"Life With Boys is a perfect addition to our programming line-up, and we feel the tween series will enhance our global audience's TV viewing experience."

The 22-episode series created by Michael Poryes (Hannah Montana and That's So Raven), starring Torri Webster as "Tess" and Madison Pettis as "Allie," is produced by Nelvana and Helion Pictures.

"Life With Boys has enjoyed success in Canada and the UK and we are delighted that audiences in the US and around the world will finally meet these wonderfully real and memorable characters," said Jerry Diaz, Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Distribution, Nelvana Enterprises.

Also, from Licensing.biz:

Nickelodeon adds Life with Boys to roster

Firm acquires new tween comedy from Classic Media and Nelvana.

Nickelodeon has broadened its portfolio, adding new tween comedy series from Classic Media and Nelvana - Life with Boys - to its roster.

The partnership for the 22-episode series covers exclusive TV rights in the US and pay TV rights for regional Nickelodeon channels across Europe - including Germany, Benelux and the Nordics - as well as Latin America and Asia.

Broadcast rights for the UK were previously secured by Nickelodeon in an earlier deal with Helion Pictures.

"Life with Boys is a perfect addition to our programming line-up, and we feel the tween series will enhance our global audience's TV viewing experience," said Jules Borkent, SVP, programming and acquisitions at Nickelodeon.

The show follows 14 year-old Tess Foster as she navigates her way through the turmoil of teen life, while living at home with her dad and three brothers.

Also, from C21Media:

Nickelodeon gets a Life

Nickelodeon has picked up the Canadian-made tween series Life With Boys following a deal with brand manager Classic Media and Nelvana.

The deal for the 22x30′ show hands the US kidcaster the exclusive TV rights in the US and the pay-TV rights for its regional channels in Europe – including Germany, Benelux and the Nordics – Latin America and Asia.

Produced by Nelvana and Helion Pictures, Life With Boys already airs in the UK under a previous deal between Helion and Nickelodeon, and in Canada on Nelvana corporate sibling YTV.

The series was created by longtime Hannah Montana writer Michael Poryes and centres on a teen girl who lives with her single dad and three brothers.

Philippe Dauman, president and CEO of Nickelodeon parent Viacom last week played down suggestions that the fall in ratings Nickelodeon has experienced since September was due to the impact of a family-friendly version of Netflix.

Sean Davidson
07-02-2012
©C21Media

Also, from Toronto Star, Canada:

Nickelodeon buys YTV's Life with Boys

Nickelodeon has acquired Canadian teen sitcom Life with Boys in a deal that will broadcast the show in the U.S. and across Europe.

The series, which launched in September on YTV, stars Torri Webster as 14-year-old Tess Foster, who is outnumbered at home, as she lives with her overprotective, single father and three brothers.

The series was created by Michael Poryes, who also created mega-hit Hannah Montana. He told Kidscreen magazine that he brought the show to Canadian television because it didn’t need an outrageous foundation, like a character with several identities.

“American broadcasters want a hook,” Poryes told Kidscreen about creating the project in Canada. “It gave us the freedom to try something different and to write something that relies more on dialogue and characters.”

Created by Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, the series is often based on misunderstandings of perspectives of a young girl living in a home with several males.

The Nickelodeon deal follows a separate acquisition to air the series in the U.K., setting up Life with Boys as the next youth-focused Canadian series that could possibly make waves around the world.