Turner obtained the rights to air the original movie, “Star Wars: A New Hope”, through a separate deal with Twentieth Century Fox.
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The deal to make TBS and TNT the TV home of the “Star Wars” canon underscores the value of marquee film franchises at a time when networks are desperate to lock up high-end content with built-in audience appeal.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story tells the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star. But several published reports pegged the price at north of $200 million for a licensing term that runs through at least 2022. According to Variety, the deal to bring 11 Star Wars films (four that have yet to be released) to basic cable, has been in the works for a little over a year now. That deal – also apparently in the $250 million range – will abruptly end the longtime, marathon-happy presence of the Harry Potter films on Freeform (née ABC Family). One that stands out the most is the theme park attractions that they’re developing at theme parks like Disney World in Orlando, Florida and Disney Land in Anaheim, California.
“Force Awakens” is the first of a trilogy that will continue with “Episode VIII” in 2017 and “Episode IX” in 2019.
The Force Awakens, released last December, is now available on Starz, the last of Disney films to hit the pay-cable network as part of a long-term pact that expired in December, and will reach TNT in early 2018.
In celebration of the deal, Turner is set to debut a six-night Star Wars marathon beginning on Tuesday, September 20 with Star Wars: The Phantom Menance and concluding on Sunday, September 25 with Star WarsL Return of the Jedi.
Turner also will host the network TV premieres of the next three “Star Wars” movies.
The Star Wars movies and characters are beloved across generations, captivating audiences and breaking box office records around the globe for almost four decades.
Betting big on the staying power of the “Star Wars” film franchise, Turner television networks have claimed the rights to run the iconic film franchise on cable channels TNT and TBS.
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Turner said TNT and TBS will be the exclusive home to the various installments of the franchise among ad-supported TV networks. It’s understood that the deal terms even specifiy a minimum ad load for Turner’s streaming/VOD plays of the “Star Wars” pics.
