CBS in Program Licensing Deal With Japan’s Wowow

CBS Studios International said it signed a content licensing agreement with Wowow, the leading premium pay-TV provider in Japan.

The deal includes first-window broadcast rights to Showtime’s new Twin Peaks, Bull and American Gothic.

“The series in this agreement represent the strength and variety of CBS and Showtime programming available to broadcasters around the world,” said Barry Chamberlain, president of sales, CBS Studios International. “We are thrilled to have expanded our portfolio of programming with Wowow, bringing more of our compelling and creative storytelling to audiences across Japan.”

Bull, Twin Peaks and American Gothic will air on Wowow’s prime channel, which already carries some other CBS programming.

“For the millions of Wowow subscribers who have been watching the company’s programming since its launch 25 years ago, the new Twin Peaks will reignite great memories of the original Twin Peaks series that was part of Wowow's original lineup and helped audiences identify Wowow as a destination for the highest quality entertainment, due to its tremendous popularity,” said Hitoshi Yamamoto, General Manager of the programming division at Wowow.“We know that the latest iteration of Twin Peaks will captivate and delight an even larger Wowow audience today, and we are delighted to expand a great partnership with CBS Studios International, whose American television series are amongst the most popular and highly regarded in the world.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.