Sky Expands HBO Deal Across Europe

By Simon Zekaria

LONDON--U.K.-based satellite broadcaster and pay-television company Sky PLC (SKY.LN) Thursday said it is has expanded its production and content distribution deal with Time Warner Inc.'s (TWX) cable and satellite network HBO across European markets, without disclosing financial details.

Under the deal, Sky will have exclusive rights to broadcast first-run HBO shows in Germany, Austria and Italy until 2020, following a similar arrangement for the U.K. and Ireland, Sky said.

The agreement is the first pan-European content deal covering all Sky territories that the broadcaster has negotiated, the company added.

Last year, Sky bought its sister companies in Germany and Italy from 21st Century Fox Inc. (FOXA) in a deal worth about $9 billion, creating a pan-European pay-TV giant with nearly 21 million customers across Germany, Italy, Austria, the U.K. and Ireland.

Sky, Europe's biggest pay-TV company by customer numbers, is investing in television content to win subscribers and compete with rivals across competitive telephony, broadband Internet and media markets.

Sky is 39%-owned by 21st Century Fox, which until June 2013 was part of the same company as The Wall Street Journal parent, News Corp. (NWS.AU).

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 11, 2015 19:15 ET (00:15 GMT)

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