MUMBAI: UK pay TV service provider Sky and media conglomerate Disney are working together to create a new television channel, Sky Movies Disney.

The new channel will be the home of new and classic Disney and Disney/Pixar movies in the UK and Ireland.

This is the first time that Disney has been involved in a co-branded linear movie channel anywhere in the world. It is also the first time that viewers in the UK and Ireland will be able to watch all new blockbuster Disney-branded movies, as well as classics from the past, on one single channel.

The launch of Sky Movies Disney builds on Sky and Disney?s 24-year relationship in the UK and forms part of a new wide-ranging agreement between the two companies, covering further movies, and Disney Channels, across multiple platforms and devices.

Launching in time for Easter on 28 March 2013, Sky Movies Disney will show films like ?Brave? and ?Wreck-It Ralph ?in their first pay TV window. Future releases that will be available include ?Oz: The Great and Powerful?, ?Monsters University? and ?The Lone Ranger?.

The new movies will be available on Sky Movies Disney from around six months after they have ended their run in cinemas and will be exclusive to Sky Movies for at least a year.

Alongside new releases, Sky Movies Disney will also offer a library of classic Disney films, including ?Bambi? and ?Pinocchio?, as well as Disney/Pixar films such as ?Finding Nemo?, ?Cars? and ?A Bug?s Life?. Live action titles such as ?Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man?s Chest? and ?National Treasure? will also be available.

In addition to broadcasting in standard and high definition on the Sky Movies Disney channel, all of the new and classic movies will be available to view on demand and on the go.

Sky TV customers will be able to watch movies on the move with Sky Go, on their smartphone, tablet, laptop or MacBook. NOW TV, Sky?s new internet TV service, will also offer easy and flexible access to the Disney titles to customers who buy the Sky Movies monthly. Disney films available in 3D will be shown on the Sky 3D channel.

In addition to the launch of the new channel, the agreement gives Sky Movies the first subscription pay TV movie rights in the UK and Ireland to other titles distributed by Disney, including new movies from Lucasfilm, and also Marvel Studios features such as ?Iron Man 3? and ?Avengers Assemble?, which will be broadcast across the Sky Movies portfolio of channels.

In addition to movies, the agreement covers Disney?s TV channels - Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior - which will continue to be made available to Sky customers, alongside a new HD version of Disney Junior, launching in April. All Disney-branded channels will also continue to be available on Sky Go across a range of internet-connected devices.

Additionally, Sky will launch a dedicated Disney section on its popular On Demand service, offering hundreds more hours of catch-up and library shows.

Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch said, "The launch of Sky Movies Disney is great news for our customers and builds on the strong relationship that Sky and Disney have enjoyed for more than 20 years. We?re delighted that an entertainment company of Disney?s international stature has chosen to work with Sky on its first co-branded linear movie channel. This is a world-first collaboration that will excite millions of families and further strengthen our market-leading movies service."

Sky Movies director Ian Lewis said, ?Disney?s movies are loved by all ages and generations, so we?re delighted to be bringing this new channel to millions of families at no extra cost. Sky Movies Disney will be the home of new and classic Disney and Disney/Pixar movies and will offer all new titles at least a year before other TV channels or subscription services. The combination of Disney?s fantastic movies and Sky?s award-winning innovation means that customers will have the chance to enjoy the very best of Disney on their own terms, whether that?s watching on demand, on the move or in 3D."

Disney president Europe, Middle East and Africa Diego Lerner said, "In launching these new initiatives, we are underlining Disney and Sky?s shared goal: bringing high quality, creative entertainment to audiences in the UK and Ireland. The ways in which people watch TV and movies have changed immeasurably in the past 20 years, but consumers always seek out Disney?s great stories and memorable characters."

Disney Europe, Middle East and Africa senior VP, GM, media distribution Catherine Powell said, "Through the launch of Sky Movies Disney, we will offer viewers our broadest range yet of popular current and classic Disney and Disney/Pixar films, featuring many of our much-loved stories and characters.

?Building on the strong performance of our movies and Disney channels in the UK and Ireland, this agreement will not only increase the range of Disney entertainment being made available, but also the devices and platforms that viewers will be able to enjoy them on."

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Starz have inked a new, multi-year agreement that extends their exclusive first-run output premium pay TV deal.

As a result, Starz will have the exclusive pay television rights to Sony Pictures? theatrical releases through 2021. The previous agreement between the two companies had covered motion pictures released theatrically through 2016.

Commencing with 2005 theatrical releases, Starz has been the exclusive first-run pay television home for the exhibition of Sony Pictures? films including titles from Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, TriStar, and Screen Gems.

Starz had recently renewed its exclusive long-term licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Domestic Television, a division of The Walt Disney Company, for theatrical releases from The Walt Disney Studios through 2015.

The new SPE-Starz agreement provides movie content for all Starz platforms including its linear STARZ and ENCORE channels in standard definition and HD, subscription VOD services in standard definition, HD On Demand and 3D On Demand, and online streaming services, including the recently launched Starz Play and Encore Play.

Big, hit Sony titles coming in 2013 exclusively on pay television to the STARZ channels and services include: The Amazing Spider-Man, 21 Jump Street, Zero Dark Thirty, The Vow, Men In Black 3, and Resident Evil: Retribution.

"Starz and Encore subscribers have enjoyed the consistently stellar theatrical product from Sony, and we are thrilled to extend our exclusive partnership into the next decade," said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht.

"Starz will continue to offer the richest premium TV viewing experience for our subscribers and distributors for years to come thanks to Starz? growing original programming slate, along with the robust lineup of new blockbuster Sony releases and our deep movie library."

"Starz has been a terrific partner and we are excited to be extending our relationship with them through the 2021 slate," said SPT President, U.S. John Weiser.

MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company?s net profit for the first quarter ended 29 December fell six per cent to $1.38 billion from $1.46 billion in the same quarter of preceding fiscal due to increase in programming costs at ESPN and decline in studio entertainment revenues.

Disney?s revenues grew five per cent to $11.3 billion, up from $10.7 billion in the corresponding quarter.

?After delivering another record year of growth in 2012, we?re off to a solid start in Fiscal 2013,? said The Walt Disney Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger. ?Our ongoing success is driven by our long-term strategy, the strength of our brands and businesses, and our high quality family entertainment."

Media Networks revenues for the quarter increased 7 per cent to $5.1 billion and segment operating income increased 2 per cent to $1.2 billion.

Operating income at Cable Networks decreased $15 million to $952 million for the quarter due to a decrease at ESPN, partially offset by growth at the domestic Disney Channels, ABC Family and A&E Television Networks (AETN).

The decrease at ESPN was driven by higher programming and production costs, partially offset by higher affiliate revenue.

Operating income at Broadcasting increased $36 million to $262 million driven by increased advertising revenues at the ABC Television Network and owned television stations and higher program sales, partially offset by higher primetime network programming costs.

Parks and Resorts revenues for the quarter increased 7 per cent to $3.4 billion and segment operating income increased 4 per cent to $577 million. Results for the quarter were driven by an increase at our domestic operations, partially offset by a decrease at our international operations.

Studio Entertainment revenues decreased 5 per cent to $1.5 billion and segment operating income decreased 43 per cent to $234 million.

Lower operating income for the quarter was driven by decreases in home entertainment and theatrical distribution, partially offset by an increase in television and subscription video on demand (TV/SVOD) distribution.

Consumer Products revenues increased 7 per cent to $1.0 billion and segment operating income increased 11 per cent to $346 million. Higher operating income was due to increases at Merchandise Licensing and at our retail business.

Interactive revenues for the quarter increased 4 per cent to $291 million and segment operating results improved from a loss of $28 million to income of $9 million. Higher operating results were driven by lower acquisition accounting impacts at our social games business which were adverse in the prior-year quarter and growth at our Japan mobile business from a new licensing agreement for Disney branded mobile phones and content.

MUMBAI: Disney UTV?s Hindi movie channel UTV Movies is all set to telecast Paan Singh Tomar and Cocktail this weekend on the channel. The two movies are part of a syndication deal that UTV Movies did with Viacom18 as part of its strategy to attract viewers by acquiring new titles.

The channel will telecast Paan Singh Tomar on 8 February at 9:30 pm and Cocktail will have a twin telecast on 9 and 10 February at 9:30 pm and 12:00 noon respectively.

Paan Singh Tomar is an award winning biographical film, based on a true story of an athlete Paan Singh Tomar. An ex-employee of the Indian Army who won a gold medal at Indian national games, he was forced to become a bandit.

Cocktail, a romcom-drama film directed by Homi Adajania, emerged as one of the biggest commercial successes of 2012 in both India and abroad. The star studded film revolves around three friends, their friendship and the love triangle.