MUMBAI: US film and television entertainment company Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer has signed a new long-term agreement with the company extending his tenure until May 2018, effective immediately, the company has announced.

During Feltheimer?s 13 years as CEO, he and vice chairman Michael Burns have guided the company?s growth into a premier global entertainment company that has established a reputation for leadership not only in feature films and television shows but in creating and delivering content to digital platforms around the world.

Last year Lionsgate acquired Summit Entertainment, launched the global blockbuster ?Hunger Games? franchise and continued the growth and diversification of its television business, which encompasses 28 television series on 20 different networks including iconic and emerging brands such as ?Mad Men? and ? Weds?. Lionsgate?s market capitalisation has increased from $80 million to nearly $4 billion during Feltheimer?s tenure as CEO.

Lionsgate chairman of the board Dr. Mark Rachesky said, "We are pleased to make this early decision to extend Jon?s tenure as CEO until 2018, providing Lionsgate with extraordinary continuity as he and Michael Burns continue to grow the Company into a next generation global content leader.

"We believed in Jon?s early vision of how to best position Lionsgate to grow and adapt to a rapidly changing industry. He has successfully executed on a business plan which required discipline, patience and investment in all of the Company?s key business segments in order to create highly valuable content and long-term value for shareholders."

In addition to Feltheimer, vice chairman Michael Burns, co-COOs Steve Beeks and Brian Goldsmith and general counsel and chief strategic officer Wayne Levin have all signed new long-term agreements with the company during the past year.

MUMBAI: US film and television company Lionsgate has reported second quarter revenue of $707 million, EBITDA of $104.0 million, adjusted EBITDA of $109.7 million and net income of $75.5 million or $0.56 per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 (quarter ended September 30, 2012).

Revenue of $707.0 million in the second quarter increased by 97 per cent compared to $358.1 million in the prior year quarter, driven by strong home entertainment revenue from the global blockbuster ?The Hunger Games? in packaged media and on demand and digital, domestic theatrical box office revenue from films in the quarter that included ?The Possession?, ?The Expendables 2?, ?Step Up Revolution? and ?Madea?s Witness Protection? (released at the end of June), as well as strong growth in international revenue.

EBITDA of $104 million and adjusted EBITDA of $109.7 million in the second quarter compared to EBITDA of negative $(6.9) million and adjusted EBITDA of negative $(13.4) million in the prior year quarter.

Net income of $75.5 million in the second quarter compared to net loss of $(25.3) million in the prior year quarter. Profitability and EBITDA growth in the quarter was largely attributable to the strong theatrical box office and home entertainment performance of several of the Company?s feature films, including the DVD and digital release of the first film in ?The Hunger Games? franchise and the domestic theatrical box office performance of ?The Possession? as well as strong international results.

The company also reported improved overall margins in the quarter.

Basic net income per common share for the second quarter was $0.56 on 134.4 million weighted average common shares outstanding, compared to basic net loss per common share of $(0.19) on 133.8 million weighted average common shares outstanding in the prior year quarter.

Lionsgate?s film backlog, or already contracted future revenue not yet recorded, was a record $1.2 billion at 30 September , 2012.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said, "The quarter reflected many of the core values that have driven our growth over the past 12 years ? creation and renewal of major film franchises, strong and consistent library performance and contributions from our diverse mix of businesses worldwide. "With the home entertainment release of the first film in our ?Hunger Games? franchise making significant contributions to our results in the quarter, we?re clearly on track to meet or exceed our expectations this year."

Overall motion picture revenue for the second quarter was $608 million, an increase of 178 per cent from the prior year quarter reflecting gains in all categories. Within the motion picture segment, theatrical revenue in the quarter was $116.2 million, a fivefold increase from the prior year second quarter, attributable to the box office performance of ?The Possession?, ?The Expendables 2?, ?Step Up Revolution? and ?Madea?s Witness Protection?released in June.

Lionsgate?s home entertainment revenue from both motion pictures and television was $277.8 million in the second quarter, a 59 per cent increase from the prior year quarter driven by the home entertainment releases of ?The Hunger Games?, ?Cabin In The Woods?, ?What To Expect When You?re Expecting?, ?Safe? and ?Friends With Kids? from the company?s managed brands business.

Television revenue included in motion picture revenue was $35.5 million in the second quarter, an increase of 26 per cent from the prior year quarter.

International motion picture revenue of $108 million (excluding Lionsgate U.K.) for the second quarter increased more than fourfold from the prior year quarter driven by continuing revenue from the worldwide theatrical release of ?The Hunger Games? as well as revenue contributions from ?Cabin In The Woods?, ?What To Expect When You?re Expecting?, ?Step Up Revolution? and ?Cold Light Of Day?.

Lionsgate UK revenue was $48.4 million, an increase of 120 per cent from the prior year quarter, on the strength of a diversified theatrical slate driven by ?The Hunger Games?, ?The Expendables 2? and ?Abduction?, Lionsgate UK?s ?Salmon Fishing In The Yemen? and the third-party film ?Magic Mike?.

Television production revenue was $99 million in the second quarter, a decline of 29 per cent compared to the prior year quarter, as increases in domestic series licensing from Lionsgate Television were offset by fewer deliveries from the company?s Debmar-Mercury syndication arm and decreased digital media revenue compared to the prior year quarter that included the delivery of the first four seasons of ?Mad Men? to Netflix.

MUMBAI: Lionsgate and Hispanic media company Televisa have agreed on terms for a long term programming and development venture to create English language television content for US broadcast and cable networks, it was announced by Lionsgate co-chairman, CEO Jon Feltheimer and Televisa president, CExO Emilio Azcarraga.

The alliance represents another expansion of Lionsgate and Televisa?s longstanding partnership and complements the two companies? film joint venture, Pantelion Films, launched in 2010 to acquire and distribute feature films for the Hispanic market in the US.

The new television partnership will include the development of scripted and unscripted English language original programming as well as format adaptations from Televisa?s vast library of thousands of titles, including telenovelas to be produced in English. It includes a development fund designed to attract quality talent to approximately six to eight projects a year.

Several projects are already in the pipeline, including: ?From Prada To Nada?, Pantelion?s debut film which is being developed as a comedy TV series; ?Badlands?, a scripted drama at ABC in partnership with ABC Studios based on Televisa?s Soy Tu Duena, a successful telenovela; ?Terminales? for ABC Family; and ?Teresa?, based on Televisa telenovela.

Feltheimer said, "Televisa is one of the greatest programming forces in the world, and they have consistently shown the ability not only to serve Latino audiences but to reach viewers around the world with exciting, entertaining and compelling content. I?ve known Emilio Azcarraga and Pepe Baston for many years, and I?m delighted to extend our Pantelion Films relationship into the U.S. television market as well."

The new venture would focus on programming with a Latin feel and US appeal.

Lionsgate and Televisa have also joined forces to identify original and exciting creative voices that will resonate with the hip young audience in the US and will support the companies? film and TV partnerships. They have created the Lionsgate and Televisa Fund For Student Support at the USC School of Cinematic Arts to "support, encourage and educate new voices" by providing assistance to underrepresented minority students studying screenwriting and TV and film production at USC. The fund will provide tuition assistance and an internship opportunity at Pantelion Films to two USC graduate students a year for the next three years.