International law firm Dechert LLP advised CBS Studios International (“CBS”) on its agreement to create CBS-branded channels from Chello Zone’s existing entertainment channels across 83 territories worldwide, including Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The agreement is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory and other approvals.
The channels from Chello Zone, Chellomedia’s international broadcaster division, will be rebranded and reprogrammed as CBS Reality, CBS Drama and CBS Action. Each of these channels has a unique single- or multi-territory footprint, with a collective reach of 43 million subscribers. CBS international channel ventures in the UK, India, Australia and the 83 new territories will now reach a combined 105 million households worldwide.
The new CBS Chello Zone channels will be programmed with world-famous titles and hit franchises from CBS’s vast television library – the largest in the world, with more than 70,000 hours of content including “Dynasty,” “Star Trek” and “America’s Next Top Model.”
The Dechert LLP team advising CBS was led by London corporate partner Graham Defries, assisted by corporate associate James Stonehill. Partner Isabelle Rahman and associate Gregory Bonne in Brussels advised on competition law matters. Tax advice was provided by partners David Gubbay in London and Ed Lemanowicz in Philadelphia.
