Stan has inked a multi-year strategic content partnership with Sony Pictures Television for exclusive first-run of upcoming drama series like Twisted Metal, Straight Man, Panhandle and Passport to Freedom.
The deal also includes the extension of exclusive streaming rights for long-standing hits for Stan such as Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Nanny, Dawson’s Creek and For Life.
A catalogue of blockbusters will also join the streamer via the agreement, including the Spider-Man, Jumanji and Men in Black franchises.
Twisted Metal, based on the Playstation game franchise and written by Cobra Kai‘s Michael Jonathan Smith, is a half-hour action-comedy series about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life. The cast includes Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Haden Church and Neve Campbell.
Better Call Saul‘s Bob Odenkirk will star in mid-life crisis tale Straight Man, a mid-life crisis tale as William Henry Devereaux Jr, the unlikely chairman of a Pennsylvania college English department. The 8 x 1 hour series is based on the novel by Richard Russo, and created by co-showrunners Aaron Zelman and Paul Lieberstein.
Luke Kirby and Tiana Okoye star in the Florida-set Panhandle as a arm-chair detective and relectant traffic cop, respectively. Each wrestle with personal demons, shocking twists, and a few Florida gators on their journey to heal themselves and their town.
Brazilian miniseries Passport to Freedom is the story of Aracy de Carvalho (Sophie Charlotte), an employee in the Brazilian consulate in Hamburg, Germany in the lead up to World War II, who managed to save many Jews by issuing passports to allow them to travel to Brazil. It is written by Mário Teixeira in collaboration with Rachel Anthony.
In addition to Sony Pictures Television, Stan also has content deals in place with NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia and MGM. Further, the Nine-owned streamer has a content and development deal with Lionsgate, with three projects already announced under the latter: Prosper, The Geography of Friendship, and Population 11.
Stan CEO Martin Kugeler said the Sony Pictures Television deal will give Stan an “even stronger” long-term lineup of exclusive first-run premium content.
“Since bringing us Better Call Saul, Sony Pictures has long been an important partner of Stan. We look forward to building on our well-established relationship as we enter this new strategic partnership.”
Mike Wald, Sony Pictures’ EVP for international distribution and networks, said Stan had been a great partner for the company to reach Australian audiences.
“We are thrilled to extend our strong relationship with them and to have Stan as the future home for so many of our most exciting TV series and global franchises.”