LIONSGATE INKS INTERNATIONAL DEALS FOR EAGERLY-ANTICIPATED REALITY SERIES KICKING & SCREAMING AHEAD OF MARCH 9TH U.S. DEBUT ON FOX

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Jan 16, 2017, 08:00 ET

Format Optioned by Banijay Across Top European Territories; Sony's VIASAT3 Takes Format & Series Rights for Hungary

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly two months ahead of its U.S. debut on Thursday, March 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), a premier next generation global content leader, has signed major international format deals for its highly anticipated reality series Kicking & Screaming. It was announced today by Lionsgate President of International Television & Digital Distribution, Peter Iacono.

Format rights covering France, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have been licensed to leading international production group Banijay. Lionsgate has also finalized a deal with Sony Pictures Television Networks' VIASAT for the format and series rights in Hungary, where it will be broadcast on VIASAT3.

The deals with leading international producers well in advance of the show's U.S. premiere reflect the tremendous demand for the first of Lionsgate's major network reality brands as the Company continues to grow its stature in the nonscripted space.

Carlotta Rossi Spencer, Head of Global Format Acquisitions at Banijay, commented, "Kicking & Screaming is the kind of truly entertaining, large scale adventure series which Banijay's locally based teams produce so well. Our broadcast clients are reassured by our first-hand experience in creating successful big formats such as Fort Boyard and 71 Degrees North, and we look forward to bringing this exciting new reality concept to European audiences."

"The format deals for Kicking & Screaming with world-class partners Banijay and Sony reflect the tremendous international demand for what we expect to become a global reality brand," said Iacono. "We're delighted to entrust this incredible property to the talented and experienced creative teams of the leading producers in each of these territories. We're confident that the show is in great hands."

"These deals reflect not only the excitement that Kicking & Screaming is creating as we head into NATPE but the growing momentum of our entire slate of nonfiction programming," said Lionsgate Senior Vice President of Alternative Programming Sales, Ted Bookstaver. "We're proud to offer our buyers a portfolio of non-scripted series distinguished by its depth, diversity and superior quality."

Kicking & Screaming teams 10 expert survivalists with pampered partners to face the toughest challenges of their lives. From executive producer Matt Kunitz (Wipeout, Fear Factor), in association with Lionsgate Television, and hosted by Hannah Simone (New Girl), the comedic competition series drops these unlikely duos into a tropical jungle in Fiji, where they must team together not only to brave obstacles, adversity and the elements… but to survive each other. To win the competition and a cash prize, the experts will have to drag their partners, Kicking & Screaming, to the finish line.

About Lionsgate
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) is a vertically integrated next generation global content leader with a diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, premium pay television networks, home entertainment, global distribution and sales, interactive ventures and games and location-based entertainment.

With the acquisition of Starz, Lionsgate adds to its portfolio of businesses the flagship STARZ premium pay network serving nearly 25 million subscribers and the STARZENCOREplatform with over 31 million subscribers. The combined company will operate five over-the-top (OTT) streaming services and the Starz app delivering content directly to consumers.

The Company's feature film business spans eight labels and includes the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, the Now You See Me and John Wick series, the critically-acclaimed box office hit La La Land, which won a record-breaking seven Golden Globes, Hacksaw Ridge, Tyler Perry's Boo! A Madea Halloween, CBS Films/Lionsgate's Hell or High Water, Roadside Attractions' Manchester by the Sea, Codeblack Films' breakout concert film Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain and Pantelion Films' Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

One of the largest independent television businesses in the world, Lionsgate's slate of premium quality series encompasses nearly 90 shows on more than 40 different networks. These include the ground-breaking Orange is the New Black, the fan favorite Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show, the acclaimed drama The Royals, the Golden Globe-nominated Casual, the breakout success Greenleaf and hit Starz series including Outlander, Black Sails, Survivor's Remorse and Power, the second highest-rated premium pay television series of 2016.

Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of more than 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment and Starz brands are synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world. www.lionsgate.com

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SOURCE Lionsgate