Starz Worldwide Distribution Secures International Television Distribution Rights for Upcoming VH1 Scripted Series, "Hit The Floor"

LOS ANGELES, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Further building on its position as a top independent television distributor,Starz Worldwide Distribution, a division of Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA,STRZB), has finalized an international television distribution agreement with VH1 for the upcoming 2013 VH1 TV series, "Hit the Floor," previously known as "Bounce." The TV series will contain ten (10) one-hour episodes in its first season.

The joint deal announcement was made by Gene George, EVP of Worldwide Distribution for Starz and Eddie Dalva, EVP, Content and Program Enterprises, Entertainment and Music Groups at Viacom Media Networks.   Starz Worldwide Distribution will represent "Hit the Floor" to all markets for television, excluding the United States. The series will be available for licensing at the start of MIPTV, which runs from April 8-11 in Cannes, France.  

Starz Worldwide Distribution adds "Hit the Floor" to its robust content portfolio, which includes distribution rights to STARZ Original series ("Spartacus," "Magic City," "The White Queen"), other owned content from across the Starz family of companies ("Dan Vs." animated TV series from Film Roman, Anchor Bay Films), and a vast array of other licensed TV/movie properties.

"Hit the Floor" stars Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"), Kimberly Elise (John Q, Diary of a Mad Black Woman), and Charlotte Ross ("NYPD Blue," "Days of Our Lives").

"Starz Worldwide Distribution is extremely pleased to establish a distribution relationship with VH1 for this series.  'Hit the Floor' is a fun ride and a perfect fit internationally alongside our content," said George.  "Lining up a world class partner in VH1 is an acknowledgment of our world class distribution capabilities and gives us another opportunity to build upon our successes in the marketplace." 

"'Hit the Floor' is VH1's biggest scripted effort to date, and should play extremely well to an international audience," added Dalva. 

About "Hit The Floor"

"Hit the Floor," (previously known as "Bounce") was created by James LaRosa who also serves as Executive Producer of the series along with Maggie Malina.  Choreography for "Hit the Floor" is created by Michael Rooney, who has worked with legendary musicians including Kylie Minogue, Usher, George Michael, Fatboy Slim, and Lee Ann Rimes.

"Hit the Floor" is a series that follows the alluring lives and loves of the Devil Girls, the premier dance team for the Los Angeles Devils, the number one basketball team in the league. When the stadium lights go up at night, all of Hollywood comes out to support the million dollar players. But in this city these men share the fame, adrenaline, money, sex and power with their dancers, the Devil Girls. The cast includes: Dean Cain, Kimberly Elise, Charlotte Ross, Taylour Paige, Logan Browning, Valery Ortiz, Katherine Bailess, Jonathan McDaniel and McKinley Freeman.

The series is produced by Bryan Johnson, The Film Syndicate and In Cahoots Media.  VH1's executives Jill Holmes and Jeff Olde are Executive Producers on the project.  The pilot episode was written by James LaRosa and directed by Sanaa Hamri.

About VH1

VH1 delivers the ultimate mash-up of music, pop culture and nostalgia for adults who still want to have fun.  VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S.  VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile and VH1.com and @VH1, the hub for all things music and pop culture.  VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  For more information, go to www.vh1press.com, VH1.com, or the VH1 Facebook page.  Follow us on Twitter @VH1PR.    

About Starz Worldwide Distribution

Starz Worldwide Distribution (www.starzglobal.com) is a leading global distributor of movies, televisions series, documentaries, children's programming, and other video content.  Starz Worldwide Distribution licenses and syndicates Starz original series and other owned and licensed third party programming on a worldwide basis. Starz Worldwide Distribution's partnerships with independent producers provide high-quality and diverse programming to its clients, while its experience in the field distinguishes it as a premier supplier in the global content marketplace. Starz Worldwide Distribution is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.

SOURCE Starz Worldwide Distribution