LIONSGATE'S DEBMAR-MERCURY TO STREAM HIT SHOW 'HELL'S KITCHEN' EXCLUSIVELY ON HULU

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Jul 19, 2011, 09:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionsgate's (NYSE: LGF) Debmar-Mercury, a leading media company and programming distributor, today announced that the first eight seasons of the hit FOX series Hell's Kitchen, produced by ITV Studios America and starring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay running a rigorous culinary boot camp, will be exclusively available on the Hulu Plus subscription service beginning today. Current episodes from season nine and a rotating selection of library episodes will also be available on the free, ad-supported Hulu service.

"We are excited to expand the presence of Hell's Kitchen's with a premium video service like Hulu," said Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein. "Digital networks are an important and complementary part of the overall distribution mix for a top-tier series like this; increased programming demand from digital video services benefits not only producers and distributors, but viewers who gain access to quality shows on screens of all sizes."

"There are many exciting opportunities to monetize our content across an expanding array of digital platforms worldwide," said Jim Packer, Lionsgate's president of worldwide television distribution and digital. "We're delighted to be working with Hulu, a force in premium television programming, on this innovative distribution deal."

The Hell's Kitchen deal with Hulu is one of several major digital distribution deals in the past year for Lionsgate and Debmar-Mercury as they continue to pursue a forward-looking digital distribution strategy. Earlier this year Lionsgate announced a multiyear syndication deal licensing seven seasons of the Emmy®-Award winning series Mad Men for streaming on Netflix. EPIX, a multiplatform joint venture among Viacom Inc, MGM and Lionsgate, entered into a multiyear agreement with Netflix last year to stream an array of new theatrical releases and library titles.

About Debmar-Mercury:

Debmar-Mercury, a leading media company specializing in syndication, network, cable and ancillary markets, produces and distributes The Wendy Williams Show; distributes The Jeremy Kyle Show, produced by ITV Studios America, debuting in September 2011; distributes Tyler Perry's House of Payne and spinoff Meet the Browns; distributes Are We There Yet?, a sitcom from Revolution Studios' Joe Roth and Cube Vision, starring Ice Cube, debuting in national syndication in fall 2012; distributes strips Hell's Kitchen, Family Feud, South Park and True Hollywood Story; and distributes a movie library featuring titles from Revolution Studios. Debmar-Mercury is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company.