Sky One, the flagship entertainment web of U.K. paybox BSkyB, has seized local firstrun rights to “House” from rival web Five.
The fifth season will bow on Sky One this summer following a deal with rights holder NBC Universal Intl. TV Distribution after Five pulled out of the bidding.
Sky One announced the deal on the day its former program topper, Richard Woolfe, started work as Five’s new director of programs.
Five, owned by pan-European media giant RTL, is suffering in the U.K. advertising downturn and is keen to reconnect with a younger, less upscale demographic.
A Five spokesman said: “We have taken this difficult decision for commercial and scheduling reasons,” adding that giving up on “House” “frees substantial funds” to spend on other programs.
“The continuing popularity of our long-running acquired series such as the ‘CSI’ franchise and ‘NCIS,’ plus the tremendous performance of our hit acquisition, ‘The Mentalist,’ means it has been very difficult to find a suitable slot for the next (season) of ‘House,’ ” he added.
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