or


[09/07/11 - 07:03 AM]
ION Television Acquires Off-Network Rights to TNT's Top-Rated Series "Leverage"
The series will begin airing on ION Television in summer 2012.

[via press release from ION Television]

ION TELEVISION ACQUIRES OFF-NETWORK RIGHTS TO TNT'S TOP-RATED SERIES "LEVERAGE"

Acquisition Marks ION's First Deal with Successful Independent Producer Dean Devlin and Electric Entertainment

NEW YORK - September 7, 2011 - ION Television continues to expand its programming line-up with high-quality content with the acquisition of the popular TNT drama series, "Leverage" from Electric Entertainment. The announcement was made today by Brandon Burgess, CEO, ION Media Networks. ION Television, a top-10 rated network, has licensed the off-network rights to all seasons of "Leverage." The series will begin airing on ION Television in summer 2012.

"We're pleased to team up with Dean Devlin's Electric Entertainment, which has distinguished itself by providing high caliber theatrical production standards for TV audiences," says Burgess. "Collaborating with both Electric and Turner to support the longevity of a popular original drama, such as 'Leverage,' furthers our strategic goal to be a viable partner for cable network productions."

"We are thrilled to join forces with ION Television, one of the largest broadcast television station groups in the country. ION's reach of over 99 million homes in the U.S. will ensure the continuation of the show's legacy," says Electric Entertainment Founder Dean Devlin. "We're looking forward to working with such a pioneering and innovative company."

"Leverage" follows a five-person team: a thief, a grifter, a hacker, a retrieval specialist, and their leader, former insurance investigator Nathan Ford (Academy Award Winner(R) Timothy Hutton), who use their skills to right corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on ordinary citizens. "Leverage," recently picked-up for its fifth season, is executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT's The Librarian movie series) and creators John Rogers (Transformers) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens). The series is produced for TNT by Devlin's Electric Entertainment. This season, Leverage has averaged more than 4.8 million viewers, up 10% over season three, with 1.9 million adults 18-49 (+6%) and 2.3 million adults 25-54 (+9%).

The "Leverage" deal comes on the heels of ION's recent acquisition of cable's other hit series "Psych," "Monk" and "House," signifying ION as a viable after-market platform for cable net productions. The hit series also joins ION Television's primetime schedule of the popular off-net series "Without a Trace," "Criminal Minds," "Ghost Whisperer" and ION's first original police drama "Flashpoint."

Source: Nielsen Media Research; L+SD data; Leverage Season 4 through 5 telecasts SU 9-10P (6/26/11-7/24/11) versus ad-supported cable scripted programs and Season 1-4 (12/7/08-7/24/11).

Source: Top 10 Rank; Nielsen Media Research, Live+SD, 9/27/2010-8/7/2011, M-Sun 7P-12A, A25-54 (000). Excludes kids, news, and sports nets.

ABOUT ELECTRIC ENTERTAINMENT

Electric Entertainment is a full service film, television, and new media production company and studio headed by veteran producer Dean Devlin along with Kearie Peak, Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan. Electric is currently preparing production for the fifth season of TNT's action-packed drama "Leverage."

Electric's other television credits include "The Librarian," starring Noah Wyle, which aired on TNT network in December 2004 and was the highest rated movie on cable that year, its sequel, "The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines" and the third installment of the franchise, "The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice." Along with Bryan Singer's Bad Hat Harry production company, Electric produced Syfy Channel's "The Triangle," which won an Emmy for its Visual Effects, and was the highest-rated miniseries on the cable channel since "Steven Spielberg Presents TAKEN" (2002).

Electric's most recent film project was Sony Picture Classics' politically-charged documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?, which was nominated by the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Documentary Feature.

In addition, the company also operates Electric Post, an in-house, state of the art digital effects and post-production facility, which utilizes cutting-edge technology, allowing filmmakers to stretch their dollars way beyond traditional budget boundaries.

ABOUT ION TELEVISION

ION Television is a leading U.S. general entertainment network, combining high-quality programming and dependable broadcast distribution with an attitude of innovation and growth normally associated with a cable channel. Its "Positively Entertaining" network brand positioning features a formula of proven series, an expansive catalog of blockbuster movies and a commitment to introduce new original programming. Since its recent launch in 2008, ION's reach has grown to 99 million households and has become one of the top-15 TV rated U.S. networks in record time. For more information, visit www.iontelevision.com.





  [september 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· LEVERAGE (TNT)





[11/22/24 - 01:31 PM]
Video: "Suits LA" Arrives February 2025 - NBC
The all-new spinoff of the beloved legal drama, starring Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg, lands on the West Coast.

[11/22/24 - 12:11 PM]
Video: Peacock Releases First Look at the Third Season of Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors" Returning January 9 with Alan Cumming as Host
Last season, "The Traitors" became the #1 unscripted series in the U.S. across all streaming platforms during launch week, according to Nielsen.

[11/22/24 - 10:15 AM]
Apple's Drama "Your Friends & Neighbors" Lands Early Season Two Renewal
Starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11 with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, May 30.

[11/22/24 - 09:01 AM]
Apple Original Films' "Fly Me to the Moon" to Premiere December 6, 2024
Since its debut in theaters worldwide, the film has received the Verified Hot certification on Rotten Tomatoes by fans.

[11/22/24 - 08:03 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Speak No Evil" Beginning December 6
The psychological horror thriller stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Scoot McNairy, and more!

[11/22/24 - 07:35 AM]
2024 "Emirates NBA Cup" Championship Game Exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ December 17
In addition, ESPN platforms will exclusively present a semifinal game and a quarterfinal game as part of its 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round coverage.

[11/22/24 - 07:12 AM]
Peacock and Sky's Original Hit Drama Series "The Day of the Jackal" Scores Second Season Renewal
In the US it ranked #1 on Peacock's Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend (according to preliminary Nielsen data).

[11/22/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Chef's Table" Volume 7 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Meet five world-class chefs who redefine culinary boundaries with delicious, innovative dishes honoring their diverse cultures and personal philosophies.

[11/22/24 - 05:41 AM]
"They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce" Set for January 2025 on ESPN
Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.

[11/22/24 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Ad Vitam" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men.

[11/21/24 - 04:01 PM]
"Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die" Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins
In the shadows of Korea's rugby world, seven teams engage in a fierce battle of strength, strategy, and teamwork - all vying to be crowned champion.

[11/21/24 - 04:00 PM]
ABC Presents a Two-Night Special Event To Commemorate the Diamond Anniversary of "Mary Poppins"
First, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20," a two-hour special from ABC News Studios chock full of rarely seen footage, photos and stories from the film's living legends, airs Wednesday, November 27 on ABC and streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.

[11/21/24 - 01:32 PM]
2024 International Emmy Nominees on Hulu
Check out these Emmy-worthy international series streaming on Hulu.

[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics
The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.

[11/21/24 - 01:05 PM]
NBC Orders Five Additional Episodes of Its Friday Night Comedy Hit "Happy's Place"
The "Happy's Place" premiere has hit 14 million viewers across all platforms.