Starting in 2006, Tribune Co. has acquired exclusive distribution and barter
rights for DreamWorks SKG’s feature-film library, which includes 34 mainly
stellar titles that did $6 billion in total in box-office business.
The films include Saving Private Ryan, American Beauty, Gladiator, Shrek
and Road to Perdition, among many others.
The immediate beneficiary: The films will get plays in 22 major markets where
Tribune owns stations, and also on its cable channel, WGN Superstation, giving
advertisers a wide window.
An elated Dick Askin, president and CEO of Tribune Entertainment, said he
hopes the alliance leads to other collaborations with DreamWorks.
Askin said Tribune probably won’t put the package on the market until
sometime in 2004, but even without other stations, "Tribune’s station
group adds a lot of market force to the studio."
