Echo Bridge Inks Degrassi Deal

By Marissa Graziadio

NEEDHAM/LOS ANGELES: Echo Bridge Entertainment has secured a multi-territory broadcast licensing agreement with MTV International for seasons eight and nine of the teen drama series Degrassi.

The agreements broadcast rights include Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Scandinavia, the U.K., Brazil, Germany, Benelux, Australia and New Zealand. The 45-episode half-hour Canadian series will air on MTV channels around the world starting October 23.

The award-winning show deals with tough teen issues in a realistic way and has been the top-rated show on TeenNick since its launch ten seasons ago. It ranks within the top three series on MuchMusic in Canada among viewers 12 to 34.

Degrassi is a remarkable franchise and one of the few series in any genre whose ratings continue to improve year over year, said Dan March, the president of international at Echo Bridge Entertainment. “Its a great opportunity to partner with MTV to share Degrassi with more viewers around the world than ever before.

Degrassis authentic depiction of the universal teen experience, told from a teen point of view, will really resonate with our audiences around the world and complement MTVs youth driven programming lineup, added David Booth, the senior VP of programming and content for MTV International.