Warner Bros. International Television Distribution

Company: Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, Burbank, CA
Company Description: Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD), the international distribution arm of Warner Bros. Television Group, supplies TV programs and feature films to broadcasters in more than 175 countries.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Department Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Department of the Year - Media & Entertainment

Nomination Title: Warner Bros. International Television Distribution

Tell the story about what this nominated department achieved since the beginning of July 2010 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

This is an honorary nomination as chosen by the Stevie Awards.

The WBITD sales team, led by Jeffrey Schlesinger, is the most successful among
its peers and generates about $2 billion a year.

ACHIEVEMENTS

‘Today, the impact of WBIT's pioneering efforts to increase the value of U.S.
programming in international markets can be seen in the willingness of some of
the world's most powerful TV executives to sing Schlesinger's praises…. Such
relationships have helped make WBIT the largest of any of the international
sales operations’. Broadcasting & Cable 5/30/11

WBIT acquired Shed Media in the U.K. and clinched a deal with John de Mol's
Dutch-based Talpa signs of major plans to compete in an arena heretofore
dominated by conglomerates like Fremantle and Endemol. Hollywood Reporter;
9/29/2010

• August 5, 2010 UK’s Channel Five Clinches Exclusive TV Series And Feature Film
Acquisition Deal With WBITD

• October 5, 2010 – Cannes, France” WBITD Signs Exclusive Output Deal With TV4 Group
• April 26, 2011 WBITD And NonStop Television Make A Pact To Entertain Viewers
In Scandinavia, Via A Deal For 50 Feature Films And TV Series To Air On Showtime
And TNT7

• June 7, 2011 – Middle East MBC Group Nabs Television Rights To Warner Bros.’
Feature Films And Television Series In Massive Programming Output Deal

• Aug. 23, 2011 Hollywood Suite - Canada's New 24/7 Multi-Platform HD Movie
Service Launches With Branded HD Movie Services From Both WB And MGM

• August 31, 2010- Poland : WBITD And MTV Networks Poland Ink Exclusive
Multiyear Comedy Program Output Deal For Comedy Central Poland

• September 2011 – Hulu launches in Japan with incensed Warner Bros programming.

• October 24, 2011 – Mumbai, India UTV Action And UTV Action Telugu Strike A
Deal With WBITD For Multiple Blockbuster Films

• November 17, 2011 WBITD And LOVEFiLM Seal Major Multi-Year, Multi-Layered UK
Movie Partnership

• December 2011 - ITV has acquired free-to-air rights for some of the most
popular Warner Bros. films. "ITV has been a great supporter of the films
produced by the studio over the years," added Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, president,
WBITD, "and this deal once again illustrates the continuing value of top quality
feature films to broadcast networks." News by afterdawn.com

MOVING FORWARD

"It is our ambition to become a leading producer of scripted and non-scripted
programming locally, to complement the top-quality finished programming that we
distribute internationally," WBITD president Jeffrey Schlesinger said. Hollywood
Reporter, 8/6/2009,

"We have aspirations to be in the top 10 to 15 markets with local production in
the next five years," with a focus on non-scripted programming, Schlesinger
says. Warner has also embraced new digital distribution technologies and has
launched over 45 Warner TV-branded on-demand services around the world. All of
which, Schlesinger believes, positions the studio for another strong sales year.
Broadcasting and Cable 5/23/11

"We've ridden out the recession fairly well and managed year-over-year increases
in pricing. We think we have new product that will keep those increases
sustainable," says president Jeffrey Schlesinger. Company Release

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=ShedAcquisition10.14.10

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2011/12/01/itv_buys_free-to-air_rights_to_popular_warner_
bros_titles?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+afterdawn+%28
AfterDawn.com%29

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/474699-An_International_Sales_Chief_Who_s_on_Top_of_
the_World.php

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/468922-New_Network_Shows_Go_Global.php

http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=LOVEFiLMPartnership11.17.11

http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=MBCGroupDeal06.07.11

http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=NonStopTVShowtimeTNT7
Deal04.26.11

http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=TV4GroupDeal10.5.10

http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=MTVPolandComedyDea
l8.31.10

http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/corpcomm/portal/press_release.jsp?id=UKChannelFiveExclusive
AcquisitionWBTVIntl8.5.10

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated sales organization:

Jim Brehm is SVP Sales, Canada, Latin America and Asia

Jeffrey Schlesinger is the President of WBIT and runs the sales operation.

Andrew Zein, Senior Vice President, Creative Format Development and Sales,
Warner Bros. International Television Production

SVP Sales, Russia, CEE and Sub-Saharan Africa Nicky Wood