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CBS CONSUMER PRODUCTS ASSUMES CONTROL OF WORLDWIDE LICENSING RIGHTS TO CSI, THE WORLDS MOST SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION FRANCHISE

LOS ANGELES (February 18, 2007) -  CBS Consumer Products will assume control of all international licensing rights for the CSI franchise, effective immediately, with the closing of a 2007 agreement with GS Capital Partners, a private equity fund managed by Goldman, Sachs & Co.  GS Capital Partners had previously purchased Alliance Atlantis' financial interest in the CSI franchise - including international licensing rights - and will remain 50/50 partners with CBS in the franchise.

 

CBS Consumer Products will take over existing international licensing agreements and will be responsible for all future licensing around the world of the three CSI series. 

 

The CSI franchise is a global phenomenon which consists of CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, CSI: MIAMI and CSI: NY.  The three series enjoy impressive ratings in the U.S. and abroad.  CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION is the number one scripted series in America; it joins CSI: MIAMI and CSI:  NY in ranking number one in their respective time periods and placing in the top 10 of all drama series on U.S. television.  Internationally, all three series of the CSI franchise currently rank among the top 20 U.S. series in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.  Each series in the franchise is licensed in over 180 territories. 

 

"We have had much success with a wide array of ‘CSI' products with our U.S. partners," said Liz Kalodner, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Consumer Products. "We are thrilled by the endless possibilities for these exciting shows now that we've added the international rights to our portfolio."

 

The CSI franchise is produced by CBS Paramount Network Television and GS Capital Partners-owned Alliance Atlantis Productions, in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television.  CBS Television Distribution has sold the domestic syndication rights to the franchise within the U.S. since the inception of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in October of 2000.

 

CBS Consumer Products, a unit of CBS Entertainment, manages worldwide licensing and merchandising for a diverse slate of television brands and series from CBS, CBS Paramount Network Television and CBS Television Distribution, as well as from the company's extensive library of titles.  Additionally, the group oversees the CBS Retail Store and online sales of programming merchandise.  For more information, visit http://www.cbs.com/.

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Press Contacts: 

JP Shields                                          Bender/Helper Impact                                              212-689-6360          jp_shields@bhimpact.com                                     

 

 

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