HBO adds int’l originals to US service

HBO will add original series from its European, Asian and Latin American services to its US flagship from December.

Originals from HBO Europe, HBO Asia and HBO Latin America will be added to the US premium pay service, HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler announced yesterday at MIPCOM in Cannes.

Shows included in the agreement at launch include HBO Europe’s Czech miniseries Wasteland and two seasons of Pakt, Taiwanese series The Teenage Psychic and two seasons of Indonesia-Thailand copro Halfwords and Lat Am shows El Hipnotizador and La Vida de las Parejas.

The shows will all be made available in the US on HBO On Demand, which is an authenticated service for subscribers.

Time Warner-owned HBO has been ramping up its original content slate internationally with a host of locally commissioned shows that sit alongside big hitting USA series such as Game of Thrones (pictured).

“Working with talented local writers, directors and producers, our international networks are creating programming that live up to the high-quality storytelling that is expected of the HBO brand,” said Plepler.

“This programming regularly outperforms even Game of Thrones’ record audience numbers in their respective markets. I am tremendously proud to bring such a selection of programmes to our US audience.”