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Carlton Buys Rank

After much speculation *New Rank For Carlton, Carlton Communications has confirmed that it has bought Rank Film Distributors Ltd, the UK’s largest film distributor.
The deal, which cost Carlton £65 million, gives Carlton access to 740 feature films in the Rank library, the largest independent film library in the UK. The library spans over sixty years of cinema history and includes classics, like Alfred Hitchcock’s Sabotage and Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet, and recent films like, To Die For and The Shawshank Redemption. The library has worldwide sales to over 150 countries.
Rank adds to its library each year by investing in major feature films in return for overseas and domestic rights. Carlton plans to distribute the Rank collection alongside its existing film and television programme library, which includes the Romulus and Korda collections. Carlton’s growing library currently consist of 75,000 hours of TV programmes and almost 1,000 films. These works are distributed worldwide by CTE and on video in the UK by Carlton Home Entertainment, both subsidiaries of Carlton Communications Plc.
Commenting on the acquisition, Michael Green, chairman of Carlton Communications, said: “This will enhance our position as a leading content supplier to the growing number of television channels around the world. We also have plans for our own film channel on digital terrestrial television. The Rank Film Library will help ensure that it rapidly wins support from audiences and advertisers.”
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