Grit & Escape Announce Licensing Agreement with Sony Pictures Television for 150 Feature Films

The newly-launched male-centric and female-centric over-the-air broadcast television networks -- Grit (For Men) and Escape (For Women) -- have concluded a multi-year licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Television (SPT) for television rights to 150 demo-targeted motion pictures, it was announced today.

This is the fourth major multi-year film licensing agreement for Grit and Escape, both of which came on the air on August 18. The two networks also recently acquired the television rights to 135 demo-targeted motion pictures from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, 157 motion pictures from NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution, U.S. & Canada and nearly 200 demo-targeted motion pictures from Paramount Pictures.

"This Sony package adds to our already-impressive line-up of theatricals, featuring some of the greatest movies ever made with legendary stars giving award-winning and memorable performances. They will be very popular with the target demos of both Grit and Escape," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting, parent company of the two new networks.

New Broadcast Television Networks, Grit (For Men) and Escape (For Women), To Launch Monday, August 18

Gary Cooper standing up for what's right in High Noon and Kathleen Turner turning William Hurt down the wrong path in Body Heat.

These two iconic motion pictures are how the country's first-ever male-centric and female-centric over-the-air broadcast television networks -- Grit (For Men) and Escape (For Women) -- will introduce themselves as it was announced today that both networks will launch Monday, August 18 at 12:00 (high) Noon ET with High Noon on Grit and Body Heat on Escape.

“Gary Cooper as Will Kane is one of the most legendary performances of an American hero in motion picture history. High Noon is the perfect movie to launch Grit, which will be built around the classic male hero with a focus on western, war and action movies,” commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting which owns and operates the two new networks. “Kathleen Turner contemporized the femme fatale in Body Heat and her steamy performance is the consummate way to seductively introduce viewers to Escape, which will feature daring and sexy stories of crime, justice and mystery.”

New Broadcast Networks, Escape (For Women) and Grit (For Men), Ink Deal with Raycom

Raycom Media, one of the nation’s largest broadcasters, will carry the country’s first-ever female-centric and male-centric over-the-air broadcast television networks - Escape (For Women) and Grit (For Men) - in multiple markets as part of a new distribution agreement with Katz Broadcasting announced today by Jeffrey Wolf, Chief Distribution Officer for Escape and Grit.

Escape will target women 25-54 with a mix of theatrical motion pictures and off-network series anchored in stories of crime and mystery. Action-oriented Grit will reach men 25-54 and be built around the classic male hero archetype with a heavy focus on western, war and action theatrical motion pictures. Both networks will launch this summer.