Today, Fox International Channels announced the Middle East launch for the highly anticipated series The Walking Dead, to be aired exclusively and for the first time on FOX SERIES. The Walking Dead will be premiered globally by Fox International Channels in the first week of November, following the launch of the show in the USA on October 31, 2010 which saw a record breaking viewership. Starting, Sunday, November 7th, Fox Series will be the place-to-go every Sunday nights for thriller lovers as this action packed series will air on 22.00pm(KSA time) and 23.00pm(UAE time). The first episode will also be premiered simultaneously on FOX MOVIES, Star Movies and Star World, a first-time experience for the Middle East.
"The Walking Dead is a groundbreaking project with clear global and regional appeal. Considering the strong buzz and anticipation the show has already generated globally at this early stage, we are proud to be launching it in the same week as the global launch. We also wanted to make sure we let as many people as possible have a taste of this show in order to create strong viewership. We therefore decided to premiere the first episode on FOX MOVIES, Star Movies and Star World at the same time as the regular FOX SERIES premiere, this marks the first time in the Middle East that a U.S. series has been launched with this approach." said Rohit D'silva, General Manager, FIC Middle East.
The Walking Dead is American Movie Classics'(AMC) first wholly-owned original series. The series' USA premiere on October 31st 2010 garnered more than 5.3 million viewers, the largest audience for an original series on AMC. In adults 18-49, the series garnered 3.6 million viewers to become the highest-rated cable series premiere in 2010.A television production from Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) and Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens, Armageddon, The Incredible Hulk), and based on Robert Kirkman's best selling graphic novel, The Walking Dead is an unprecedented event, marking the first time ever a TV series premieres in similar fashion to a theatrical film release. Earlier this summer, FIC announced that it picked up all international rights for the project, which includes TV and Home Video Rights in all international markets outside of North America from AMC.
In the Middle East, FIC is running an active outdoor, print and online campaign. In order to engage customers in the region most effectively, tantalizing TV and web teasers have already been released and will continue to air until the premiere.
