MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television (BVITV), the international TV distribution division of The Walt Disney Company, has announced new TV licensing agreements with broadcasters across Russia, with St Petersburg TV, NTV, Ren TV and TV3 having licensed a wide range for programming for their viewers.

In another development, BVITV and AXN Japan have reached a licensing agreement for broadcasting The Amazing Race, distributed by BVITV. With the signing of this agreement, viewers can enjoy Seasons 4 and 5 of the hit reality series on AXN. Scheduled to air in the first half of 2007, The Amazing Race will be available to viewers in Japan for the first time.

St Petersburg TV, one of Russia’s newest channels, has licensed a selection of feature films and live action series from BVITV. This is the channel’s first ever deal with a major US Studio. In a separate agreement introduced by BVITV, the channel has also licensed a selection of Jetix Europe content.

TV3 Russia, one of the country’s largest independent broadcasters has licensed a selection of features and live action series from BVITV.
One of Russia’s largest and most popular free TV channels, NTV, has also licensed a selection of feature films and series from BVITV’s portfolio. This is the first free TV agreement between NTV and BVITV.

Free TV channel Ren TV has also licensed a selection of movies and live action series. The channel will also launch a selection of Jetix Europe programming to its viewers, says an official release.

Co-created by Bertram van Munster (Profiles from the Front Line) and with Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI, Armageddon) as one of the executive producers, The Amazing Race has won four consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding reality program. Twelve teams of two people with relationships such as spouses, best friends or parent and child are filmed around the clock in a race to various worldwide destinations to be the first team to the finish line.

At every destination, each team will have to compete in a series of challenges -- some mental and some physical -- and only when the tasks have been completed will they learn their next destination. Teams who are farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning a large cash prize, the release adds.