Canal+ Group and CBS have announced an exclusive licensing and trademark agreement for Showtime in France. The long-term deal will bring the Showtime brand to the country for the first time, along with hundreds of hours of critically-acclaimed, original series and future Showtime programming.

The agreement marks a significant expansion of the Showtime brand in one of Europe’s biggest media markets and will also bring Showtime programming to French speaking Africa, Switzerland and Monaco.

Included in the agreement are current and upcoming shows such as Twin Peaks, which is returning after 25 years; the Wall Street drama Billions starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis; and I’m Dying Up Here, a new drama executive produced by Jim Carrey. The deal also includes the Showtime library with hundreds of hours of acclaimed series, including Ray Donovan, The Affair, Nurse Jackie, Borgias, Californication and Dexter.

Maxime Saada, CEO of Canal+ Group, said: “We are very excited to further extend our long-standing partnership with CBS for Showtime original series, which have always been favourites among our subscribers ever since we started airing Dexter in 2007. We can only admire the quality and variety of their line up and the great characters they create and feel thrilled and privileged to bring them to the broadest possible audiences in France.”

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