Lightbox’s Christmas Cup Runneth Over

Lightbox is celebrating Christmas with a slew of initiatives, including a new programming deal with CBS Studios International.

The premium library titles range from Deadwood, Dexter and Nurse Jackie to fare that has never aired here in HD, including House of Lies, which MediaWorks wasted on Four, and the terrific high stakes Boston crime drama Brotherhood.

The original Twin Peaks is included, along with one of the great forerunners of the golden age of TV drama, Oz, and early seasons of franchise favourites CSI and NCIS.

Spark’s streaming service also is cranking up its Kiwi content with deals with Moon Media and Top Shelf Productions that will deliver subscribers seasons 4-6 of Moon TV.

The programming deals come a day after Lightbox surprised the media world with its joint venture with Coliseum Sports Media.

Lightbox Sport will include 100% of Coliseum Sports Media’s New Zealand content (PGA golf, English Premier League football, French Top 14 rugby) and all future NZ-based projects.

“This partnership looks to simplify the crowded online TV marketplace,” Lightbox CEO Kym Niblock said in a press release.

“By joining forces we will be giving customers a greater breadth and depth of choice and a more compelling viewing experience.

“Both Lightbox and Coliseum Sports Media already give Kiwis greater choice over how they watch TV online, and both have proven the ability to secure top quality content – but together, our combined buying power will make us an even more formidable force in the market.”

Coliseum Sports Media CEO Tim Martin said the partnership will bring sports to a wider audience.

“The reality is online sports viewing, and paying for the sport you want to watch, is rapidly becoming mainstream around the world. By pooling resources with Lightbox we want to make sport more accessible and more affordable for all.”

For the time being, both Lightbox and CSM’s existing properties will continue to run as they do now while the board and management team of Lightbox and Lightbox Sport develop “the best packages with the best price levels”.

Reaching a wider audience includes making Lightbox accessible on PlayStation 4, as of now, and PS3 early in the new year.

Here’s the full list of new shows set to bow on Lightbox this month and next:

• Brotherhood (Seasons 1-3)
• Californication (Seasons 1-6)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Las Vegas (Seasons 1-11)
• Deadwood (Seasons 1-3)
• Dexter (Seasons 1-8)
• House of Lies (Seasons 1-2)
• Jericho (Seasons 1-2)
• Life Unexpected (Seasons 1-2)
• Medium (Seasons 1-7)
• NCIS (Seasons 1-8)
• Nurse Jackie (Seasons 1-5)
• Oz (Seasons 1-6)
• Sleeper Cell (Seasons 1-2)
• The 4400 (Seasons 1-4)
• Twin Peaks (Seasons 1-2)
• Moon TV (Seasons 4-6)
• Cool Kids Cooking
• Aunty Moves In
• Saving Face
• A Gallery Wihout Walls
• A Wing And A Prayer.