Netflix to bow 'Borgia'

BERLIN -- Netflix has picked up rights for the North American premiere of Tom Fontana's 12-part TV series "Borgia." The $30 million historical mini, which stars John Doman ("The Wire") as Rodrigo Borgia/Pope Alexander VI, will bow in the U.S. on the VOD provider, which has more than 25 million subscribers in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. "Video on demand now plays a substantial role within the value chain of premium content," said Eric Welbers of Munich-based Beta Film, which is distributing the series. "In the U.S., VOD platforms such as Netflix have become market players on par with the majors and, for us, an ideal partner for the first airing." Elizabeth Bradley, Netflix's director of content acquisition, added, "Netflix is thrilled to bring this compelling tale of family, power and intrigue to our U.S. subscribers. Our members love sumptuous historical dramas and 'Borgia' is a great one." "Borgia" has already sold in nearly 40 countries to date, including Italy, Spain, Japan, Russia and Latin America. In Italy, the series has proved a big hit for Sky Italia. It also premieres next month in France (Canal Plus), Germany (ZDF) and Austria (ORF). "Borgia" is produced by Lagardere Entertainment's Atlantique Prods. in France, and co-produced by Jan Mojto's EOS Entertainment, which owns Beta, as well as Prague's Etic. A rival production, Neil Jordan's Jeremy Irons starrer "The Borgias," bowed on Showtime in April. Contact Ed Meza at staff@variety.com

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