The Conners, a spinoff of ABC’s hit ‘90s sitcom Roseanne, has been sold to TV stations covering more than 85% of the country, Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury said. The show, which is produced by Werner Entertainment and entering its sixth season on ABC, will premiere on CBS, Gray Television, Lockwood Broadcast Group, Nexstar Media Group, Scripps and Weigel Broadcasting-owned stations this fall.
“With Tom Werner providing the highest-rated sitcom to enter off-network syndication in recent memory, The Conners will serve as the cornerstone of many of our great station partners’ late afternoon and early evening schedules for many years to come,” Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement. “This will provide them with a strong competitive advantage in their most valuable dayparts.”
Last August, Lionsgate’s Worldwide Television Distribution Group and distribution company Debmar-Mercury partnered with Tom Werner’s Werner Entertainment on a global licensing deal for the show. Under the terms of the agreement, the Worldwide Television Distribution Group handles global distribution, including subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), ad-supported VOD, basic cable and free ad-supported television (FAST) rights, while Debmar-Mercury shepherds domestic syndication. The deal covers all existing seasons of the series, as well as rights to future seasons following ABC’s first window.
The Conners — starring Sara Gilbert, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Lecy Goranson — is produced by Werner Entertainment. Tom Werner, in association with Gilbert, serves as executive producer along with Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan, Bruce Rasmussen and Tony Hernandez.
The deal was negotiated by Bernstein, Marcus and Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television Distribution Jim Packer for the studio, and UTA and Jackoway Austen on behalf of Werner Entertainment.
