Dentsu Inc. said Tuesday it and Tohokushinsha Film Corp. have signed an agreement with Walt Disney Co. to purchase exclusive rights to broadcast Disney films in Japan.
Dentsu said the companies inked a basic accord at the end of November and are set to sign a final contract soon. It declined to comment on the cost of the deal, which includes television series and cartoons.
Dentsu is the nation's largest advertising agency and Tohokushinsha is the biggest seller of TV broadcasting rights for foreign movies and television productions.
The agreement covers Walt Disney's latest releases in U.S. theaters between 1999 and 2001, including "The Sixth Sense," "Pearl Harbor" and "102 Dalmatians." Also included are older movies, Disney animation features such as "Peter Pan" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and television series.
About 150 productions are covered by the contract, Dentsu said.
Dentsu and Tohokushinsha will have exclusive rights to air the productions via terrestrial and basic-pay broadcasting in Japan, as well as the option to sell the rights to broadcasting stations, it said.