MUMBAI: Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC and its London based distributor id Distribution has inked new distribution agreements with Chinas CCTV and Thailands UBC. Both deals were brokered by id Distributions Simon Nichols.

The new deals will further expand Rainbows Voom HD content into Asia and offset the international market's shortage of quality HD content.

The sale to CCTV marks a major breakthrough, considering the challenges other western program distributors have faced bringing content into the country. On the heels of its 1 January launch, CCTV has approved two of Voom HD's high definition series - Reservations Required and Ultra Space - for China's growing HD television audience.

Also looking to Vooms HD programming to fill a content void in the Asian marketplace is Thailand's largest satellite broadcaster, UBC, which has picked up three series - Gallery Tours, Magnificent Obsessions and Reservations Required - and one special - Art In Unexpected Places: Woodlawn Cemetery - for its programming service.

"CCTV's launch of China's first high definition channel validates the growing global appeal of HD technology, as well as consumer interest in high quality programming that is both visually superior and entertaining. We are pleased to be part of CCTVs initial program lineup. We are equally pleased at the opportunity to reach and entertain Thai audiences through our agreement with UBC," said Rainbow Medias Voom HD Networks general manager Greg Moyer.

Rainbow senior vice president, business development Glenn Oakley said, "Asia has always been a part of our global expansion plans, but this is a huge step forward on two levels. Not only are we getting our content into China, where such efforts have proven difficult for others, but we are also advancing high definition entertainment into unchartered territories."

Id Distribution will be taking approximately 150 new hours of brand new Voom HD content to Mip.

Id managing director Sally Miles added, "With the growth in HD channels globally we suspect it will be an extremely busy market. Every week there is a new HD buyer on the scene and that is exciting both for the global expansion of the format and for content sales. We will be welcoming people to the stand at MIP to view HD in its full glory and I suspect for many buyers it will be the first time they will have seen it it will be exciting to see their reaction and to promote global movement to HD."

Since October, when the company kicked off its global expansion efforts, Rainbow Media has signed co-production deals with Electric Sky, Conceptual Films, Mega-Media Pte Ltd. And Media Development Authority (MDA), distribution deals with National Geographic and Tangerine Global, and acquisition agreements with Defiance Distribution and Monster Distributes, all of which will further extend the companys HD content both domestically and throughout the world.