AMC to run BBC America in $200,000,000 deal

US TV network AMC, which aired Mad Men and The Walking Dead, is to take over the running of BBC America after a $200m (£125m) deal with the BBC.

BBC America is available in almost 80 million homes in the US via cable and satellite.

AMC has bought a 49.9% stake in the channel, while the corporation's commercial arm BBC Worldwide will retain 50.1%.

BBC Worldwide chief executive Tim Davie said AMC was the "ideal partner".

In fact, AMC will be representing the BBC World News channel as well as BBC America in the U.S., which may improve the news channel's chances of getting carried by cable and satellite distributors. Right now BBC World News is available in 30 million of the country's roughly 100 million homes with cable or satellite.

AMC will also take over U.S. ad sales for the BBC World News Channel.

But the deal is not just about getting bigger together. It's also about premium programming, said AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan in a telephone interview Thursday night
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