English movie channel Sony Pix is close to signing a deal with a new Hollywood studio as part of its efforts to increase its library of movies.

This will be the seventh Hollywood studio it has deals with, having signed up with Metro Goldwyn Studios last year for a three-year deal that expanded its library by 50-60 films, including latest titles such as Skyfall and The Hobbit .

Without naming the studio, Saurabh Yagnik, Executive Vice-President and Business Head, said: “We may close the deal within the next two to three months. Together, the six to seven studios (with which it will have tie-ups) account for about 70 per cent of the Hollywood movie market in India.”

Part of the Multi-Screen Media Group (majority owned by Sony Pictures), the channel is currently placed in the second position, after Star Movies in the domestic English movie market, with a market share of 18 per cent. The other channels include Movies Now and HBO.

“With new titles and premieres, we expect to narrow the gap (between it and Star Movies) further this year,” he told media persons here today.

Yagnik said about 60 million viewers stepped into the genre every week, with the top four channels accounting for 70 per cent of the market share.

It is planning to premiere pixathon, involving four big movies back-to-back for the first time ever on Indian television on February 16. The titles are Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables 2 , Night Shyamalan’s (of the Sixth Sense fame) After Earth, deep sea thriller Dark Tide with Halle Berry in the lead and critically acclaimed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo .

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