Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. said late Monday it is forming a joint venture with Haim Saban’s private investment group that will help it expand its Asian pay television operations.

The Santa Monica independent film and television studio, whose corporate headquarters are in Vancouver, British Columbia, did not disclose terms but described the deal as an equal partnership with L.A.’s Saban Capital Group, which mostly invests in media and entertainment projects.

Lions Gate launched its Asia television division, Tiger Gate, in Indonesia in 2008. It is run by William Pfeiffer, Tiger Gate’s chief executive, and Paul Presburger, Lions Gate’s executive vice president of international business development.

Tiger Gate’s operations include Thrill, a thriller and horror channel, and Kix, an action channel. Both are expanding to Hong Kong and Singapore this month and to other Asian countries later this year. The Saban investment will enable acquisitions and the launching of new channels.

The channels will provide an additional venue for Lions Gate production, and the venture also will back locally produced content.

“We are thrilled to join Lions Gate in this attractive investment that will allow SCG to expand our global footprint and capitalize on high growth opportunities in the Asian market,” said Saban Chief Operating Officer Adam Chesnoff in a press release.

Shares of Lions Gate were down 3 cents, or less than 1 percent, to $6.19 in midday trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.