Paramount+ Launches Today with Live Sports, Breaking News, and a Mountain of Entertainment
NEW YORK—Mar. 4, 2021– Paramount+, the highly anticipated streaming service from ViacomCBS, launched today with an unparalleled content offering that bundles live sports, breaking news, and an expansive collection of exclusive new originals, hit series, marquee franchises and popular movies. Featuring more than 30,000 episodes and countless films from ViacomCBS’ family of world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel, Paramount+ is home to premium entertainment for the whole family.
“The launch of Paramount+, which builds on our legacy of innovation and superior storytelling, is a significant milestone for ViacomCBS that demonstrates our commitment to being a global leader in streaming,” said Tom Ryan, President and Chief Executive Officer, ViacomCBS Streaming. “By combining fresh original content with live and on-demand programming and an established library of titles from world-class entertainment brands, we have created an unrivaled service that offers live sports, breaking news and entertainment for all audiences.”
Premiering today with the launch of the service is a slate of new originals, including The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, the first-ever all CGI SpongeBob motion picture event; Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, a prequel series and the first-ever spinoff of SpongeBob SquarePants; MTV Documentary Films 76 Days, the Oscar Shortlisted documentary that looks at life in the earliest days of the COVID-19 crisis in Wuhan, China; For Heaven’s Sake, a docuseries blending comedy and crime for a unique take on uncovering the truth; The Real World Homecoming: New York, a reunion special with the original New York cast in the iconic NYC loft; 60 Minutes+, a new form of the flagship series that reveals the stories behind the news through original reporting and captivating interviews; and Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning out the News, the second season of the animated daily news satire series.
These titles join a growing slate of originals currently on the service exclusively, including The Good Fight, Why Women Kill, The Stand, Star Trek: Lower Decks, No Activity, Coyote and more.
Coming this Spring to Paramount+ is an extensive lineup of live sports including every UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League match, culminating with the UEFA Champions League Final on May 29; coverage of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, featuring all of CBS’s games throughout the tournament highlighted by the National Championship game and Final Four with first-round coverage beginning on March 19; and CBS Sports’ coverage of The Masters.
The Paramount+ slate will also continue to expand with 36 exclusive originals coming to the service in 2021, including the following titles that will debut this spring: Rugrats, an all-new series featuring Nick’s iconic babies, back together with the original voice cast and an all-new CG animation style; No Activity, a half-hour police comedy that will transition from live action to animated for season four; and Behind the Music, the groundbreaking and prolific music documentary series returns with several new episodes and the best of the vault remastered. Beginning late spring, the Paramount+ film library will grow to over 2,500 titles including recent hits from Paramount Pictures, such as Bumblebee, Crawl, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Gemini Man, Like a Boss, Pet Sematary, Playing with Fire, Rocketman and Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as popular movies from MGM, such as Bill & Ted Face the Music, Skyfall, The Addams Family, Child’s Play and Valley Girl.
The reimagined service, built on the strong foundation of CBS All Access, features live linear programming, plus a deep and growing content portfolio that spans the best in scripted dramas, kids and family, sports, news, documentaries, comedy, music and reality. Starting today, subscribers can stream:
- A rich library of nearly 7,000 beloved kid’s episodes, including favorites from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, PAW Patrol, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Henry Danger and Rugrats: All Grown Up; as well as Paramount+ originals, such as WildBrain’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Boat Rocker’s new Danger Mouse and new editions of Lassie, George of the Jungle and Mr. Magoo from DreamWorks Animation’s Classic Media.
- CBS programming, including primetime series such as The Amazing Race, All Rise, Young Sheldon, Clarice, The Equalizer, Blue Bloods, Evil and more, in addition to late night and daytime CBS shows. Plus, every prior season of 15 hit CBS series including Survivor, NCIS, Hawaii Five-0 and Criminal Minds.
- A massive comedy catalogue of over 6,000 episodes, including always-trending Comedy Central series like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Chappelle’s Show, Reno 911!, Key & Peele, Inside Amy Schumer, Crank Yankers and more.
- Over 5,000 episodes from the biggest reality shows, including popular MTV series such as RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, The Real World, Teen Mom, The Challenge, Jersey Shore and The Hills, among others.
- The complete Star Trek Universe, including CBS All Access originals such as Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks, plus all six classic Star Trek series including Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: The Voyager.
- A library of fan-favorite movies, including film franchises such as Indiana Jones, The Godfather and Mission: Impossible; comedies such as Tommy Boy and Rat Race; horror films like The Ring and Pet Sematary; romantic comedies such as Failure to Launch and Kate & Leopold; and classics like Roman Holiday.
- Popular episodes from BET series including The Game, Real Husbands of Hollywood, Everybody Hates Chris and Single Ladies; also unmissable documentaries from the Smithsonian Channel such as The Green Book: Guide to Freedom, Disasters at Sea and Aerial America.
- Episodes from classic series including Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone Classic, I Love Lucy, Beverly Hills 90210, Frasier, Family Ties, Cheers, Happy Days, The Love Boat, The Odd Couple, Melrose Place, Macgyver, Taxi and The Brady Bunch.
- Breaking news and impactful journalism from the award-winning CBS News team, including renowned CBS News programs, such as 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, Face The Nation, CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell and CBS This Morning, plus live streams of local affiliates in over 200 markets across the U.S. and the 24-hour streaming news service CBSN featuring live, anchored coverage.
How to Stream
Paramount+ has two pricing tiers available to U.S. subscribers that marry the best of live and on-demand programming. The premium tier, at $9.99, is available now and combines live sports, including NFL games, soccer and more; breaking news through CBSN; CBS’ live linear feed; and commercial free, on-demand entertainment options spanning Paramount+ originals to the full suite of current and library shows and movies with 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision and mobile downloads. In June, Paramount+ will introduce a new ad-supported tier, at $4.99, that offers live NFL games, news and entertainment, but no longer includes local live CBS station programming. A $5.99 ad-supported tier, which includes live CBS programming, is available until June at which point only the $4.99 and $9.99 tiers will be offered to new subscribers.
All Paramount+ subscribers will have access to a seamless user interface, enhanced curation and discovery, cross-platform dynamic play functionality, personalized homepages, content categories and central hubs for ViacomCBS’ brands. Additionally, each subscription option will include parental control capabilities and up to 6 individual profiles.
Consumers can subscribe to Paramount+ online at ParamountPlus.com; via the Paramount+ app for iOS and Android; and across a wide number of platforms, including smart TVs, connected-TV devices, online, mobile, gaming consoles, and leading OTT providers. Paramount+ will also be distributed on major platforms in local markets internationally. The new Paramount+ app will begin rolling out across platforms today. For more details on Paramount+, please visit ParamountPlus.com.
International Rollout
ViacomCBS will bring Paramount+ to international markets with initial debuts in 18 Latin American countries and Canada today; the Nordics on March 25, 2021; and Australia with a rebrand and expansion of 10 All Access later this year.
With production capabilities across five continents, strong distribution agreements and local relationships and expertise around the world, Paramount+ will leverage ViacomCBS’ leading global reach — including the largest global broadcast footprint — to drive streaming growth and international expansion. ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) will build on its momentum in prized formats, and as one of the top global producers of Spanish-language content, to bring exclusive series to market for fans of kids and family, scripted dramas, reality and more. Subscription prices will vary by market, but Paramount+ will be available to international audiences at a compelling price point.
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Paramount+
Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from ViacomCBS, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Streaming’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.
About ViacomCBS:
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
ViacomCBS Unveils Comprehensive Streaming Strategy and Expansive Slate of Originals Headed to Paramount+
NEW YORK-BusinessWire -Feb. 24, 2021– ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) today updated investors on its differentiated streaming strategy, which leverages the company’s strong product offerings across free, premium and pay segments with Pluto TV and SHOWTIME® OTT to create a linked ecosystem with the highly anticipated launch of Paramount+ on March 4. Paramount+ will feature a powerful combination of live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment from ViacomCBS’ portfolio of world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel.
Star Trek: Prodigy (Photo: Business Wire)
New details about Paramount+ were unveiled during the ViacomCBS Streaming Event presentation, including an expansive slate of over 50 exclusive original series across scripted dramas, kids and family, reality, comedy, music, sports, news and documentaries that are set to premiere on the service in the next two years, including 36 arriving in 2021. These originals will join a deep and growing content catalog of more than 30,000 episodes and 2,500 movie titles. In addition, pricing tiers, leading launch sponsors and international rollout plans were announced.
“In today’s entertainment landscape, ViacomCBS stands apart as the only media company to fully embrace every segment of the streaming universe across free, premium and pay,” said Bob Bakish, President and Chief Executive Officer, ViacomCBS. “The launch of Paramount+ supercharges our strategy with a broad pay service that will be home to everything consumers love, all in one place: live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment, at scale. As we look ahead, ViacomCBS is ideally positioned to harness the full power of our assets and capabilities – from our world-class production studios and the value of our massive content library, to our global marketing platform and local relationships – to seize the global opportunity in streaming.”
Tom Ryan, President and Chief Executive Officer, ViacomCBS Streaming, said, “Built from an iconic portfolio of beloved consumer brands and iconic franchises like SpongeBob and Star Trek, Paramount+ is a compelling and differentiated streaming offering for all audiences. In combination with Pluto TV and SHOWTIME®, the service will further strengthen our robust linked streaming ecosystem, giving us a critical competitive advantage as we pursue our goal of reaching consumers across every platform, at every price point, with creativity, content and experiences that are second to none.”
Differentiated Content Strategy – Sports, News and Premium Entertainment, At Scale
The content strategy for Paramount+ is rooted in a commitment to telling great stories across every genre, including must-watch sports and news programming. The live and on-demand service will leverage the company’s biggest franchises and storied IP, including through premium originals and a deep library of shows and movies from some of the world’s greatest content creators, highlighting the hit-making power of ViacomCBS to deliver a truly unique offering with can’t-miss content and wide demographic appeal.
Paramount+ To Feature Robust Collection of Films
Select upcoming films from Paramount Pictures will have their streaming debut on Paramount+ immediately following a theatrical release window of 30-45 days, including: A Quiet Place Part II, PAW PATROL: The Movie and Mission: Impossible 7. Other key titles arriving on Paramount+ in 2022 following their theatrical runs, and in some cases after their pay TV debuts on EPIX, include: Snake Eyes, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Top Gun: Maverick, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Transformers 7, Dungeons and Dragons, Scream and more. Paramount Pictures’ recent titles will be available as well, from Dora and the Lost City of Gold and Sonic the Hedgehog to Bumblebee and Rocketman, all coming to Paramount+. These films will join the previously announced The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Sponge on the Run, which will be available on Paramount+ at launch.
Additionally, Paramount Pictures announced an agreement with EPIX to make thousands of movie titles from a wide variety of studios available to Paramount+ subscribers. Beginning late spring, the service will stream some of the most popular films and franchises of all time, including films from the James Bond and Hunger Games franchises to features like The Addams Family and The Avengers, among many others in a deal that will grow the service’s film library to over 2,500 titles.
And, following a theatrical release by MGM and an exclusive pay television window with EPIX, MGM’s new movies will become available on Paramount+, including House of Gucci, Creed III and the highly anticipated new James Bond film, No Time to Die.
The company also outlined plans to ramp up production of movies made exclusively for Paramount+. The first of these feature-length films offered will include new versions of Paranormal Activity and Pet Sematary as well as an original supernatural story, The In Between, featuring Joey King, the star of the smash hit, The Kissing Booth. These titles produced by Paramount Players will join a collection of exclusive original movie premieres supplied by the broader portfolio of ViacomCBS studios.
Expansive Slate of Upcoming Paramount+ Original Series
Today’s virtual presentation previewed an extensive new slate of original content for Paramount+, ranging from gripping dramas and unscripted series to franchise expansions and brand-new animated titles.
Scripted Dramas
With brilliant creators, top talent and smart execution, ViacomCBS has been the creative force behind countless award-winning scripted drama series. This incredible collection will come together as a key pillar of the Paramount+ content library, with new additions of exclusive originals and exciting new takes on iconic franchises outlined as follows:
- Criminal Minds – top rated series in broadcast and streaming returns with a new scripted series that brings the team back together to investigate a single, fascinating case over 10 episodes.
- Flashdance – a young woman struggles to make her mark in the ballet world while navigating romance, money, art, friendship, and how to love herself. Award-winning Mad Men writer Tracy McMillan is writing and executive producing the drama series which will pick up from where the story left off, but in present-day. True Blood’s Angela Robinson will direct and executive produce the series with Lynda Obst.
- Halo – based on the iconic Xbox® franchise, Halo’s epic universe and cast of characters come to life in this new original drama series. In the new television adaptation, Halo will take place in the universe that first came to be in 2001, dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. Halo will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future.
- Land Man – set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Land Man is a modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. The series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.
- Love Story – Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the executive producers of Gossip Girl, The O.C. and Looking for Alaska, are bringing to Paramount+ a series based on the award-winning perennial film, Love Story.
- Mayor of Kingstown – follows the McLusky family, power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – the next installment of the popular Star Trek franchise is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series will follow Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the decade before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise.
- The Italian Job – when the grandchildren of the legendary Charlie Croker inherit his old safety deposit box, the quest for the infamous Italian bullion is reignited. The series, from Paramount Television Studios, is executive produced and written by Matt Wheeler (Hawaii Five-0), and produced by Donald De Line.
- The Man Who Fell To Earth – starring Oscar-nominee and BAFTA-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor, is based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name and the iconic film starring David Bowie. The series will follow a new alien character who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution, and must confront his own past to determine our future.
- The Offer – a scripted limited event series from Paramount Television Studios, based on Oscar-winning producer Al Ruddy’s extraordinary, never-revealed experiences of making The Godfather. The 10-episode event series is written and executive produced by Michael Tolkin (Escape at Dannemora, The Player). Ruddy will also serve as executive producer, alongside showrunner Nikki Toscano (Hunters), and Emmy® Award-winning producer Leslie Greif (Hatfields & McCoys).
- The Parallax View – a scripted series from Paramount Television Studios, based on the iconic film. The series will be executive produced by Paula Wagner.
- Y:1883 – follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one.
- Yellowstone Spinoff, 6666 (Working Title) – founded when Comanches still ruled West Texas, no ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666. Still operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the 6666 is where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing… The 6666 is synonymous with the merciless endeavor to raise the finest horses and livestock in the world, and ultimately where world class cowboys are born and made.
Kids and Family
Home to some of the biggest franchises in the world, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol, the kids’ portfolio is fueled by Nickelodeon’s library of nearly 7,000 hit episodes, plus a string of all-new originals based on the most beloved characters in the brand’s history, such as:
- Avatar – Nickelodeon’s new animation studio division dedicated entirely to creating content based on the wildly popular world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Led by the series’ original creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, in partnership with the Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Avatar Studios will produce for Paramount+ a wide-range of Avatar-inspired content, ranging from spinoffs and theatricals to short form.
- Dora the Explorer – a new live-action series based on the iconic character, designed for an older audience of kids 6-11 and their families.
- iCarly – a new chapter for the most successful kids’ sitcom of all time, where original cast members Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress and Jerry Trainor join new friends for a look at these characters’ present-day lives, adventures and comedic mishaps.
- Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years – the first-ever spinoff of SpongeBob SquarePants, Kamp Koral is a CG animated original series that takes viewers back to when the iconic characters of Bikini Bottom met for the very first time, in a summer camp like no other.
- Rugrats – an all-new series featuring Nick’s iconic babies, back together with the original voice cast in new CG animation.
- Star Trek: Prodigy – the first-ever Star Trek for the kids and family audience, combining the Nickelodeon sensibility with the action and adventure hallmarks of the Star Trek franchise.
- The Fairly OddParents – a live-action take on one of Nick’s longest running and most successful animated hits.
This Nickelodeon-created slate joins Paramount+’s previously announced original kids’ series such as WildBrain’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Boat Rocker’s new Danger Mouse and new editions of Lassie, George of the Jungle and Mr. Magoo from DreamWorks Animation’s Classic Media.
Reality
A genre created by MTV in 1992, reality TV is one of the most popular forms of content today. It reigns at the top of broadcast and cable ratings around the globe and in streaming, it’s the fastest growing vertical. ViacomCBS leads the reality category with over 5,000 episodes of the biggest reality hits, with plans to expand its collection with the following original and reprisals:
- Big Brother Live Feeds – offers an in-depth, exclusive pass to the show where fans have the opportunity to watch all the action inside the Big Brother house.
- Dating Naked – the most vulnerable social experiment returns to bring dating back to its most honest, unguarded and naked form. Can these modern daters strip back their preconceived notions, carefully curated images AND their clothes to reveal their true selves and find love?
- Ink Master – the tattoo competition reality series where some of the nation’s top tattoo artists battle it out in various tattoo challenges that not only test the artists’ technical skills, but also their on-the-spot creativity for the title of Ink Master.
- Love Island on Paramount+ – an extension of the popular CBS reality series that takes subscribers beyond the boundaries of what’s shown in the broadcast with exclusive content and live visits to the Villa.
- Queen of the Universe – in a singing competition like no other, drag queens from all around the world compete to see who is Queen of the Universe. High heels, high octaves, high competition – this drag queen singing competition will blow your wig off. From Emmy® Award-winning production company, World of Wonder.
- Road Rules – back with a new roster of Road Warriors. These strangers will be abandoned in a far-flung location and stripped of their modern-day luxuries by boarding a restricted life in an RV, traveling from location to location. They will be guided by a set of clues, odd jobs and missions for money. If they last to the end of the trip, they walk away with the life changing prize.
- RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars – the best of the best from the Emmy® Award-winning RuPaul’s Drag Race return to compete for $100,000 and a coveted spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame. In each episode, legendary queens will battle it out until only one drag queen is crowned the winner.
- The Challenge: All Stars – twenty-two of the most iconic, boldest, and fiercest Challenge All Stars from the original Real World and Road Rules have been selected to return for a second chance at the ultimate competition. All have history, but when relationships are the key to survival, will these legends be able to form new bonds or will their past lead to their demise? With $500,0000 and their legacies on the line, which of these All Stars will prove they are still the best of the best?
- The Real World: Homecoming: New York – almost 30 years later, the original “seven strangers” that paved the way for modern reality TV are moving back into the New York loft where it all began. Viewers will be reunited with the cast from the very first season of The Real World in a brand new multi-episode docuseries to find out, once again, what happens when they stop being polite… and start getting real. Series begins streaming on Thursday, March 4th.
Comedy
When it comes to beloved IP and iconic comedic franchises, Paramount+ delivers with a rich library of over 6,000 episodes in the genre alone. Joining this massive catalog of comedy titles, exclusive series arriving soon include:
- Frasier – Frasier’s back – and he’s more exactly the same than ever. Kelsey Grammer reprises his role as the Dr. Frasier Crane.
- Grease: The Rise of the Pink Ladies – with both classic and new songs, and a diverse cast, the series is a prequel to the unforgettable musical film, Grease, and tells the story of how Frenchy’s older sister, Jane, founded the Pink Ladies. The series, from Paramount Television Studios, is executive produced by Annabel Oakes (Atypical, Transparent), Marty Bowen (Twilight) and Erik Feig (La La Land).
- Guilty Party – a dark comedy starring Kate Beckinsale as a discredited journalist who finds herself in over her head when she latches onto the story of a young mother sentenced to life in jail for murdering her husband – a crime she claims she didn’t commit.
- Inside Amy Schumer – the Peabody, Emmy® and Writers Guild Award-winning franchise returns with five specials starring Amy Schumer, one of the entertainment industry’s leading forces as a stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer and director.
- Reno 911! The Hunt For QAnon – a super-sized event based off the long-running hit, critically-acclaimed Comedy Central series. Most recently, Reno 911! received two 2020 Emmy® Award nominations for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series and for Outstanding Actress in A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series (Kerri Kenney-Silver). In 2021, the show is nominated for a Critics Choice Award.
- The Game – the popular BET sitcom returns with a mix of original cast and new players, and will offer a modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football.
- The Harper House – an animated family comedy that follows an overconfident female head of a household as she struggles to regain a higher status for herself and for her family of oddballs after losing her job and moving from the rich side to the poor side of an Arkansas small town.
- The Weekly Show with Trevor Noah (Working Title) – Trevor Noah will star in and produce an initial six episode series looking at stories across the societal landscape and talk with the people behind the headlines: people you know; people you don’t know; and people you didn’t even know you didn’t know.
- Younger – Darren Star’s critically acclaimed smash-hit, Younger, follows Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a talented editor navigating the highly competitive world of publishing — while juggling the complications of mixing business with pleasure and facing the lie she created about her age to land her dream job.
Additionally, exclusive original comedy movies that will reignite franchises for new and nostalgia-driven fans alike are expected to arrive on Paramount+ in year one:
- Untitled Beavis & Butt-head Movie – Emmy® Award-winning Mike Judge reimagines MTV’s seminal, Gen X-defining Beavis and Butt-Head who return for another movie adventure to kick-off the new series.
- Workaholics Movie – made-for-streaming movie based off the popular long-running Comedy Central series starring Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, Anders Holm and Kyle Newacheck.
Music
For almost 40 years, MTV has chronicled the world of music through the eyes of the most important artists — telling the stories that only MTV can, because MTV was there. And now, on Paramount+, MTV is unlocking its treasured vault to bring new and exclusive series like:
- Behind the Music – Behind the Music is back! The groundbreaking and prolific music documentary series returns with several new episodes and the best of the vault remastered and updated for today’s audiences with artist interviews, a creative refresh and reimagined visual style.
- From Cradle to Stage – this new six-part, unscripted television series from Director Dave Grohl was inspired by his mother, Virginia Hanlon Grohl, and based on her critically-acclaimed book, From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars. The series is a dynamic personal exploration of the special relationship between successful musicians and their moms. Each episode features a famous performer and their mom as well as Dave and Virginia.
- Unplugged – MTV’s most iconic musical performance franchise will come to Paramount+ several times a year as special intimate MTV Unplugged events featuring some of the world’s biggest artists.
- Yo! MTV Raps – MTV is bringing back its most storied hip-hop series and music franchise Yo! MTV Raps for Paramount+. The return of Yo! MTV Raps will include hosted segments, live performances, cyphers and lifestyle content, and will serve as a comprehensive deep dive into the current state of hip-hop. After its debut 33 years ago on August 6, 1988, Yo! MTV Raps became the premiere destination for all things hip-hop. The advent of the series was crucial to the rise of rap music worldwide, creating a global passion for the genre and greater hip-hop culture, which has since become the most dominant force in mainstream music and pop culture worldwide.
CBS All Access Originals to Continue as Paramount+ Originals
In addition to the forthcoming titles produced exclusively for Paramount+, the award-winning CBS All Access originals will rebrand to Paramount+ originals and continue to super-serve fans of:
- No Activity – a half-hour police comedy, starring Patrick Brammall and Tim Meadows, which was previously a live-action series, will be completely animated for season four.
- Star Trek: Discovery – the series, starring Sonequa Martin-Green, follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself.
- Star Trek: Lower Decks – a half-hour animated comedy series, focuses on the support crew on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.
- Star Trek: Picard – features Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The series follows this iconic character into the next chapter of his life.
- Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News – a daily news satire series featuring a cast of animated characters, led by anchor James Smartwood, lampooning real-world news stories and interviewing live-action guests.
- The Good Fight – the critically acclaimed drama starring Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart follows her next chapter at one of Chicago’s preeminent African-American law firms. The wide-ranging topicality of the series captures the current sociopolitical era as the firm confronts real life issues of today.
- Why Women Kill – a dark comedy created by Marc Cherry, is an anthology series that examines how the roles of women have changed over the decades, but how their reaction to betrayal… has not.
Sports
In bringing everything sports fans love on CBS to Paramount+, the service will feature over 1,000 live sporting events per year, including regular season games, playoffs, championships and more across the following marquee properties:
- THE NFL ON CBS
- The Masters
- NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
- PGA TOUR
- SEC ON CBS
- The PGA Championship
- National Women’s Soccer League
- UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League – Paramount+ is the only place in the U.S. where soccer fans can find exclusive English-language coverage of every UEFA club competition match, every season.
In addition, Paramount+ is expanding its exclusive English-language rights in the U.S. with three more soccer properties, featuring hundreds of additional matches.
- Concacaf – offering more than 200 Concacaf matches, starting with the Concacaf Nations League Finals in June of this year, which will feature the U.S. Men’s National Team. Coverage will feature all 41 national teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean across different competitions, including the qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, which will feature the defending champion U.S. Women’s National Team.
- Liga Profesional de Fútbol – Paramount+ will stream more than 300 matches a year from Argentina’s top soccer division.
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A – Paramount+ will stream more than 360 matches a year from Brazil’s premier soccer league.
The service will also be the exclusive home of a long-running, Emmy® Award-winning original series Inside the NFL, which takes fans even deeper into the game and the passion of the NFL all season long. And knowing fans don’t stop watching when the players stop playing, Paramount+ will feature the 24/7 streaming sports news service, CBS Sports HQ.
News
With breaking news and impactful journalism, the award-winning CBS News team will offer Paramount+ subscribers deep insights into the world through best-in-class reporting. News offerings will include renowned CBS News programs, new series such as 60 Minutes+, live streams of local affiliates in over 200 markets across the U.S., and the 24-hour streaming news service CBSN.
In addition to news programs audiences already know and love, Paramount+ will be home to brand-new titles based on CBS News’ premier franchises, including:
- 60 Minutes+ – a compelling new version of the renowned newsmagazine and number one news program in America. Award-winning correspondents Enrique Acevedo, Seth Doane, Wes Lowery and Laurie Segall bring Paramount+ viewers a new perspective on the investigative reporting and exclusive newsmaker interviews that have made 60 Minutes must-watch television for generations.
- 48 Hours original: The Lie Detector – a Texas Ranger who for decades led the department’s investigations into its most twisted and high profile murder cases takes viewers behind the scenes of those crimes and into the minds of the people who committed them. The Lie Detector is a true crime docuseries from the Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning producers of 48 Hours in a new and compelling original format exclusively for Paramount+.
Documentaries
ViacomCBS is a definitive leader in storytelling, and audiences are increasingly hungry for shows that document history, from the distant past to history that’s being made today. Driven by these insights, Paramount+ is partnering with some of the world’s best filmmakers to debut an incredible slate of gripping, powerful and relevant documentaries, including the following from CBS News, CBSN, CBS Sports, MTV Documentary Films and the Smithsonian Channel:
- 76 Days – a look at life in the earliest days of the COVID-19 crisis in Wuhan, China, the Oscar Shortlisted 76 Days focuses on frontline hospital workers and their patients, bearing witness to the human resilience that persists in times of profound tragedy.
- Black Gold – from Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa and Emmy® Award-winning Time Studios, this is a true-life conspiracy thriller about a decades-long campaign to trade our planet for profit.
- For Heaven’s Sake – blends comedy and crime documentary formats for a unique take on uncovering the truth. The series follows the search for Harold Heaven, who mysteriously disappeared from his remote cabin in Ontario, Canada, in the winter of 1934.
- The Real Criminal Minds – a true crime docu series, featuring a former real FBI profiler. The series will examine real cases, and real criminal behavior, illustrated by clips fans will remember from the fictional series.
- Watergate – from MTV Entertainment Studios, this series will illuminate a moment in our history that parallels so much of what’s happening now.
- Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In – tells the story of the legendary manager of Manchester United, and one of the most memorable figures in European football.
- Stories from the Beautiful Game – an original soccer documentary series produced by Pete Radovich, the award-winning coordinating producer of CBS Sports’ UEFA coverage. Paramount+ will release several soccer documentaries every year, starting later in 2021.
In addition to long-lead productions, ViacomCBS will also produce exclusive Insta Docs for Paramount+. These instant documentaries will be released within days of breaking news and will dive deeper into events that capture the attention of the nation.
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Paramount+ Pricing Tiers
Paramount+ will have two pricing tiers available to U.S. subscribers that marry the best of live and on-demand programming.
The premium tier, at $9.99, will be available with the full depth and breadth of live sports, around-the-clock news programming and world-class entertainment spanning Paramount+ originals to an expansive suite of current and library shows and movies. The offering will include CBS’ live linear feed and commercial-free on demand viewing, with 4k, HDR and Dolby Vision, mobile downloads and cross-platform dynamic play functionality.
An ad-supported tier will launch in June for $4.99 and offer the best in sports, news and entertainment. At that time, the current $5.99 plan will no longer be available for new users, but existing users will maintain grandfathered access. The ad-supported tier will feature a compelling offering of exciting Paramount+ originals, marquee sports content including live championship-level soccer and live NFL games, breaking news through CBSN and an extraordinary collection of content, including the full suite of current and library CBS shows available on demand.
Both Paramount+ tiers will feature a seamless user interface, enhanced curation and discovery, personalized homepages, content categories and central hubs for ViacomCBS’ brands. Additionally, each subscription option will include parental control capabilities and up to six individual profiles.
Broad Distribution
At launch, Paramount+ will be available online at ParamountPlus.com, via the Paramount+ app for iOS and Android, and across a wide number of platforms, including smart TVs, connected-TV devices, online, mobile, gaming consoles, and leading OTT providers.
Launch Sponsors
ViacomCBS is proud to present General Motors, Expedia and Procter & Gamble among a select group of leading launch sponsors for Paramount+ in the U.S. Through marketing integrations, custom activations and ViacomCBS’ suite of ad capabilities, these advertisers will have unparalleled access to leading brands, popular IP and premium digital video to deliver significant reach and impact across ViacomCBS’ highly engaged and diverse audiences.
International Rollout
Paramount+ will debut internationally in 18 Latin American countries and Canada on March 4, 2021, the Nordics on March 25, 2021 and Australia with a rebrand and expansion of 10 All Access later this year, with additional markets to follow.
With production capabilities across five continents, strong distribution agreements and local relationships and expertise around the world, Paramount+ will leverage ViacomCBS’ leading global reach – including the largest global broadcast footprint – to drive streaming growth and international expansion. ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) will build on its momentum in prized formats, and as one of the top global producers of Spanish-language content, to bring exclusive series to market for fans of kids and family, scripted dramas, reality and more.
In select international markets, Paramount+ will offer audiences exclusive originals that include The Man Who Fell to Earth, Mayor of Kingstown, Guilty Party, Halo and The Offer, among others, an expansive content library of over 5,000 hours of iconic ViacomCBS IP and hit franchises across genres and a premium user experience. For most international subscribers, Paramount+ will also be the home to SHOWTIME® and feature celebrated series Dexter, Ray Donovan, The Affair, Your Honor, The Comey Rule and Escape at Dannemora. And importantly, like in the U.S., internationally Paramount+ will offer some of the biggest kids franchises in the world, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dora the Explorer and PAW Patrol – in addition to the highly anticipated Kamp Koral and Nickelodeon Animation Studio’s The Astronauts.
Premieres of prized formats including some of MTV’s biggest global reality franchises – such as Acapulco Shore and Are You The One?: Brazil in Latin America, as well as Story of Songs in the Nordics, and a deep catalogue of the best reality hits such as Jersey Shore, Ex on the Beach, Catfish and more – will be available in Latin America, the Nordics and Australia.
And, through ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS), a division of ViacomCBS Networks International, top creators from around the world will also debut premium local scripted dramas on the service. For example, in Latin America, the service will debut:
- The Envoys – a supernatural thriller co-produced with Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter, Juan José Campanella.
- Cecilia – a female-led dramedy from renowned Argentine writer and director Daniel Burman and starring acclaimed Mexican actress Mariana Treviño.
Subscription pricing will vary slightly by market, but Paramount+ will be available to international audiences at a compelling price point.
Internationally, Paramount+ will be available online at ParamountPlus.com, via the Paramount+ app for iOS and Android, and across a number of connected TV devices and OTT platforms. The service will also have broad distribution on major platforms in international markets, including Claro Video, Mercado Libre, Izzi & Claro Brazil in Latin America, and Nuuday, Telenor and Allente in the Nordics.
About ViacomCBS:
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
ViacomCBS Announces March 4 Launch Date for Paramount+
NEW YORK- Jan. 19, 2021– ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAC, VIACA) announced today that its highly anticipated streaming service, Paramount+, will launch in the U.S. on Thursday, March 4, 2021.
ViacomCBS will also bring Paramount+ to international markets with initial debuts in Latin America on March 4, 2021; the Nordics on March 25, 2021; and Australia in mid-2021. The CBS All Access service in Canada will be rebranded to Paramount+ on March 4, 2021, and an expanded offering will be available later in the year.
Additionally, the company will host an investor event and issue fourth quarter and full year financial results for the period ending December 31, 2020 on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. The presentation will deliver a comprehensive overview of the company’s streaming strategy, including Paramount+, Pluto TV, and SHOWTIME® OTT.
A webcast of the ViacomCBS investor event can be accessed in the Events, Webcasts & Annual Meetings section of ViacomCBS’ Investors website (ir.viacomcbs.com) beginning at approximately 4:15 p.m. (ET), following the release of its earnings materials. Virtual doors open at 4:00 p.m. (ET) with early tune in encouraged prior to the start of the event.
The earnings release and materials will be accessible on the Investors home page of ViacomCBS’ website.
A replay of the investor event will be available in the Events, Webcasts & Annual Meetings section of the ViacomCBS’ Investors home page.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
Rally Dakar 2021 – Sixth overall win for MINI: Record winner Stéphane Peterhansel triumphs in his MINI JCW Buggy
Munich. Title successfully defended. The MINI John Cooper Works Buggy has won the Rally Dakar for the second time in a row following the 2020 win . This time it was record winner Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) and his co-driver Edouard Boulanger (FRA) who topped the podium after twelve stages through the Saudi Arabian desert. It was Peterhansel’s 14th overall win at the Dakar, and his third for MINI following his wins in 2012 and 2013. MINI now has a total of six overall wins of the famous endurance rally to its name. Carlos Sainz (ESP) and his co-driver Victor Cruz (ESP), who won in 2020, crossed the finish line in third place with their MINI JCW Buggy this time around.
Peterhansel and Boulanger crossed the finish line of the 43rd edition of the Rally Dakar in Jeddah (KSA) with a lead of 14:51 minutes in the overall standings. The duo only took one stage win, but showed great consistency and didn’t make any major mistakes. Third-placed Sainz and Cruz took three stage wins and had a deficit of 1:01:57 hours to the winners at the end.
Peterhansel added another chapter to his impressive Dakar record. He has now won the rally six times on a motorcycle (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998) and eight times in a car (2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021). MINI took four consecutive wins with the MINI ALL4 Racing between 2012 and 2015, and now for the second time in a row with the MINI JCW Buggy after 2020.
At this year’s edition, in addition to Peterhansel and Sainz, a third MINI crew finished in the top ten. Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS) and Dmitry Tsyro (UKR) crossed the finish line in sixth place in the MINI JCW Rally. A total of eight MINI cars competed in Saudi Arabia in 2021, six of which reached the finish line.
Stéphane Peterhansel
“I’m over the moon with the win. The pressure was immense since we were leading the overall standings for much of the race. You can only lose in that situation. But I have to say, we drove almost a perfect Dakar without any major errors and once again that was the key to success. Things were perfect between Edouard and me, and I was delighted to have him sat next to me. He couldn’t have done anything better.”
Bernd Körber – Head of the MINI brand
“What a fantastic success for the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy, the X-raid team and in particular for Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger. Congratulations on winning the Dakar! Congratulations to Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz as well, who made it onto the podium again after their win in 2020. Second Dakar win in a row, sixth MINI victory since 2012 – everyone in the MINI family can be very proud of this record. In addition to the Buggy, the MINI John Cooper Works Rally with its four-wheel drive did a very good job once again. I’m happy for all the MINI entrants who took on the toughest endurance rally in the world and made it to the finish line. Unfortunately, this success is overshadowed by the tragic accident involving Pierre Cherpin, which affects us all deeply. We wish the relatives every strength.”
Sven Quandt – CEO X-raid
“It’s never easy winning, but this win was particularly difficult since the terrain is very similar to Africa: fast and slow sectors, with lots of stones – topped off by difficult navigation. We’re delighted to have brought home this sixth win for MINI. We didn’t dare dream of first and third place ahead of the Dakar. The past 14 days have been very tiring: leading the overall standings for much of the rally, the tricky navigation and lots of tyre damage. But once again Stéphane showed that it is not without reason that he is Mr. Dakar. He shone on difficult terrain and drove very cleverly strategically. He only got one day win, but a lead of 14 minutes in the overall standings.”
ViacomCBS and Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Announce Affiliation Agreements
NEW YORK & BALTIMORE – ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) and Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBGI) (“Sinclair”), today announced multi-year agreements across 13 CBS network affiliations for Sinclair stations, including four top-50 market affiliates, WKRC in Cincinnati, OH, WPEC in West Palm Beach, FL, WWMT in Grand Rapids, MI and WHP in Harrisburg, PA. The 13 markets combined reach about 5% of the U.S. audience serving nearly six million television households.
Sinclair is one of the largest operators of CBS affiliates, reaching 8% of the U.S. and serving 10 million households spanning 23 markets. Sinclair’s CBS affiliates will remain locally available to subscribers of CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Sinclair that covers several early renewals,” said Ray Hopkins, President, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS. “We look forward to providing our best-in-class news, sports and entertainment programming to millions of households in Sinclair markets through our valued and long-standing partnership.”
Barry Faber, President, Distribution & Network Relations for Sinclair, commented: “We are happy to have reached agreement to continue to offer our viewers CBS content, including primetime and sports programming, which complements our stations’ valuable local news and syndicated content. The renewal is testament to the symbiotic relationship between a network and its affiliates.”
The agreement consists of renewals for the following CBS affiliates: WRGB in Albany, NY; KBAK in Bakersfield, CA; KFDM in Beaumont, TX; KBOI in Boise, ID; WKRC in Cincinnati, OH; KDBC in El Paso, TX; KVAL in Eugene, OR; WWMT in Grand Rapids, MI; WHP in Harrisburg, PA; KTVL in Medford, OR; KPTH in Sioux City, IA; WPEC in West Palm Beach, FL; and KIMA in Yakima, WA.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the US television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
VIAC-IR
About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair is a diversified media company and leading provider of local sports and news. The Company owns and/or operates 23 regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides services to 190 television stations in 88 markets; is a leading local news provider in the country; owns multiple national networks; and has TV stations affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
ViacomCBS Announces Expanded Distribution Agreement with Hulu
NEW YORK– ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) today announced a new distribution agreement that adds more content from ViacomCBS’ leading portfolio of news, entertainment and sports networks to Hulu’s live TV subscription streaming service, Hulu + Live TV.
The comprehensive, multi-year deal includes continued carriage of CBS broadcast stations, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and The CW, as well as continued distribution of ViacomCBS’ premium subscription service, SHOWTIME®. The deal will also introduce fourteen additional ViacomCBS networks to Hulu + Live TV, including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, CMT, Nick Jr., TV Land, BET Her, MTV2, NickToons, TeenNick and MTV Classic.
“We are excited to have reached an expanded agreement with Hulu that underscores the value of our powerful portfolio of brands to next-generation TV platforms and viewers,” said Ray Hopkins, President, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS. “Hulu continues to be a great partner, and this agreement ensures that Hulu + Live TV subscribers are now able to enjoy the full breadth of our leading content across news, sports and entertainment for the first time.”
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the US television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
CBS All Access Launches New Product Features for Families and Expands Kids Programming
NEW YORK–Dec. 9, 2020– CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced new product features for families and the addition of even more Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. library programming, as the service continues its expansion across the ViacomCBS portfolio in advance of its upcoming rebrand to Paramount+.
CBS All Access Launches New Product Features For Families and Expands Kids Programming (Photo: Business Wire)
CBS All Access Launches New Product Features For Families and Expands Kids Programming (Photo: Business Wire)
The new family-friendly features include the ability to create up to six profiles per account and manage each profile using “Kids Mode,” which allows parents to create profiles that limit content to older children or younger children based on content ratings. The service’s existing parental PIN controls’ option for mature content, which locks access to certain content based on its content rating, will also still be available to use across profiles.
“We are thrilled to bring even more popular kids hits from Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon to the service, in advance of our upcoming rebrand as Paramount+,” said Rob Gelick, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Streaming Services and Chief Product Officer, ViacomCBS Streaming. “We’ve already seen incredible growth in viewership since we began expanding our offering of children’s programming on the service. With today’s new product enhancements, like ‘Kids Mode’ and multiple profiles, we can create customized experiences for each member of the household, while giving our subscribers even more opportunities to discover and watch family programming together, and allowing parents additional peace of mind with the ability to further customize what programming is available to their kids.”
In addition, CBS All Access introduced nearly 800 more episodes of children’s programming to the service, including select past seasons of Nick Jr. favorites PAW PATROL, BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES, BLUE’S CLUES, BUBBLE GUPPIES, DORA THE EXPLORER, SHIMMER AND SHINE and more.
All CBS All Access children’s programming is available commercial-free. The new library content being added to the service today joins an already robust roster of over 1,000 episodes of library and original children’s programming, including the service’s previously launched original children’s series, WildBrain’s CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, Boat Rocker’s new DANGER MOUSE and new editions of LASSIE, GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE and MR. MAGOO from DreamWorks Animation’s Classic Media.
Original children’s programming on the service will continue to expand with the first spinoff from one of ViacomCBS’ biggest global franchises ever, Nickelodeon’s SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, when new series KAMP KORAL premieres in early 2021. The service will also be the exclusive home to THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN, the upcoming feature film that follows SpongeBob SquarePants, his best friend Patrick Star, and the rest of the gang from Bikini Bottom in the first-ever all CGI SpongeBob motion picture event.
About CBS All Access:
CBS All Access is ViacomCBS’ direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service. CBS All Access gives subscribers the ability to watch more than 20,000 episodes and movies on demand – including exclusive original series, current and past seasons of hit shows from the CBS Television Network and growing libraries from brands across the ViacomCBS portfolio including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Smithsonian and more, as well as a wealth of films from Paramount Pictures. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. CBS All Access also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Digital’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.
DICK’S Sporting Goods Kicks Off Holiday Season On November 18 With First-Ever “10 Days Of Black Friday”
PITTSBURGH — DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), the largest U.S.-based, full-line omni-channel sporting goods retailer, announced today it is making it more convenient than ever to experience “The Magic of Sport” this holiday season. DICK’S will offer many ways to shop meaningful, must-have gifts for the entire family with savings both in-store and online.
To help ensure a safe shopping experience this holiday season, DICK’S will be offering its Black Friday deals over a 10-day period, rather than concentrated on a single day. The Company has also hired more teammates to fulfill Ship From Store and one-hour Curbside Contactless Pickup orders, giving customers many ways to check things off their holiday shopping list.
In addition to the high standard of in-store sanitation DICK’S rolled out in March, the use of enhanced technology will help customers enjoy an efficient shopping experience — including mobile checkout and return stations, as well as the recently introduced DICK’S Shop/Click/Pay app in select stores. The Company has also rolled out detailed plans to manage lines at its more than 800 stores nationwide.
“We recognize the holiday shopping season is starting much earlier and will be a different experience this year for our customers,” said Lauren Hobart, President, DICK’S Sporting Goods. “For the first time, we are extending our deals and making it easier than ever for our customers to get the best gifts for everyone on their list with flexible pickup and fast shipping to help them alleviate unwanted stress and large crowds. We’ve doubled down on technology solutions to ensure customers get what they need quickly, safely and hassle-free.”
This holiday season, DICK’S will have an even bigger selection of gifts for everyone, including great items for the outdoor enthusiast, golfer, runner, team sports athlete and sports fan. Shoppers planning to upgrade a home gym space or looking to gift the latest trends in apparel, footwear and outerwear can take advantage of holiday deals and promotions.
Exclusive Holiday Deals and Promotions
Shoppers who want to get a jump start on their holiday shopping can take advantage of DICK’S first-ever 10 Days of Black Friday deals starting Wednesday, November 18. Deals will be valid online and in-store through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, November 28, with deals starting on November 18, week-long deals and 3-day deals. A sample of deals include:
Deals Starting November 18
Up to $1200 off SOLE Cardio Equipment, available from $999.99-$1599.99 (was $1799.99-$2799.99)
50% OFF Prince Tournament 6800 Indoor Table Tennis Table, available for $299.98 (was $599.99)
Up to $50 off Nishiki Pueblo Mountain Bikes found exclusively at DICK’S, available from $229.99-$279.99 (was $269.99-$329.99)
Up to $700 OFF Select In-Ground and Portable Basketball Hoops: $349.99-$799.99 (was $499.99-$1499.99)
Up to $200 off Schwinn Exercise Bikes, available from $549.99-$899.99 (was $699.99-$999.99)
Up to 40% off select golf equipment
$39.99 Select Tour Golf Balls, plus free personalization
Week-Long Deals Starting November 22
25% off select Nike, adidas, Champion, NFL and NCAA products
25% off select Nike and adidas athletic footwear
30% off The North Face
40% off DSG Men’s, Women’s and Kids’ Fleece
$100 off Men’s or Women’s Top-Flite Complete Sets, available for 199.98 (was 299.99)
$400 off Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill, available for $599.98 (was $999.99)
3-Day Deals Starting November 26
The North Face men’s and women’s Alpz 2.0 Down Jacket and Vest found exclusively at DICK’S will be $109.98 and $69.98 (was $169.00 and $119.00)
Up to 25% off Men’s, Women’s and Youth Sorel Boots
DICK’S Sporting Goods will continue passing along savings to its customers by offering “Hot Holiday Deals” at dicks.com and in-store throughout the holiday season.
Best Retail Experience Delivering Safety and Convenience
Safety measures implemented in all DICK’S, Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream locations in March will be expanded this holiday season. Stores will offer convenience, flexibility and the best value in-store, online at dicks.com or through the DICK’S mobile app, with services including:
One-Hour Pick-up: DICK’S offers customers the option to purchase thousands of products online with easy one-hour curbside or in-store pickup. Exclusions may apply to certain items.
Ship to Home: If an item is sold out in-store or only sold online, associates can place an order for a customer and have it shipped directly to their homes.
Best Price Guarantee: Customers can continue to get the products they want at an unbeatable price this holiday season with DICK’S Best Price Guarantee. If a customer provides proof the same gift is available at another retailer for a lower price, DICK’S will match that price at the register.
The Gift That Always Fits: Customers can give the gift of a DICK’S gift card, available in-stores or online at dicks.com, for recipients to use at more than 800 DICK’S Sporting Goods, Field & Stream or Golf Galaxy locations or online at dicks.com, fieldandstreamshop.com or golfgalaxy.com. eGift cards can arrive within minutes.
ScoreCard: Earn one point for every $1 spent on qualified purchases. Get a $10 reward for every 300 points earned. ScoreCard Gold members can unlock access to members-only perks.
Deals at Your Fingertips: There are now TWO ways to get the best deals and latest launches delivered to your phone. Download DICK’S free mobile app on Apple or Android or visit dicks.com/text to learn more about DICK’S text alerts program.
All DICK’S Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream store locations and the Company’s distribution centers will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, allowing teammates to spend the holiday with their families. Black Friday offers will be available on Thanksgiving Day at dicks.com, golfgalaxy.com and fieldandstreamshop.com with stores re-opening on Black Friday at 5 a.m. to serve customers nationwide.
Most DICK’S, Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream locations will offer extended shopping hours throughout the holiday season. Please check your local store website for more details. Store and curbside pickup hours may vary throughout the holiday shopping season.
To start shopping and saving early, visit dicks.com.
About DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Founded in 1948, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. is a leading omni-channel sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. As of October 31, 2020, the Company operated 732 DICK’S Sporting Goods locations across the United States, serving and inspiring athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their personal best through a blend of dedicated teammates, in-store services and unique specialty shop-in-shops dedicated to Team Sports, Athletic Apparel, Golf, Lodge/Outdoor, Fitness and Footwear.
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, DICK’S also owns and operates Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream specialty stores, as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile app for scheduling, communications and live scorekeeping. DICK’S offers its products through a dynamic eCommerce platform that is integrated with its store network and provides customers with the convenience and expertise of a 24-hour storefront. For more information, visit the Investor Relations page at dicks.com.
ViacomCBS Issues Statement On The Passing of Sumner M. Redstone
NEW YORK–
ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) mourns the passing of Sumner M. Redstone, its Chairman Emeritus, and Chairman and CEO of National Amusements, the controlling shareholder of ViacomCBS.
Bob Bakish, President and CEO of ViacomCBS, said: “Sumner Redstone was a brilliant visionary, operator and dealmaker, who single-handedly transformed a family-owned drive-in theater company into a global media portfolio. He was a force of nature and fierce competitor, who leaves behind a profound legacy in both business and philanthropy. ViacomCBS will remember Sumner for his unparalleled passion to win, his endless intellectual curiosity, and his complete dedication to the company. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Redstone family today.”
For nearly 30 years, Mr. Redstone led Viacom as Executive Chairman of the Board following National Amusements Inc.’s acquisition of a controlling stake in the company in 1987. He also held the position of CEO from 1996 until 2005, during which time Viacom merged with CBS Corporation in 2000. Upon the separation of the two companies in December 2005, Mr. Redstone served as Executive Chairman of the Boards of CBS and Viacom. In February 2016, Mr. Redstone assumed the role of Chairman Emeritus for both companies.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (Nasdaq: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents. For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
Mini USA Launches Digital Guide To Help Consumers Enjoy The Drive-In Movie Experience This Summer
Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – MINI USA announces its digital guide for consumers to help them enjoy the ultimate drive-in movie experience. The MINI Drive-In Movie Guide, which offers tips to drive-in moviegoers to have the best drive-in movie experience, as well as recipes for drive-in movie snacks and information on drive-in locations around the country, is available for a free download at MINIUSA.com/drivein.
As the COVID19 pandemic has canceled or postponed most traditional summertime activities and presented challenges for people to find safe ways to get out and enjoy their communities, interest in activities such as drive-in movies have surged around the country. The MINI Drive-In Movie Guide provides not only MINI owners but anyone with the car, the opportunity to search out a drive-in destination that’s nearby and get out for a drive to the theater.
“The MINI driver community has always been drawn towards gathering to enjoy spending time together around a common bond or activity,” said Rah Mahtani, Marketing Communications Manager for MINI USA, “The drive-in movie theater is the ideal event for MINI owners – or anyone with a car, because they can get out for a drive to enjoy a common experience with MINI friends and family while taking appropriate social distancing precautions.”
In addition to the tips, recipes and locator, the MINI Drive-In Movie Guide offers a brief historical look at the drive-in movie in the U.S. and provides expert commentary on the cultural and communal aspect of the drive-in movie by Dr. JC Barone Ph.D., a professor at the Department of Communications & Media Arts at Western Connecticut State University and the country’s leading expert on drive-in movie theaters. The guide also features tips on how to create your own private drive-in experience.
MINI as a brand has always been about making the driving experience fun. From its inception over 60 years ago, MINIs have brought joy to drivers the world over. Now, as drivers are encouraged to stay at home and adhere to social distancing, they are hungry for an excuse to spend time in their automobiles, especially MINI drivers who love spending time with their cars.
While any car can be used to go to a drive-in movie, doing so in a MINI enhances the drive-in experience in several ways. MINI’s iconic Go-Kart feeling makes driving to the drive-in movie a blast. MINI’s optional Harman Kardon sound systems elevate the movie viewing experience. The picnic bench available for the MINI Countryman adds a fun way to enjoy the show from the tailgate. Finally, MINI’s interior ambient lighting adds an extra dimension to the movie viewing experience.
The MINI Drive-In Guide will be available for download at MINIUSA.com/drivein. Two pre-recorded broadcast television segments on the resurgence of the drive-in movie theater with Our Auto Expert Nik Miles are also available for download here and here.
About MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The MINI USA sales organization is represented in the U.S. through a network of 118 MINI passenger car dealers nationwide. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of five unique vehicles.
2020 “BET Awards” Honors The Memory of NBA Legend Kobe Bryant With a Tribute From Global Superstar Lil’ Wayne
NEW YORK–
Today BET Networks announces new additions to the line-up of the 20th Annual BET Awards, honoring prolific activists in the Black community and recognizing those who unfortunately left us in 2020. The world endured incredible losses this year including NBA Legend Kobe Bryant and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Little Richard. In memoriam of those great losses, Grammy Award-Winning Global icon and superstar Lil’ Wayne will give tribute to Kobe Bryant and the multitalented Wayne Brady will honor Little Richard.
BET Network also announces Beyoncé Knowles-Carter will be honored with the prestigious Humanitarian Award at the 20th annual “BET Awards.”
A global phenomenon, Beyoncé is one of the most successful artists to date, with over 100 million records sold worldwide, numerous awards, including 24 Grammys, and a catalog of timeless music. Along with her illustrious music career, she has acted in several films including Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, and most recently Disney The Lion King, which became the highest-grossing animated film of all time. On top of her numerous successes, Beyoncé is also a philanthropist who has created several initiatives to give back to the world at large.
In 2017, as a part of her BeyGOOD initiative, Beyoncé established “Formation Scholars,” to encourage and support young women who are unafraid to think outside the box and are bold, creative, conscious and confident. The scholarship awarded students from four colleges. That year, she partnered with UNICEF to create ‘BeyGood4Burundi.’ This multi-year partnership was established to bring safe water and sanitation to the small, landlocked East African country of Burundi. In 2018 she created the Homecoming Scholars Award Program, following her historic performance at Coachella, which benefited students at eight HBCU colleges and universities.
And recently, in response to the pandemic, Beyoncé teamed up with her mother, Ms. Tina Knowles Lawson, for the #IDIDMYPART mobile testing initiative to encourage residents in Houston in Black and brown communities, disproportionately affected by COVID-19, to know their status. She has also donated to support organizations on the ground helping to meet basic health and mental needs in vulnerable communities, affected by the crisis. For Juneteenth, following the release of her latest song, “Black Parade,” Beyoncé announced the creation of BeyGOOD’s Black Business Fund, administered by the National Urban League, to support Black-owned small businesses.
Additionally, the 20th Annual BET Awards is proud to honor Nicolas Johnson, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and D-Nice as the 2020 Shine A Light Honorees, which recognizes exceptional resilience, ingenuity and creativity in the face of adversity. This year’s honorees demonstrate how art and education can unite and inspire even during the most challenging of times. Assa Traoré a French anti-racist activist has been selected as the 2020 BET International Global Good recipient, which recognizes global celebrities and public figures who use their platform for social responsibility and goodness while demonstrating a commitment to the welfare of the global black community.
Previously announced celebrities including Congresswoman Maxine Waters, along with leading entertainers Billy Porter, Courtney B. Vance, Debbie Allen, Deon Cole, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, La La Anthony, Lena Waithe, Lizzo, Michael B. Jordan, Misty Copeland, Naomi Campbell, Omari Hardwick, Quavo, Quincy Jones, Rapsody, Regina Hall, Samuel L. Jackson, Saweetie, Sterling K. Brown, Viola Davis, and Whoopi Goldberg will reflect on the current state of the community with a spotlight on Social Justice as well as the Network’s 40th anniversary with a special appearance by BET founder Robert L. Johnson.
As previously announced, “BET Awards” 2020 will feature performances by Alicia Keys, Black Thought, Chloe X Halle, DaBaby, D Smoke, Jay Rock, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Jonathan McReynolds, Kane Brown, Karen Clark Sheard, Kierra Sheard, Lil’ Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion, Jahi, Nas, Public Enemy, Questlove, Rapsody, Roddy Ricch, SiR, Summer Walker, Usher and YG, with performances by BET Amplified Artists, Masego and Lonr. who are set to take the BET Amplified Music Stage, a platform for emerging artists.
Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET will oversee The “BET Awards” 2020 and serve as Executive Producer along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
BET.com/betawards is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year’s show.
Follow us @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS
ABOUT BET BET, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for black entertainment, music, culture and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET’s #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran, NAACP Image® Award winner and Emmy® Award nominee Jesse Collins. For over a decade, the company has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. JCE has a multi-year overall agreement with VIACOMCBS cable networks for its television and film projects across all platforms — including BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount Network, TV Land and VH1 on the television side. On the theatrical film side, the company also has a first look on JCE’s film development projects which could include Viacom’s film entities such as Paramount Players. The company produced the critically acclaimed biopic The New Edition Story, the story on the boy band that aired as a 3-part mini-series and posted record ratings for BET and attracted nearly 30 million viewers. It was followed by The Bobby Brown Story, which chronicled the talented but troubled singer’s exit from the popular ’80s boy band through his solo success, and was the highest rated non-tentpole program on the network since The New Edition Story. The next mini-series for JCE is Uptown, a 3-part original scripted miniseries for BET that will chronicle the story of producer Andre Harrell’s iconic record label, Uptown Records. The company’s current scripted TV series is American Soul, the story about the struggle to make the dream of Soul Train, the first nationally-syndicated Black music show, come true. It ended its first season as the #1 new cable scripted drama for African Americans 18-49 and its second season debuted in May 2020. Previously, JCE produced BET’s hit TV series Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart that ran for 5 seasons. On the unscripted side, JCE produces annual live specials — the BET Awards, Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Past credits include Black Girls Rock!, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, ABFF Honors, BET Honors, Love & Happiness: An Obama Farewell, VH1’s Dear Mama, HBO’s Amanda Seales I Be Knowin;’ Netflix’s Def Comedy Jam 25 and Leslie Jones: Time Machine. JCE’s game shows include VH1’s Hip Hop Squares with Ice Cube and CMT’s Nashville Squares. Its music competition series on BET, Sunday Best is now in its 10th season and Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow featuring judges Tip “T.I.” Harris, Cardi B and Chance the Rapper will soon begin production on its second season that will air in 2021. Collins is also a producer for The Grammy Awards. He was on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop 100 Power Players list, has been featured on the cover of Vibe magazine and in numerous publications including Ebony magazine’s Power 100 issue. Go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.
ViacomCBS Appoints Jonathan Karp to President and CEO of Simon & Schuster, INC.
NEW YORK–
ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) (“ViacomCBS”) today announced that Jonathan Karp has been promoted to President and CEO of Simon & Schuster, Inc., effective immediately. Karp will oversee all of Simon & Schuster’s domestic and international publishing operations. He succeeds Carolyn Reidy, former President and CEO of Simon & Schuster, who passed away earlier this month.
Karp most recently served as President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, which includes Atria Books, Avid Reader Press, Gallery Books, Scribner, Simon & Schuster and their associated sub-imprints and lines.
“Jon embodies the values that Carolyn instilled at Simon & Schuster, and he is well suited to guide the continued growth and evolution of this incredible global brand,” said ViacomCBS President and CEO Bob Bakish. “Jon was a key member of the leadership team that consistently delivered strong results for Simon & Schuster, while expanding its readership across genres and formats. He is a highly skilled executive who is deeply committed to the collaborative process of publishing, and will no doubt build upon a storied legacy of success.”
“For 96 years, Simon & Schuster has been the gold standard for publishing books that satisfy and illuminate readers, and I am grateful for the opportunity to inherit this great legacy,” said Karp. “We will continue to build on the strong foundation that Carolyn Reidy and the leadership team have in place to publish books we believe in and love.”
Karp joined Simon & Schuster in June 2010. During his tenure, he oversaw the publication of bestselling and acclaimed works including Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, What Happened by Hillary Clinton, Fear by Bob Woodward, Frederick Douglass by David Blight (winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in History), Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, In One Person by John Irving, The Library Book by Susan Orlean, and the launch of Mobituaries by Mo Rocca, an acclaimed book and podcast co-produced with CBS Sunday Morning. Karp was named President of Adult Publishing in 2018: under his management the imprints within the group have introduced many new authors to bestsellerdom including Jack Carr, Mary Beth Keane, Megan Miranda, Mike Rowe and Rebecca Serle.
Prior to joining Simon & Schuster, Karp was Publisher and Editor in Chief of Twelve, an imprint of the Hachette Book Group, which he founded in 2005. At Twelve, Karp published numerous highly-acclaimed bestselling works, including True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy, God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens, and War by Sebastian Junger. At Random House, where he began his career and rose to Editor-in-Chief, he acquired and edited Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand, Franklin and Winston by Jon Meacham, Thank You For Smoking by Christopher Buckley, and Faith of My Fathers by John McCain and Mark Salter, the first of seven books they published together.
Karp earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and his Master of Arts degree from New York University.
About Jonathan Karp
Jonathan Karp was named Publisher of Simon & Schuster’s flagship imprint in June 2010. During his tenure, he has overseen the publication of bestselling authors such as Hillary Rodham Clinton, Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Irving, Walter Isaacson, David McCullough, Susan Orlean, and Bob Woodward, while launching acclaimed books by Jonah Berger, Bill Browder, Rinker Buck, Lisa Halliday, Chip and Dan Heath, Adam Higginbotham, Siri Hustvedt, Saeed Jones, Naomi Klein, Jessica Knoll, Samin Nosrat, Vaddey Ratner, Matthew Thomas and Rebecca Traister. Other notable authors and cultural figures brought to the imprint’s list during Mr. Karp’s tenure include Tom Brady, Stephen Colbert, Ray Dalio, Clive Davis, Nelson DeMille, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Brian Grazer, Sam Lipsyte, Gucci Mane, Chris Matthews, John McCain, Martha Nussbaum, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Howard Stern, Andrew Sullivan, and Herman Wouk.
Among the highlights of Mr. Karp’s ten years as publisher were the publication of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, What Happened by Hillary Clinton, Fear by Bob Woodward, Frederick Douglass by David Blight (winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in History), Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, In One Person by John Irving, The Library Book by Susan Orlean, and the launch of Mobituaries by Mo Rocca, an acclaimed book and podcast co-produced with CBS Sunday Morning.
In 2018, Mr. Karp was named President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, encompassing the company’s New York–based adult trade publishing: Atria Books, Gallery Books, Scribner, Simon & Schuster and their associated sub-imprints and lines. During his tenure, the adult group launched a successful new imprint, Avid Reader Press, and established the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau.
Prior to joining Simon & Schuster, Mr. Karp was Publisher and Editor in Chief of Twelve, an imprint of the Hachette Book Group, which he founded in 2005. At Twelve, Mr. Karp published numerous highly-acclaimed bestselling works, including True Compass by the late Edward M. Kennedy, God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens, Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley, Columbine by Dave Cullen, Nurtureshock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, and War by Sebastian Junger.
Prior to founding Twelve, Mr. Karp was Editor in Chief of Random House, where he began his publishing career in 1989 as an editorial assistant and worked for sixteen years. At Random House, Mr. Karp acquired and edited an eclectic and diverse list of bestselling fiction and nonfiction titles including Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand, Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson, What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson, Thank You For Smoking by Christopher Buckley, Faith of My Fathers by John McCain and Mark Salter, Franklin and Winston by Jon Meacham, The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, The Last Don by Mario Puzo and The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl.
He has also edited fiction by Steven Bochco, Elizabeth Frank, Eric Garcia, Neil Gordon, Rupert Holmes, C.J. Hribal, David Ignatius, David Liss, and Mark Winegardner; and works of nonfiction by Alan Alda, Henry Alford, Marcia Angell, Sally Bedell Smith, Buzz Bissinger, Alex Berenson, Joel Glenn Brenner, Vicki Constantine Croke, Gregg Easterbrook, David Frum, Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose, John Harris, Gary Hart, Miles Harvey, Constance Hays, Donald Katz, David Kushner, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Eric Liu, Jeffrey Rosen, David Plotz, Kenneth Pollack, Gary Rivlin, Jim Rogers, Ron Rosenbaum, Jonathan Schwartz, Billy Shore, Carol Spinney, Mike Stanton, Donna Summer, Kara Swisher, John Taylor, Andrew Tobias, Donald Trump, Paul Wellstone, Juan Williams, Michael J. Wolf, and Mitchell Zuckoff.
Mr. Karp earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and his Master of Arts degree from New York University. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, The American Scholar, and The Washington Post and contributed a chapter to What Editors Do: The Art Craft & Business of Book Editing (The University of Chicago Press). He also wrote the book and lyrics to a musical, How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes, which premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival and had a brief Off-Broadway run.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
ViacomCBS and Google Announce Expanded Distribution Agreement
NEW YORK- ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) and Google today announced a comprehensive, multi-year distribution agreement to deliver more content from ViacomCBS’ leading portfolio of news, entertainment and sports networks for YouTube TV subscribers. In addition to featuring continued carriage of CBS broadcast stations, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and The CW, the expanded agreement introduces 14 ViacomCBS channels to the live TV and on-demand subscription service.
BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land and VH1 will launch on YouTube TV this summer, providing more than two million subscribers with access to some of the most popular cable brands. BET Her, MTV2, Nick Jr., NickToons, TeenNick and MTV Classic will also launch on YouTube TV at a later date.
The deal also includes a continued commitment to distribute ViacomCBS’ premium subscription services, including SHOWTIME, on YouTube TV, as well as an extended partnership on the broader YouTube platforms.
“We are thrilled to have reached an expanded agreement with YouTube TV that recognizes the full power of our newly combined portfolio as ViacomCBS,” said Ray Hopkins, President, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS. “Google has been an excellent partner, and we look forward to bringing even more of our entertainment networks to YouTube TV subscribers for the first time.”
“We’re excited to launch ViacomCBS’ portfolio on YouTube TV this summer, ” said Lori Conkling, Global Head of Partnerships at YouTube TV. “Our expanded partnership delivers on our promise to offer a premium portfolio of content to our YouTube TV subscribers, as well as across the YouTube platforms.”
YouTube TV is a subscription streaming service that lets you watch live and on-demand TV from 70+ top networks through a simple and award-winning experience. It offers live & local sports, news, shows, movies, and more, and can be watched on any screen (phone, tablet, TV, computer). Membership comes with free unlimited cloud DVR storage space to record all your favorites, personalized watch recommendations, and a family plan with 6 accounts per household so the whole family can enjoy.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
About Google
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.
Dakar Rally 2020 – Carlos Sainz Wins The Dakar For The Third Time And Presents MINI With Its Fifth Overall Victory
Munich. Carlos Sainz (ESP) and his co-driver Lucas Cruz (ESP) have won the Rally Dakar for the third time, having previously triumphed in 2010 and 2018. In doing so, they presented MINI with its fifth overall victory at the iconic endurance rally. For MINI and MINI Motorsport partner X-raid, this was the first success since their winning run together, which lasted from 2012 to 2015. The Spanish pair, in the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy, finished 6:21 minutes ahead of last year’s winner Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) after roughly 7,500 kilometres through Saudi Arabia, which was hosting the Dakar for the first time.
Dakar record winner Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) and his co-driver Paulo Fiuza (POR) finished third, 9:58 minutes behind Sainz and Cruz, to round off an impressive performance from the two MINI JCW Buggies. The two MINI JCW Buggy crews each won four stages, while MINI vehicles went fastest on a total of nine of the twelve days. Vaidotas Zala (LTU) / Saulius Jurgelenas (LTU), in a MINI JCW Rally, won the very first Dakar stage on Arabian soil on the opening day.
Seven of the nine MINI crews that started the rally reached the finish in Al-Quiddia (KSA), four of them in the top ten. Orlando Terranova (ARG) and Bernardo ‘Ronnie’ Graue (ARG) finished in the top three on three days on their way to sixth place overall in the four-wheel drive MINI JCW Rally. Local favourite Yasir Seaidan (KSA) and his co-driver Alexey Kuzmich (RUS) were ninth and finished an excellent second on the closing stage. Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski (POL) and co-driver Timo Gottschalk (GER) had their hopes of a top result dashed on the opening day when a technical issue resulted in them losing six hours. They eventually finished in 19th place, 8:35.18 seconds off the lead.
MINI vehicles topped the overall standings after every one of the twelve legs at the 40th staging of the Dakar Rally. Zala and Jurgelenas got the ball rolling with victory on the opening stage, after which Terranova and Graue took the overall lead on day two. Sainz and Cruz claimed their first stage win on the third leg. That victory took them to the top of the overall standings – a position they held right through to the finish.
Quotes from the 2020 Dakar Rally:
Carlos Sainz
“I am very, very happy. So much hard work, physical training and test work with the team has gone into getting this result. The race was fantastic for us drivers, but you had to work very hard, right from day one. It is hard to imagine, but it was a full-throttle rally from the word go. Right now, I just want to enjoy the success.”
Stéphane Peterhansel
“That was a bit of an odd Dakar for me. We decided at the last minute to change co-drivers, and then went straight into the race with Paulo Fiuza. I am happy with the result. We finished third, which was more than we would have expected at the start. The guys out in front were very quick and did not make any mistakes with the navigation. We did as well as we could have done.”
Bernd Körber – Head of MINI
“On behalf of the entire MINI family, I would like to congratulate Carlos Sainz, Lucas Cruz and the X-raid team on winning the 2020 Dakar Rally. At the same time, I also congratulate Stéphane Peterhansel and Paulo Fiuza on their podium finish. Unfortunately, this success is overshadowed by the tragic accidents involving Paulo Gonçalves and Edwin Straver, which have affected us all deeply. We wish the relatives every strength and Edwin Straver all the best for his recovery. Our drivers and the X-raid team performed superbly in Saudi Arabia, which was hosting the rally for the first time, and they were rewarded for the hard work they put in during preparations for the event. The MINI John Cooper Works Buggy proved to be fast and reliable on the very demanding and unfamiliar terrain. The fifth overall victory for MINI at the Dakar, and the first since 2015, is a very special moment for us all.”
Sven Quandt – CEO X-raid
“We are absolutely overwhelmed by this superb team result. We did not expect to finish first and third. It has been a fantastic race, with many battles for the lead. Carlos and Stéphane did an outstanding job. The performance of our MINI JCW fleet was absolutely top-notch. We are delighted to have finally won another Dakar with our MINIs after so many years of trying. To have four MINIs in the top ten and seven in the top 20 shows how reliable we are. Thank you to our staff and to everyone who has believed in us and supported us – particularly MINI and our partners.”
CTA, AARP Team Up With Professional Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana to Host Business Pitch Competition at CES 2020
Las Vegas, NV
For the second year in a row at CES® in Las Vegas, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® Foundation will host a business pitch contest – sponsored by AARP Innovation Labs – to recognize sports, fitness and related innovations that can provide health solutions to help people stay in the game as they age.
Professional Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana will be the event moderator. AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins, CTA Foundation Executive Director Stephen Ewell, and P&G VP of Innovation Capability Julie Setser will join a panel of industry thought leaders as judges. The contest is on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, at 1 p.m. PT at the startup stage in Eureka Park at the Sands – all CES 2020 attendees are invited to attend and help select the winner.
The eight companies invited to pitch are:
CareWear (Nevada, USA) – This is a wearable, wireless, FDA-registered LED light patches for athletes in all sports. CareWear Light Patches are designed to help reduce pain and accelerate recovery.
Naolu Brain Tech BrainUp (Beijing, China) – A brain-computer interface product KANG is like a gym but for the brain, designed to provide various practical applications such as 20 minutes deep sleep aid, brain and mental state examination, and brain training programs.
Rothem (Kyiv, Ukraine) – Smart bicycle backlight is a device invented to help predict collisions between a bicycle and a vehicle and warns the vehicle driver before the collision happens with a loud sound and flashes of the backlight.
SmartyPans (California, USA) – SmartyPans is a sensor-enabled cookware that automatically computes nutrition information of home cooked meals and allows users to create their own recipes, which are formatted by AI.
Strig (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea) – Strig is a massage tool with micro-current and micro-vibration that is designed to help relieve muscle pain and aid in faster recovery.
Triple W (California, USA) – DFree is a wearable device. Its purpose is to help predict when you need to go to the bathroom. Its sensor uses ultrasound to continuously monitor your bladder and sends notification to your phone when your bladder is almost full so you know when to go.
Yoganotch (New York, USA) – Yoganotch is an AI yoga coach in which people wear a few tiny Notch sensors designed to help them practice yoga more safely and efficiently with real-time personalized feedback on their technique.
Zibrio (Texas, USA) – The Zibrio SmartScale uses a highly sensitive algorithm to help measure a person’s postural stability and fall risk in a 60 second standing test.
“We had an incredible response from companies creating innovative solutions that can help to keep us active as we age,” said Stephen Ewell, executive director of the CTA Foundation, which links seniors and people with disabilities with technologies to enhance their lives. “I look forward to seeing them compete at CES 2020 and selecting a winner but, ultimately, calling attention to innovations in accessibility technology is a win for everyone.”
In the U.S., the connected solutions market for seniors is expected to reach nearly $30 billion by 2022, according to a recent study by CTA.
For more information on the CTA Foundation, this event, and all their CES 2020 activities, visit https://www.cta.tech/Who-We-Are/CTA-Foundation/CES-2020.
ViacomCBS and Comcast Announce Content Carriage Agreement
NEW YORK & PHILADELPHIA – ViacomCBS and Comcast Corporation announced today the companies have renewed their content carriage agreement that includes continued retransmission consent of 23 CBS-owned television stations in 15 major markets across the country, including CBS-owned The CW affiliates, as well as distribution of the popular entertainment and sports channels SHOWTIME®, Smithsonian Channel™, Pop TV and CBS Sports Network to Xfinity customers.
In addition, CBS All Access, CBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, will be available on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex platforms later this year. This will mark the first time CBS will make the CBS All Access app available on an MVPD-based set-top box.
“We are very pleased to have reached this agreement to continue to bring CBS’ industry-leading entertainment, sports and news content from the CBS Television Network, SHOWTIME, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV and CBS Sports Network to millions of Xfinity customers, and delighted to offer these customers access via X1 and Flex to CBS All Access for the first time,” said Ray Hopkins, President, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS Inc. “We look forward to discussing the entire ViacomCBS portfolio with Comcast in the future.”
“ViacomCBS has been a great partner, and we are very pleased to have reached this agreement to provide Xfinity X1 and Flex customers with more access to their content across multiple platforms,” said Rebecca Heap, Senior Vice President, Video and Entertainment, Comcast Cable.
The agreement also includes TV Everywhere availability of programming from CBS Television Network and CBS Sports Network to Xfinity customers, who will be able to enjoy live authenticated streaming on CBS.com, the CBS app and Comcast’s authenticated platform Xfinity Stream. Pop TV and content from Smithsonian Channel have previously been available to stream via Comcast’s authenticated platforms. In addition, the authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME® will continue to provide Xfinity SHOWTIME subscribers with unlimited access to acclaimed original series, hit movies, sports, documentaries, specials and much more online and on mobile devices.
CBS-owned stations in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, as well as CBS-owned The CW affiliates in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle, Detroit, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, will continue to be distributed to Xfinity customers.
In addition, two MyNetwork affiliates will be available in Boston and Miami and the CBS-owned independent station will be available in New York.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’ largest high-speed internet, video, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts. Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content through its pay television services. It also provides communications services, including residential high-speed internet, phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original content, and has exclusive content rights. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (Nasdaq: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents. For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
ViacomCBS Makes an Investment in MIRAMAX
The move adds 700 movie titles to its distribution roster and offers new opportunities for content development.
ViacomCBS’ agreement to acquire a minority stake in MIRAMAX has two clear upsides for the conglomerate: It provides an expanded library of films to distribute and a new partner in the world of premium content production.
The agreement with MIRAMAX owner beIN Media Group, announced earlier today, gives ViacomCBS 49% of MIRAMAX for a total investment of $375 million. That sum includes an upfront cash payment of approximately $150 million, along with a commitment to invest $45 million annually over the next five years for new film and television productions and working capital.
The deal means that ViacomCBS will have exclusive, long-term distribution rights to MIRAMAX’s catalog—adding more than 700 titles (68 of which are Oscar® winners) to Paramount Pictures’ existing library of 3,600 films.
As well, Paramount will have a long-term, first-look agreement to develop, produce, finance, and distribute new film and television projects based on MIRAMAX’s IP. That means it could revisit classic MIRAMAX movies for new formats and platforms, as Paramount has done with its library. For example, Paramount Pictures is developing a prequel to its classic 1978 film Grease and Paramount Television is producing a spinoff series for HBO Max.
This partnership with beIN will be a unique opportunity to gain access to a valuable library, deepening our already substantial pool of IP at a time when demand for premium content is only accelerating.
Bob Bakish
President and CEO, ViacomCBS
Beyond maximizing library content, the agreement enables ViacomCBS to co-finance and distribute new productions in film and television under the MIRAMAX banner. ViacomCBS can also explore other strategic partnership opportunities with beIN across recreation and live events globally.
“MIRAMAX is a renowned global studio, responsible for some of the most iconic films of the last three decades, including Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, Kill Bill and more,” said Bob Bakish, President and CEO of ViacomCBS, in the release. “This partnership with beIN will be a unique opportunity to gain access to a valuable library, deepening our already substantial pool of IP at a time when demand for premium content is only accelerating. We look forward to working closely with the MIRAMAX management team as we explore new ways to deliver its titles across a variety of platforms and create new, compelling projects.”
Overall, the news underscores recent comments Bakish made regarding the direction of ViacomCBS—that it will be, at its core, a content company.
It also reinforces comments Bakish made on the topic of acquisitions. “We’ll be opportunistic,” he said at Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit in October. “The combined company produces very substantial cash flow. We can use that cash flow for a variety of purposes. We have more than enough in terms of investing in our business and continuing to create more and more high-quality content.”
ViacomCBS Announces Completion of the Merger of CBS and Viacom
NEW YORK – ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC) (“ViacomCBS”) today announced the completion of the merger between CBS Corporation and Viacom Inc. The combined company, which is renamed ViacomCBS, creates a premium content powerhouse with global scale, including leadership positions in markets across the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia.
“This is a historic moment that brings together two iconic companies to form one of the world’s most important content producers and providers,” said Bob Bakish, President and Chief Executive Officer of ViacomCBS. “Through the combination of CBS’s and Viacom’s complementary assets, capabilities and talented teams, ViacomCBS will create and deliver premium content for its own platforms and for others, while providing innovative solutions for advertisers and distributors globally. I am excited about the opportunity we have to serve our audiences, creative and commercial partners, and employees, while generating significant long-term value for our shareholders.”
Building on an extraordinary collection of culture-defining franchises and partnerships with creative talent around the world, ViacomCBS will be home to more than 140,000 premium TV episodes and 3,600 film titles, with global production capabilities and more than $13 billion in annual content investment. The company will account for 22% of TV viewership in the U.S. and hold the highest share of broadcast and cable viewing across key audience demographics, with strength in all categories, including News, Sports, General Entertainment, Pop Culture, Comedy, Music and Kids.
Through the strength and scale of these assets, ViacomCBS will be well-equipped to maximize the value of its content for its own platforms and for others, as it meets the growing global demand for third-party premium content. The company’s content scale will support a robust streaming strategy, including ViacomCBS’s own suite of advertising and subscription-based offerings. In addition, the company’s broad reach, extensive intellectual property portfolio and expertise in advanced marketing solutions will enable it to strengthen its partnerships with distributors and advertisers globally.
ViacomCBS Class A and Class B shares will begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on December 5, 2019 under the ticker symbols “VIACA” and “VIAC”, respectively.
As previously announced, as a result of the merger, each Viacom Class A share and Viacom Class B share converted into 0.59625 of a Class A share and Class B share of ViacomCBS, respectively. Holders of CBS Class A shares and CBS Class B shares will continue to own their existing shares, which are now shares of ViacomCBS.
ViacomCBS will have an attractive growth outlook, be positioned to deliver beneficial cost and revenue synergies and generate substantial free cash flow. This will sustain significant investment in programming and innovation, as well as support ViacomCBS’s commitment to a modest dividend payment. ViacomCBS will also benefit from a strong balance sheet, solid investment grade rating and a board and management team that are focused on creating shareholder value.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
Viagogo Acquires StubHub from eBay for $4.05 Billion
SAN JOSE, Calif. & GENEVA, Switzerland, – eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) and viagogo today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for eBay to sell StubHub to viagogo for a purchase price of $4.05 billion in cash.
“We believe this transaction is a great outcome and maximizes long-term value for eBay shareholders,” said Scott Schenkel, interim chief executive officer of eBay Inc. “Over the past several months, eBay’s leadership team and Board of Directors have been engaged in a thorough review of our current strategies and portfolio, and we concluded that this was the best path forward for both eBay and StubHub. We firmly believe in the StubHub business and we are excited about its future growth potential with viagogo as its owner.”
viagogo is a leading worldwide ticket marketplace for live sport, music and entertainment events, and StubHub is a trusted ticket marketplace in the United States. Both viagogo and StubHub provide fans with transparency, choice and competitive prices for tickets and do so in a trusted and secure environment with fan-protect guarantees. Combined, these complementary marketplaces will sell hundreds of thousands of tickets daily across more than 70 countries, giving fans seamless access to a wider selection of inventory around the world, while sellers, teams and artists will have the ability to more effectively reach a broader global audience.
Eric Baker, viagogo’s founder and CEO, also co-founded StubHub while in business school, but left before the business was sold to eBay for $310 million in 2007. “It has long been my wish to unite the two companies. I am so proud of how StubHub has grown over the years and excited about the possibilities for our shared future,” Baker said. “Buyers will have a wider choice of tickets, and sellers will have a wider network of buyers. Bringing these two companies together creates a win-win for fans – more choice and better pricing.”
“Bringing StubHub and viagogo together will allow us to drive further expansion and innovation, and create a more competitive offering for live event fans globally,” said Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, president of StubHub. “This provides a great opportunity to expand our business, pursue new partnerships and execute our strategy. We expect a seamless transition for all our employees, partners and customers, and we are excited for what the future holds.”
The sale is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2020, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.
eBay regularly reviews its portfolio to ensure that its investments and assets support the company’s strategic direction while adhering to a disciplined approach to value creation.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as financial advisor to eBay. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Quinn Emanuel are acting as legal advisors to eBay. J.P. Morgan is acting as sole financial advisor and sole underwriter of the committed debt and preferred equity financings for viagogo. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP are acting as legal advisors for viagogo.
About eBay: eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce leader including the Marketplace, StubHub and Classifieds platforms. Collectively, we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world, empowering people and creating opportunity for all. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay is one of the world’s most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2018, eBay enabled $95 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.
About StubHub: At StubHub, our mission is to bring the joy of live to fans globally. As the world’s most trusted ticket marketplace spanning 44 countries, we enable fans to buy and sell tickets to tens of thousands of events, whenever and wherever fans want to be. Backed by award-winning customer care, StubHub’s FanProtect™ Guarantee means every ticket is guaranteed valid or you’ll receive a replacement ticket of equal or better value, or your money back. Our business partners include more than 130 properties globally across the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, WWE, NCAA, Matchroom Boxing, plus Paciolan, Tessitura and Roundabout Theatre Company. StubHub provides the total end-to-end event going experience throughout the world. For more information on StubHub, visit StubHub.com or follow @StubHub on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
About viagogo: viagogo was built with the aim of providing ticket buyers with the widest possible choice of tickets to events across the world and to help ticket sellers reach a global audience. Since its inception in 2006, viagogo has grown to be an important option for fans in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America, and has partnered with many of the world’s leading brands in sports and entertainment. viagogo now serves customers in over 70 countries and processes millions of transactions annually.
Viacom Renews The Office Through 2025
NEW YORK– Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced continued stays in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Pawnee, Indiana. Under the new pact with NBCUniversal, Comedy Central extended its exclusive cable deal for legendary comedy The Office through 2021. After that, the series will continue to air through 2025 in a non-exclusive window on Viacom Media Networks. Additionally, Viacom renewed its cable deal for equally iconic sitcom Parks and Recreation. All 125 episodes will be able to air on Comedy Central, the #1 brand in comedy, through 2024.
“Keeping the exclusive rights to The Office through 2021 is a coup for Comedy Central and Viacom,” said Tanya Giles, GM of Comedy Central, Paramount Network, TV Land and Assistant to the Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin. “Since acquiring it, we’ve reinvigorated the franchise on linear, drawing big audiences throughout our full day schedule. It’s also been a key lead-in to help drive viewers to our own original, acclaimed comedies. We’re so excited to keep it on our air that we wouldn’t even trade it for an iPod.”
For Viacom, the deal was closed by Barbara Zaneri, EVP, Viacom Program Acquisitions Group (VPAG) for an undisclosed sum, along with a World’s Best Boss mug and a new statue of Li’l Sebastian for the NBCUniversal lot. Previously this year VPAG acquired the exclusive cable rights to Seinfeld.
The Office is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from March 24, 2005 to May 16, 2013, lasting nine seasons and 201 episodes. It is an adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name and was adapted for American television by Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for “Saturday Night Live.” It was produced by Universal Television in association with Daniels’ Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille Productions. The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. To simulate the look of an actual documentary, it was filmed in a single-camera setup, without a studio audience or a laugh track. The Office starred Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson, Ellie Kemper, Kate Flannery, Angela Martin, Phyllis Smith, Leslie David Baker, Oscar Nunez, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein, Rashida Jones, Amy Ryan and others.
Parks and Recreation is an American political satire television sitcom that aired on NBC from April 9, 2009 to February 24, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 125 episodes. The series was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur and produced by Universal Television in association with Deedle-Dee Productions and Fremulon. It presents a documentary-style look into the everyday lives and antics of public officials, who work in the local Parks and Recreation office and pursue various projects to make their fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, a better place. To simulate the look of an actual documentary, it was filmed in a single-camera setup without a studio audience or a laugh track. The series starred Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Retta, Jim O’Heir, Paul Schneider, Billy Eichner, amongst others.
About VPAG
Viacom Program Acquisitions Group (VPAG) is responsible for the coordination of program acquisitions across multiple Viacom platforms and brands. VPAG harnesses the collective buying power of Viacom in negotiating series and movie licenses by synchronizing multi-channel deals and program buys across the Company portfolio.
About Viacom
Viacom creates entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture around the world. Through television, film, digital media, live events, merchandise and solutions, our brands connect with diverse, young and young at heart audiences in more than 180 countries.