Showing posts with label CBS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CBS. Show all posts

Saturday, August 5, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 1st to 5th, 2023 - Update #11

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Because of the strike, CBS has added the Paramount Network's "Yellowstone," Paramount+'s "SEAL Team," and the original UK version of "Ghosts" to its Fall 2023 schedule.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  Hasbro has confirmed the sale of film and television studio, Entertainment One (eONe), to a new owner, Lionsgate.

POLITICS - From YahooNew: Column: "Black people presiding over the downfall of Donald Trump is poetic justice" by Erika D. Smith

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The next installment of the "Scream" film franchise is in development.  Christopher Landon, director of "Happy Death Day," is scheduled to direct "Scream 7."

DISNEY - From ComicBook:  After the releases of the Blu-ray and DVD release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in Australia, Disney will no longer make Blu-ray and DVD releases available in that country.

SPORTS - From Deadline:  Super Bowl LVIII will be broadcast on CBS Sunday, February 11, 2024.  However, there will be an alternate telecast on Nickelodeon, oriented towards kids audiences.

MOVIES - From Variety:  After his star, Joaquin Phoenix, said "I don't know what to do," director Ridley Scott sat with Phoenix for 10 days, talking about their film, "Napoleon," scene by scene.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The film and television actor, Mark Margolis, has died at the age of 83, Thursday, August 3, 2023.  He was best known for the role of the menacing "Hector Salamanca," on the former AMC series, "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul."  He received a 2012 Primetime Emmy nomination for the role. Margolis reportedly appeared in over 50 Off-Broadway plays.

From Variety:  Actor Angus Cloud has died at the age of 25, Monday, July 31, 2023.  Cloud is best known for his breakthrough role in the HBO series, "Euphoria" (2019-22).  He was not a professional actor when he was scouted by Euphoria's casting director.

From Variety:  "Variety" writer, Selome Hailu, talks about the day last summer that she spent with "Euphoria" actor, Angus Cloud, who died Mon., July 31st, 2023,

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  Meeting for the first time in more than three months, the Writers Guild and the AMPTP on Friday failed to reach an agreement to resume contract negotiations. The Writers Strike will go on indefinitely.

From Deadline:  Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.  Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From THR:  Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

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Friday, December 9, 2022

Beyonce and JAY-Z Become Most Nominated Artists in Grammy History at 65th Annual Grammy Nominations

65th Annual GRAMMY® Nominations Kick Off Historic Season of Celebrating Music

Beyoncé Leads This Year's Nominations With Nine and Is Now Tied as the Most Nominated Artist of All Time; Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Brandi Carlile, Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, Future, Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant, Randy Merrill, and Harry Styles Round out the List of Top Nominees for Feb. 5 Show in Los Angeles

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nominees for the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards® have been announced and topping this year's list are Beyoncé (9), Kendrick Lamar (8), Adele (7), Brandi Carlile (7), Mary J. Blige (6), DJ Khaled (6), Future (6), Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant (6), Randy Merrill (6), and Harry Styles (6). With this year's nominations, Beyoncé and JAY-Z are now tied as the most nominated artists in GRAMMY® history, with 88. As the only peer-voted music award, the GRAMMY Awards® are selected by the Recording Academy®'s voting membership body of music makers, who represent all genres and creative disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, composers, producers, mixers, and engineers. The nominees were announced via a livestream on GRAMMY.com.

“Celebrating the miracle of music is at the core of everything we do at the Recording Academy and today we are proud and honored to celebrate music's power to lift people up and to bring them together”

"Celebrating the miracle of music is at the core of everything we do at the Recording Academy and today we are proud and honored to celebrate music's power to lift people up and to bring them together," said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. "I'm energized by this year's slate of nominees and how each of them uses their craft to inspire us, and to remind us that music is our universal language. Each of these deserving nominees has helped to provide the world with an incredible soundtrack and is a true testament to how vibrant our entire music community truly is."

The final round of GRAMMY voting, which will determine GRAMMY recipients, will take place Dec. 14, 2022–Jan. 4, 2023. The 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards will return to Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on Sun, Feb. 5, 2023, and will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT. Prior to the Telecast, the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony® will be held at the Microsoft Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy's YouTube channel. The 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston, Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor are executive producers, with Raj Kapoor serving as showrunner.

Follow "Recording Academy/GRAMMYs" on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and use #GRAMMYs to join the conversation.

The following is a sampling of nominations from the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards' 27 Fields and 91 Categories. For a complete nominations list, visit www.grammy.com.

Record Of The Year
"Don't Shut Me Down" — ABBA
"Easy On Me" — Adele
"BREAK MY SOUL" — Beyoncé
"Good Morning Gorgeous" — Mary J. Blige
"You And Me On The Rock" — Brandi Carlile Featuring Lucius
"Woman" — Doja Cat
"Bad Habit" — Steve Lacy
"The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar
"About Damn Time" — Lizzo
"As It Was" — Harry Styles

Album Of The Year
Voyage — ABBA
30 — Adele
Un Verano Sin Ti — Bad Bunny
RENAISSANCE — Beyoncé
Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe) — Mary J. Blige
In These Silent Days — Brandi Carlile
Music Of The Spheres — Coldplay
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers — Kendrick Lamar
Special — Lizzo
Harry's House — Harry Styles

Song Of The Year
"abcdefu" — Sara Davis, GAYLE & Dave Pittenger, songwriters (GAYLE)
"About Damn Time" — Melissa "Lizzo" Jefferson, Eric Frederic, Blake Slatkin & Theron Makiel Thomas, songwriters (Lizzo)
"All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film) — Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
"As It Was" — Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon & Harry Styles, songwriters (Harry Styles)
"Bad Habit" — Matthew Castellanos, Brittany Fousheé, Diana Gordon, John Carroll Kirby & Steve Lacy, songwriters (Steve Lacy)
"BREAK MY SOUL" — Beyoncé, S. Carter, Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant & Christopher A. Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
"Easy On Me" ­— Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)
"GOD DID" — Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts & Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, JAY-Z, John Legend & Fridayy)
"The Heart Part 5" — Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar & Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
"Just Like That" — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)

Best New Artist
Anitta
Omar Apollo
DOMi & JD Beck
Samara Joy
Latto
Måneskin
Muni Long
Tobe Nwigwe
Molly Tuttle
Wet Leg

Best Pop Vocal Album
Voyage — ABBA
30 — Adele
Music Of The Spheres — Coldplay
Special — Lizzo
Harry's House — Harry Styles

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
RENAISSANCE— Beyoncé
Fragments — Bonobo
Diplo — Diplo
The Last Goodbye — ODESZA
Surrender — RÜFÜS DU SOL

Best Rock Song
"Black Summer" — Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis & Chad Smith, songwriters (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
"Blackout" — Brady Ebert, Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile)
"Broken Horses" — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
"Harmonia's Dream" — Robbie Bennett & Adam Granduciel, songwriters (The War On Drugs)
"Patient Number 9" — John Osbourne, Chad Smith, Ali Tamposi, Robert Trujillo & Andrew Wotman, songwriters (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck)

Best Alternative Music Album
WE — Arcade Fire
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You — Big Thief
Fossora — Björk
Wet Leg — Wet Leg
Cool It Down — Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Best R&B Performance
"VIRGO'S GROOVE" — Beyoncé
"Here With Me" — Mary J. Blige Featuring Anderson .Paak
"Over" — Lucky Daye
"Hrs & Hrs" — Muni Long
"Hurt Me So Good" — Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Song
"CUFF IT" — Denisia "Blu June" Andrews, Beyoncé, Mary Christine Brockert, Brittany "Chi" Coney, Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant, Morten Ristorp, Nile Rodgers & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)
"Good Morning Gorgeous" — Mary J. Blige, David Brown, Dernst Emile II, Gabriella Wilson & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (Mary J. Blige)
"Hrs & Hrs" — Hamadi Aaabi, Dylan Graham, Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell, Brandon John-Baptiste, Priscilla Renea, Isaac Wriston & Justin Nathaniel Zim, songwriters (Muni Long)
"Hurt Me So Good" — Akeel Henry, Michael Holmes, Luca Mauti, Jazmine Sullivan & Elliott Trent, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)
"Please Don't Walk Away" — PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)

Best Rap Performance
"GOD DID" — DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, JAY-Z, John Legend & Fridayy
"Vegas" — Doja Cat
"pushin P" — Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug
"F.N.F. (Let's Go)" — Hitkidd & GloRilla
"The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar

Best Rap Song
"Churchill Downs" — Ace G, BEDRM, Matthew Samuels, Tahrence Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Jack Harlow & Jose Velazquez, songwriters (Jack Harlow Featuring Drake)
"GOD DID" — Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts & Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, JAY-Z, John Legend & Fridayy)
"The Heart Part 5" — Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar, & Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
"pushin P" — Lucas Depante, Nayvadius Wilburn, Sergio Kitchens, Wesley Tyler Glass & Jeffery Lamar Williams, songwriters (Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug)
"WAIT FOR U" — Tejiri Akpoghene, Floyd E. Bentley III, Jacob Canady, Isaac De Boni, Aubrey Graham, Israel Ayomide Fowobaje, Nayvadius Wilburn, Michael Mule, Oluwatoroti Oke & Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Future Featuring Drake & Tems)

Best Country Solo Performance
"Heartfirst" — Kelsea Ballerini
"Something In The Orange" — Zach Bryan
"In His Arms" — Miranda Lambert
"Circles Around This Town" — Maren Morris
"Live Forever" — Willie Nelson

Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Evening : Live At APPARATUS — The Baylor Project
Linger Awhile — Samara Joy
Fade To Black — Carmen Lundy
Fifty — The Manhattan Transfer With The WDR Funkhausorchester
Ghost Song — Cécile McLorin Salvant

Best Música Urbana Album
TRAP CAKE, VOL. 2 — Rauw Alejandro
Un Verano Sin Ti — Bad Bunny
LEGENDADDY — Daddy Yankee
La 167 — Farruko
The Love & Sex Tape — Maluma

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
El Alimento — Cimafunk
Tinta y Tiempo — Jorge Drexler
1940 Carmen — Mon Laferte
Alegoría — Gaby Moreno
Los Años Salvajes — Fito Paez
MOTOMAMI — Rosalía

Best American Roots Song
"Bright Star" — Anaïs Mitchell, songwriter (Anaïs Mitchell)
"Forever" — Sheryl Crow & Jeff Trott, songwriters (Sheryl Crow)
"High And Lonesome" — T Bone Burnett & Robert Plant, songwriters (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss)
"Just Like That" — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)
"Prodigal Daughter" — Tim O'Brien & Aoife O'Donovan, songwriters (Aoife O'Donovan & Allison Russell)
"You And Me On The Rock" — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile Featuring Lucius)

Best Americana Album
In These Silent Days — Brandi Carlile
Things Happen That Way — Dr. John
Good To Be... — Keb' Mo'
Raise The Roof — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Just Like That... — Bonnie Raitt

Best Global Music Album
Shuruaat — Berklee Indian Ensemble
Love, Damini — Burna Boy
Queen Of Sheba — Angélique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf
Between Us... (Live) — Anoushka Shankar, Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley Featuring Manu Delago
Sakura — Masa Takumi

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
Black Men Are Precious — Ethelbert Miller
Call Us What We Carry: Poems — Amanda Gorman
Hiding In Plain View — Malcolm-Jamal Warner
The Poet Who Sat By The Door — J. Ivy
You Will Be Someone's Ancestor. Act Accordingly. — Amir Sulaiman

Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games And Other Interactive Media
"Aliens: Fireteam Elite" — Austin Wintory, composer
"Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarök" — Stephanie Economou, composer
"Call Of Duty®: Vanguard" — Bear McCreary, composer
"Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy" — Richard Jacques, composer
"Old World" — Christopher Tin, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media
"Be Alive" [From King Richard] — Beyoncé & Darius Scott Dixson, songwriters (Beyoncé)
"Carolina" [From Where The Crawdads Sing] — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
"Hold My Hand" [From Top Gun: Maverick] — Bloodpop® & Stefani Germanotta, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
"Keep Rising (The Woman King)" [From The Woman King] — Angélique Kidjo, Jeremy Lutito & Jessy Wilson, songwriters (Jessy Wilson Featuring Angélique Kidjo)
"Nobody Like U" [From Turning Red] — Billie Eilish & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (4*Town, Jordan Fisher, Finneas O'Connell, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, Grayson Villanueva)
"We Don't Talk About Bruno" [From Encanto] — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Carolina Gaitán - La Gaita, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto - Cast)

Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical
Amy Allen
Nija Charles
Tobias Jesso Jr.
The-Dream
Laura Veltz

Best Classical Compendium
An Adoption Story — Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley; Jeff Fair, Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley, producers
Aspire — JP Jofre & Seunghee Lee; Enrico Fagone, conductor; Jonathan Allen, producer
A Concert For Ukraine — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; David Frost, producer
The Lost Birds — Voces8; Barnaby Smith & Christopher Tin, conductors; Sean Patrick Flahaven & Christopher Tin, producers

GREY GOOSE Vodka is the Official Spirits Partner of the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominations.


ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY:
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards® — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

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Thursday, February 17, 2022

CBS Announces "SEAL Team" Movie for Paramount+ and "NCIS: Sydney" for Australia

CBS Studios Expands “NCIS” and “SEAL TEAM” Franchises for Paramount+

“NCIS: Sydney” Coming to Paramount+ Australia and Network 10

“SEAL Team” Movie Being Produced for Paramount+ in U.S.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new NCIS will be produced for Paramount+ Australia and Network 10, and a new SEAL TEAM movie will be produced for the streaming service in the U.S., it was announced today by George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS and chief content officer for news and sports at Paramount+.

“These two projects represent two new ways we are expanding our studio footprint while supporting the company’s mission to drive streaming”

For the first time, CBS Studios will expand one of its biggest and most successful global franchises into a new international edition, NCIS: SYDNEY. The series, which is slated for 2023, will feature local stories with Aussie actors and producers and be filmed in one of the world’s most scenic harbor cities. NCIS: LOS ANGELES creator and Australian Shane Brennan is attached.

CBS will also expand the storytelling universe for the hit Paramount+ drama SEAL TEAM, producing a stand-alone movie for the streaming service. The movie will come from the series creative team of David Boreanaz, Christopher Chulack and Spencer Hudnut.

“These two projects represent two new ways we are expanding our studio footprint while supporting the company’s mission to drive streaming,” said Cheeks. “We have the producing roster, production infrastructure and deep library to be creative and nimble with franchises and other IP for both domestic and international audiences.”

Another CBS Studios IP, THE GAME, was recently reimagined as a Paramount+ Original after previous editions on The CW and BET. The modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football launched on Paramount+ in November 2021. THE GAME has been a top 10 series during its run on the service and has been renewed for a second season.

CBS also continues to expand the “Star Trek” universe for Paramount+, which is now up to five original series. This includes current and upcoming seasons of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: PICARD, the animated series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS and STAR TREK: PRODIGY, and the upcoming STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS.

Other original series currently produced by CBS Studios for Paramount+ include EVIL, THE GOOD FIGHT, WHY WOMEN KILL, and STEPHEN COLBERT’S TOONING OUT THE NEWS. Previously announced upcoming originals include PLAYERS, RABBIT HOLE, FRASIER and HAPPY FACE.

CBS Studios is one of the world’s leading suppliers of entertainment programming, with more than 70 series currently in production for broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio’s expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, which includes genre-defining franchises such as NCIS, “CSI” and the ever-growing “Star Trek” universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, as well as an extensive library of iconic intellectual property. The Studio also develops and produces local language and international content originating outside of the U.S. with series in the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.

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Sunday, July 18, 2021

ViacomCBS Celebrates 66 Primetime Emmy Award Nominations

CBS Television Network, CBS Studios and Paramount+ Score 35 Total Nominations

Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show, The Election Night Special and Tooning Out the News Receive 9 Nominations, the Most of Any Late Night Brand

ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group Earns 20 Nominations, Including First-Time Nominations for Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” and MTV Documentary Films’ “76 Days”

SHOWTIME® Receives Six Nominations, Including “Shameless” star William H. Macy for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series


LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ViacomCBS earned 66 Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 73rd Primetime Emmy Award nominations across its combined portfolio.

CBS Television Network, CBS Studios and Paramount+ together received a total of 35 Primetime Emmy nominations:

  •     CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – the #1 late night talk show on television – received five nominations, marking the series’ 18th Emmy nomination to date.
  •     CBS landed several nominations for talent and special programming, including “Oprah With Meghan And Harry: A CBS Primetime Special” and “John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero.” “The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd” and “The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards” also received multiple nods this year. For her starring role in “Mom,” Allison Janney was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
  •     CBS Studios received 21 nominations, among them an Outstanding Competition Series nod for “The Amazing Race.” Short-form series “Carpool Karaoke: The Series” was also nominated.
  •     Paramount+, together with CBS Studios, picked up six nominations this season, including four nominations for “Star Trek: Discovery.” “Star Trek: Lower Decks'' and “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News'' each received their first-ever Emmy nominations.


ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group landed 20 Primetime Emmy nominations across its portfolio of MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, CMT and VH1:

  •     Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” received nods for Outstanding Variety Talk Series plus Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series and “South Park” was also nominated for Outstanding Animated Program.
  •     VH1’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” earned 11 nominations this year, including Outstanding Competition Series, and two nominations for its aftershow, “RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked.”
  •     Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” and MTV Documentary Films’ “76 Days” each earned its first-ever Emmy nomination.
  •     MTV Entertainment Studios picked up four nominations, with “Emily in Paris” and “Reno 911!” each receiving two respectively.


SHOWTIME® landed six Primetime Emmy Award nominations:

  •     “Shameless” star William H. Macy was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series.
  •     “Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020,” produced by CBS Studios, received three nominations.
  •     “Vice” and “The Good Lord Bird” each received a nomination.


Additionally, Awesomeness earned three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the second season of “PEN15,” including Outstanding Comedy Series. Paramount Television Studios received two Emmy nominations for “Made For Love” and “The Haunting Of Bly Manor.”


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 more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.

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Sunday, March 14, 2021

"A Grammy Salute to the Sounds of Change" Salutes the Music of Social Change

"A GRAMMY® Salute To The Sounds Of Change," a New Two-hour Special, to Be Broadcast Wednesday, March 17, 2021, on CBS

THREE-TIME GRAMMY® AWARD WINNER COMMON SET TO HOST, WITH APPEARANCES AND PERFORMANCES BY YOLANDA ADAMS, LEON BRIDGES, ERIC CHURCH, D SMOKE, ANDRA DAY, SHEILA E., CYNTHIA ERIVO, EMILIO, EMILY, AND GLORIA ESTEFAN, JOHN FOGERTY, GAYLE KING, GLADYS KNIGHT, PATTI LABELLE, TERRACE MARTIN, BRAD PAISLEY, BILLY PORTER, LEANN RIMES, AND CHRIS STAPLETON

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just three days after the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards®, the Recording Academy® and CBS will present a new two-hour special, "A GRAMMY® Salute To The Sounds Of Change,” spotlighting the iconic songs that inspired social change and left an everlasting imprint on history.

Featuring top contemporary musical artists, the special will be hosted by three-time GRAMMY award winner Common and include appearances by Yolanda Adams, Leon Bridges, Eric Church, D Smoke, Andra Day, Sheila E., Cynthia Erivo, Emily, Emilio, and Gloria Estefan, John Fogerty, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Terrace Martin, Brad Paisley, Billy Porter, LeAnn Rimes, and Chris Stapleton performing songs that have seen us through the darkest hours and greatest triumphs. Artists across genres will highlight the stories behind, and deliver personal interpretations of, the powerful music that inspired social justice and equality. Also, presenters from the worlds of entertainment, art and activism will look back at some of the most iconic GRAMMY ® performances and moments in history.

"A GRAMMY® Salute To The Sounds Of Change" will broadcast on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 (9:00–11:00 p.m., ET/PT) and will also be available via livestream and on-demand on Paramount+, ViacomCBS’ newest global streaming service.

"A GRAMMY® Salute To The Sounds Of Change" is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay are executive producers. Chantel Sausedo and Rob Paine are producers. Adam Blackstone serves as the musical director.


ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY:
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT:
Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service television and film production company and has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. JCE has a multi-year overall agreement with ViacomCBS Cable Networks. 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 award-winning and critically acclaimed television that JCE has produced includes miniseries—The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story; scripted series—American Soul and Real Husbands of Hollywood; children’s series—Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices; award shows—BET Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, BET Hip Hop Awards, ABFF Honors and Soul Train Awards; specials—John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today, Stand Up for Heroes, Dear Mama, Amanda Seales I Be Knowin’, Def Comedy Jam 25 and Leslie Jones: Time Machine; as well as competition/game shows—Sunday Best, Hip Hop Squares, Nashville Squares and Rhythm & Flow. Jesse Collins, founder and CEO of the company, is the executive producer of all programming. He is also a co-executive producer for the iconic GRAMMY Awards and executive producer of The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show. He will next executive produce The 93rd Annual Academy Awards in April 2021. Go to jessecollinsent.com for more information on the company.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2021

"Oprah with Meghan and Harry" Draws in 17.1 Million Viewers

“OPRAH WITH MEGHAN AND HARRY: a CBS Primetime Special” Delivers Broadcast Television Event – 17.1 Million Viewers; Two-Hour Interview Is the Most-Watched-Non-Super-Bowl-Sunday Primetime Event on Any Network in Over a Year

Social Media Numbers Are Huge

Special Was a Top Trending Topic Throughout Primetime and into the Early Morning

CBS’ Most Live Streamed Event Outside of the NFL and Super Bowl Sunday This Season

CBS App, Where the Special Is Available on Demand, Is Currently #1 in the App Store


NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sunday night’s two-hour CBS special, OPRAH WITH MEGHAN AND HARRY delivered 17.1 million viewers, the largest primetime audience for any entertainment special during the current 2020-2021 season, according to Nielsen fast national ratings for Sunday, March 7, 2021.

Oprah Winfrey’s extraordinary interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was the night’s top program, averaging 17.1 million viewers, while also dominating in key demos (3.6 in adults 25-54 and 2.6 in adults 18-49). This was the largest primetime audience for any entertainment special since the Academy Awards on Feb. 9, 2020.

In social media, last night’s interview drove 12 billion potential impressions. In the week leading up to the event, it drove 28.3 billion potential impressions. The special dominated the night – with the word Meghan trending within the top 10 in the U.S. for 12 hours and peaking at #1. #OprahMeghanHarry, Archie, Kate, Charles, Diana, William and Royal all trended within the top 10 last night as well.

This was CBS’ most-live-streamed event outside of the NFL and Super Bowl Sunday this season. The special is available to stream for free, on demand, on the CBS App and CBS.com. Finally, the CBS App is currently the #1 app in Apple’s App Store.

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Monday, March 8, 2021

Recording Academy Announces Lineup of Performers for 63rd Annaul Grammy Awards

GRAMMY Awards® Announce Full Performer Lineup

Music's Biggest Night®, Hosted by Trevor Noah, Airs Live on CBS March 14, 2021

Check out the Performers Here.

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Recording Academy® announced the full lineup for the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards® and performers include Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, HAIM, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift. Artists will be coming together, while still safely apart, to play music for each other as a community and celebrate the music that unites us all.

Additionally, Music's Biggest Night® will pay tribute to the independent venues, which have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. From bartenders to box office managers, those who work day-to-day at the Troubadour (Los Angeles), The Hotel Café (Los Angeles), the Apollo Theater (New York City), and The Station Inn (Nashville) will present various categories throughout the night.

Hosted by Trevor Noah, CBS and the Recording Academy present the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, airing live on Sunday, March 14, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on CBS Television Network and also available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

To view a list of current nominations, please visit our 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards page here.

The 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston is executive producer, Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor are co-executive producers, Fatima Robinson, Josie Cliff, and David Wild are producers, Patrick Menton is talent producer, and Hamish Hamilton is director.


ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY:
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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Sunday, February 28, 2021

ViacomCBS Announces its Paramount+ Streaming Strategy and Programming Slate

ViacomCBS Unveils Comprehensive Streaming Strategy and Expansive Slate of Originals Headed to Paramount+

  •     Paramount+ to feature massive content catalog of more than 30,000 episodes, 2,500 movie titles and over 1,000 live sporting events, plus around-the-clock news coverage
  •         Select Paramount Pictures films to stream on Paramount+ following a short theatrical release, including A Quiet Place Part II, PAW PATROL: The Movie and Mission: Impossible 7
  •         Over 50 original series to premiere on Paramount+ over next two years, including Halo, Frasier, Criminal Minds, iCarly, The Real World, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, shows from the Avatar, Yellowstone, Star Trek and SpongeBob SquarePants universes and more
  •         Paramount+ to feature depth of content across key genres, including 7,000 episodes of kids’ content, 5,000 episodes of reality and 6,000 episodes of comedy
  •         Marquee sporting leagues and events on the service include the NFL, Masters, PGA TOUR, NCAA, SEC, The PGA Championship, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, National Women’s Soccer League, Concacaf and more
  •         News offerings available 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
  •     Paramount+ to launch in the U.S. on March 4, 2021 with broad distribution and leading launch sponsors, including General Motors, Expedia and Procter & Gamble
  •     Paramount+ will introduce two pricing tiers in the U.S.: A premium plan at $9.99 per month and an ad-supported base plan at $4.99 per month available in June
  •     Paramount+ to debut in Latin America and Canada on March 4, 2021, the Nordics on March 25, 2021 and Australia later this year, capitalizing on ViacomCBS’ global production capabilities, infrastructure and reach with additional markets to be announced


NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) 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, 2021. 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.

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.

For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.

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Saturday, January 30, 2021

BET and CBS News Honor Cicely Tyson with Special Airing Sun., Jan 31st

BET to Honor the Legendary Cicely Tyson with a Primetime Exclusive News Special “BET + CBS News Present Cicely Tyson: In Her Own Words,” Premiering Sunday, January 31 at 7PM ET/PT on BET and 8PM/7C on BET Her

Hosted by CBS This Morning Anchor Gayle King, The Half-Hour News Special Features Extended Excerpts from King’s Recent Interview with Tyson to Celebrate Her Remarkable and Groundbreaking Career

#BETRemembersCicelyTyson

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET, in partnership with CBS News, announced a new primetime exclusive special honoring the life and legacy of iconic actress Cicely Tyson. Hosted by CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King, “BET + CBS News Present Cicely Tyson: In Her Own Words” will feature extended excerpts from one of the legendary actress and fashion model’s last interviews.

In this special, Ms. Tyson reflects on her trailblazing and illustrious 70-year career across television, film and theater, including being the first Black actress to co-star in a television drama series, East Side/West Side, to her Emmy award-winning performance in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), Tony award-winning role in The Trip to Bountiful (2013), receiving an Honorary Academy Award in 2018 and recent induction into the Television Hall of Fame (2020). Her influence transcends beyond the screen and stage into many other facets of American culture. We join so many in celebration of her life, legacy and immeasurable contributions to the representation of African Americans, specifically Black women in the media. “Cicely Tyson: In Her Own Words” premieres Sunday, January 31, 2021, at 7:00 PM ET/PT on BET and 8PM/7C on BET Her.

BET celebrated Tyson's incredible work at BET Honors 2010 and Black Girls Rock! 2015. Watch her BET Honors 2010 tribute here or https://www.bet.com/video/bethonors/2011/cicely-tyson-tribute-232394.html

At 7:30 PM ET/PT, BET will also air “Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too” starring Cicely Tyson.

BET Digital will celebrate and honor the pioneering icon across digital and social platforms using the hashtags #BETRemembersCicelyTyson. For more information, please visit www.bet.com.
 

About BET:
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), 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 is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including 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.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2021

ViacomCBS Announces Deal to Add More Content to "Hulu + Live TV"

ViacomCBS Announces Expanded Distribution Agreement with Hulu

New Deal Brings 14 Additional ViacomCBS Cable Networks to Hulu + Live TV, Including BET, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) 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.

For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.

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Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Nickelodeon to Air Special Presentation of Jan. 10 NFL Wild Card Game

CBS Sports and Nickelodeon Team up for NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon, Special Slime-filled Telecast Tailored for Family Fun Airing Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021

Noah Eagle, CBS Sports’ Nate Burleson and Nick Star Gabrielle Nevaeh Green to Call Game, with Nick Star Lex Lumpkin Reporting

Kid-Focused Presentation of NFL Wild Card Game to Feature Special Halftime Sneak Peek of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years

Share it: @Nickelodeon @CBSSports #NickWildCard


HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CBS Sports and Nickelodeon are getting kids and families into the game with a special slime-filled presentation of the National Football League’s Wild Card game on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. (ET). The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will feature one-of-a-kind kid-focused content and Nick-themed elements throughout, including a special halftime presentation, guest reporters and original on-field graphics, virtual filters and more. The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will air alongside CBS Sports’ broadcast of the game on The CBS Television Network.

    “This is a first of its kind presentation for the NFL together with Nickelodeon, and we are very excited to create a unique telecast that will maximize the co-viewing appeal for kids and families, while maintaining the integrity of the game and its traditions”

Play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle will be joined by CBS Sports’ analyst Nate Burleson and Nick star Gabrielle Nevaeh Green (All That, Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered) in the booth to call the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon. Additionally, Nick star Lex Lumpkin (All That, Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered) ­­­will serve as a reporter during the game. Nickelodeon’s coverage begins with “The SpongeBob SportsPants Countdown Special,” a sports-themed compilation special at 4 p.m. (ET) hosted by the Denver Broncos’ Von Miller, highlighting SpongeBob’s best sports moments and featuring pre-kickoff appearances by CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, as well as Eagle, Burleson and Green.

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will also include a special halftime sneak peek of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, which follows 10-year-old SpongeBob SquarePants and his pals as they spend their summer building underwater campfires, catching wild jellyfish, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck at the craziest camp in the kelp forest, Kamp Koral. The series will debut in 2021 on ViacomCBS’s rebranded streaming service Paramount+ and then on Nickelodeon later in the year.

“This is a first of its kind presentation for the NFL together with Nickelodeon, and we are very excited to create a unique telecast that will maximize the co-viewing appeal for kids and families, while maintaining the integrity of the game and its traditions,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “Partnering with Nickelodeon to showcase the NFL Playoffs is a great opportunity to highlight the power, depth and reach of ViacomCBS, as we continue to unlock the true potential of our merged company with the first of many opportunities between CBS Sports and our ViacomCBS family.”

“Our game plan is to make sure the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon definitely lives up to its name by infusing the telecast with Nick’s sensibility of surprise and fun at almost every turn,” said Brian Robbins, President of ViacomCBS Kids & Family Entertainment. “We’re incredibly proud to team up with CBS Sports and the NFL to elevate the thrill of this game for kids and families to enjoy together.”

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will only be available to be streamed on mobile for free for all fans via the NFL App. The game airing on CBS will be streamed on CBS and NFL digital properties across devices, and on mobile via the participating teams’ mobile properties, and Yahoo Sports and other Verizon Media mobile properties.

NFLNickPlay.com will serve as the official online destination for the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon, helping to educate kids on football basics and entertain them with a variety of NFL-themed content leading up to and during the Wild Card game. Kids will be able to engage with quizzes, polls, fun facts, info galleries, sports-themed short-form videos, Weekly Pick ‘Em printables and more, earning points and unlocking badges along the way. For three days leading up to the game and on game day, viewers can scan QR codes on-air, unlocking sports-themed SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House collectibles and participating with interactive content throughout the live game. Additionally, participants will be able to enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win an exclusive game ball signed by a Wild Card player, along with other exclusive prize packs.

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon is produced by CBS Sports in association with Nickelodeon Productions. Sean McManus and Harold Bryant serve as Executive Producers of THE NFL ON CBS. CBS Sports’ Shawn Robbins is Coordinating Producer of the game along with Producer, Ken Mack and Director, Suzanne Smith. Production for Nickelodeon is overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content.

Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

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