Sunday, May 28, 2023

Carriage Dispute to See Canada's Eastlink Drop 34 Corus Entertainment Channels, Inc. Nickelodeon, YTV and Treehouse

Canada - Eastlink cable subscribers soon won’t be able to watch Nickelodeon Canada, YTV, and Treehouse, among 34 other channels on the service, as the telecom provider says it’s been unable to reach a carriage agreement with Corus Entertainment.

Image Credit: Alamy

“We worked very hard to reach an agreement with Corus that would not impact the availability of these channels. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach such an agreement, which means we have to remove these channels from our lineup as of June 27,” Jill Laing, Eastlink’s Director of Public Affairs, told Broadcast Dialogue.

Eastlink began sending notices to its cable subscribers this week alerting them to the removal of the channels from their offerings. In addition to the aforementioned Nickelodeon Canada, YTV, and Treehouse, Corus-distributed specialty channels like Food Network, History, Slice, National Geographic, CMT, OWN, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Cartoon Network, Movie Time, BC1, Global on Demand, DejaView, DTOUR, Magnolia Network, Crime Investigation, Lifetime, History 2, National Geographic Wild, ABC Spark, Cooking Channel, Adult Swim, Boomerang, Series Plus, Historia, Disney La Chaine,Teletoon French, HGTV Canada, W Network and Showcase are also slated to disappear.

“We recognize that this is disappointing for some customers and will impact customers in different ways, depending on their viewing preferences and packages. We are working closely with our customers and making every effort to ensure their individual needs are supported in a way that is meaningful to them,” said Laing.

She said customers will continue to receive the same number of channels with comparable programming. Super Channel Heart and Home, for example, will be added to packages in place of W Network, along with channels like Cottage Life, Discovery Channel, Smithsonian, FX, and Family. The company says customers will have the flexibility to customize their channel lineup with TV Channel Exchange, offering access to new TV package options.

Privately held by the Bragg family, Nova Scotia-headquartered Eastlink currently operates in seven provinces, including Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. It’s estimated the company serves more than 250,000 cable subscribers.

Corus told Broadcast Dialogue, the company is still open to future negotiations.

“Our door is always open to future negotiations and we would like to thank Eastlink for its partnership over the years,” the company said in an emailed statement. “Corus’ channels are still available to subscribers through alternative distribution channels in these markets including STACKTV and other distributors Bell, Telus, Shaw Direct and VMedia, depending on location and province.”

Global live TV streaming service FuboTV was quick to announce a new entertainment-focused subscription package for Canadian customers, in which Corus Entertainment networks from the STACKTV platform (which is also available via Amazon Prime Video) feature prominently.

A selection of Nickelodeon content is available to stream on Paramount+.

Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favorites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!


Originally published: May 28, 2023.

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Lush, Nickelodeon and Paramount CP Announce New SpongeBob Collaboration

LUSH, NICKELODEON AND PARAMOUNT CONSUMER PRODUCTS ANNOUNCE NEW SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS COLLABORATION

Partnership Kicks off With Dedicated SpongeBob Lush Kitchen Subscription Box, Including Patrick Soap, Gary the Snail Bath Bomb and Bikini Bottom Bubble Blower

SpongeBob x Lush Kitchen

#SPONGEBOBXLUSH

London – May 24, 2023 – Lush, Nickelodeon and Paramount Consumer Products today announced a new SpongeBob SquarePants collaboration tied to SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change, a global ocean conservation and sustainability initiative. The partnership includes an exclusive SpongeBob-themed box of plastic-free goodies based on fan-favourites Patrick Star and Gary the Snail along with Bikini Bottom. The Lush Kitchen subscription box will hit doorsteps July 2023, in time for Plastic Free July. Additional elements of the partnership will be announced in the coming weeks.

Lush customers everywhere can now subscribe to the Lush Kitchen for £35 a month + shipping and receive a Lush Kitchen Subscription Box featuring 4-5 exclusive products. The contents of every box is based on subscriber votes from a changing monthly menu, plus one or two surprise goodies chosen by Lush. All products are made fresh and to order. To find out more about when your fresh handmade products will be dispatched as well as other key Lush Kitchen dates, including voting, payment and registration dates, please click here. To receive this special Kitchen box, customers can sign up now through to Monday June 5th.

‘We love soap! So, to create a plastic free range of products on behalf of SpongeBob SquarePants, an iconic character, series and brand, representing an undersea world that we are all trying to protect, was an obvious fit for a Lush. We’re proud that 66% of our entire product range is unpackaged and we are thrilled to partner with Paramount and Nickelodeon on SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change.‘ -Melody Morton, Lush Concepts Creative Director

Lush Kitchen x SpongeBob

Lush wants to help Lush Kitchen customers to make a sea change to help save the home of their favourite fictional sponge—whether they’re taking their first step away from pump hand-soaps, or whether they feel motivated to move their full routine over to plastic-free alternatives, Lush is here with solutions for every point in the plastic-free journey.

Through partnerships with several non-profit organizations, SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change aims to help remove and divert five million pounds of ocean plastic over the next four years by funding clean-up projects and educate millions of fans on how they can help protect the undersea home of all creatures—including a certain silly sea star, sourpuss octopus, and optimistic yellow sponge. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Lush, a company that has a long history in protecting the environment and shares our excitement for the SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change initiative to protect the world’s oceans and its inhabitants.

“Pairing the colourful and creative plastic free products of Lush with the fun and positivity of SpongeBob is a perfect fit, while creating awareness around the clean ocean efforts and its importance.”
-Veronica Hart, Executive Vice President, Global Franchise Planning and CP Marketing, Paramount.

About the Lush Kitchen

Summer 2020 marks the start of a new era for the Lush Kitchen in the form of a monthly subscription box and Lush Kitchen membership. The concept of Lush Kitchen however has been on a journey to get here.

In 2014 the Lush Kitchen first launched, making small batches of limited edition products daily that were available to purchase exclusively online. For the first time, fans of Lush were able to see the inner workings of the factory and just how the Lush Compounders hand make products, using the best quality and responsibly sourced ingredients at their freshest and most effective. In 2017 the Lush Kitchen doors closed on the previous format after 3 years of weekly menus and polaroid pictures.

Now, they’re switching up their game and taking things in a new and exciting direction!

About Lush

Since establishing over 27 years ago, Lush has been driven by innovation and its ethics. Creators of pioneering beauty products, one of Lush’s most well known creations is the bath bomb. Invented in 1989 by Lush Co-Founder Mo Constantine in her garden shed, bath bombs have become a global sensation – all hand pressed in Lush’s own manufacturing sites across the world, Lush sold over 40.5 million last year.

A beauty company with a campaigning heart, Lush is on a mission to create a product for every need and a cosmetic revolution to save the planet. The ultimate goal is to leave the world Lusher than we found it. Lush operates a strict policy against animal testing and leads the cosmetics industry in combating over-packaging by developing products that can be sold ‘naked’ to the consumer. Lush Digital champions ethical hardware, ethical data, ethical design and open source technologies and we support and elevate communities who feel the same.

Today, Lush operates in 49 countries with over 900 shops, 38 websites shipping worldwide and a global network of native apps, broadcasting channels and digital communities in over 30 languages. 

About SpongeBob SquarePants

Since its launch July 17, 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has reigned as the most-watched animated series for 21 consecutive years, while generating a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony award-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base. SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most widely distributed properties in Paramount International history, seen in more than 170 countries, translated in 29+ languages, and averaging more than 100 million total viewers every quarter. SpongeBob SquarePants was created by Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank, Calif.  The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurable optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.

About Paramount Consumer Products

Paramount Consumer Products oversees all licensing and merchandising for Paramount (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, Paramount Consumer Products’ portfolio includes a diverse slate of brands and content from BET, CBS (including CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution), Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and SHOWTIME®. With properties spanning animation, live-action, preschool, youth and adult, Paramount Consumer Products is committed to creating the highest quality product for some of the world’s most beloved, iconic franchises. To view our range of consumer products and Paramount branded apparel, visit ParamountShop.com.

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Watch the SpongeBob SquarePants Universe, including Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years and The Patrick Star Show on Nickelodeon and Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com.


Listen to The SpongeBob Musical here!

CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!


Originally published: May 28, 2023.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, RedditInstagramFacebookGoogle NewsTumblrvia RSS and more for the latest Nickelodeon and SpongeBob SquarePants Universe News and Highlights!

Paramount+ Launches a Custom Roku City Neighborhood

Paramount+ Launches a Custom Roku City Neighborhood

Roku fills Roku City beta offering just weeks after unveiling it
to advertisers at the IAB NewFronts


SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 24, 2023 – Today, Roku (Nasdaq: ROKU), the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico*, announced that Paramount+, which has seen the most signups since launch of any premium streaming service**, will become the first entertainment brand to launch a custom Roku City Neighborhood. The new Roku City Neighborhoods will feature brand-specific buildings, visuals, and destinations to make those brands unmissable, right when viewers start and end their streaming session.

Roku City is TV’s biggest and most beloved digital downtown, with nearly 40 million homes enjoying the destination each month. Roku recently featured Roku City in its first out-of-home campaign in Times Square and announced the debut of Roku City Neighborhoods at its IAB NewFront on Tuesday, May 2. In just weeks, the beta offering has reached capacity with advertisers through Q3 2023.

Viewers will be able to see the Paramount+ Roku City Neighborhood from May 25-29. Through a memorable interactive visual experience, the Paramount+ Roku City Neighborhood will connect Paramount+’s “mountain” logo with popular franchises such as “Transformers,” “Star Trek,” UEFA Champions League, and “PAW Patrol.” The neighborhood will offer playful and recognizable easter eggs for viewers to enjoy as Roku City scrolls across the largest screen in the home. Additionally, viewers will be able to click to sign up and start watching promoted shows and movies on Paramount+.

As the first entertainment company to bring its brand and popular content to Roku City, Paramount+ is leading the way for brands looking to stand out. Roku helps content owners win the entire streamer’s journey – going well beyond customer acquisition to drive engagement, retention, and brand-building for the long term.

“We designed our platform to help partners build thriving businesses in a world where all TV is streamed,” said Peter Hamilton, Director of Ad Innovation at Roku. “This first-of-its-kind campaign makes Paramount+ unmissable at the key moments when viewers are deciding what to watch next.”

“Bringing Paramount Mountain and many of our beloved franchises to Roku City through this first-ever fully branded takeover is a fun and disruptive new way for us to engage and delight fans of the diverse and popular offering that has been fueling the rapid growth of Paramount+,” said Domenic DiMeglio, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Paramount Streaming. “We have partnered closely with Roku to creatively feature fan-favorite characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants, ‘Halo's’ Master Chief, and ‘Survivor’ host Jeff Probst throughout Roku City, along with other fun easter eggs including the Starfleet Headquarters and the Dutton's iconic barn from 1923, which will further immerse customers in the experience and drive conversation across social.”

For more information about solutions from Roku Advertising like Roku City Neighborhoods, visit our website.

*based on hours streamed, December 2022, Hypothesis Group

**according to Antenna, Paramount+ is the #1 premium streaming service in U.S. signups in the quarter and since launch in March 2021

About Roku, Inc.

Roku pioneered streaming on TV. We connect users to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku TV™ models, Roku streaming players, and TV-related audio devices are available in various countries around the world through direct retail sales and/or licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku-branded TVs and Roku Smart Home products are sold exclusively in the United States. Roku also operates The Roku Channel, the home of free and premium entertainment with exclusive access to Roku Originals. The Roku Channel is available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., U.S.A.

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements that are based on our beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us on the date of this press release.  Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to those related to the features, advertising capabilities, benefits, growth and reach of the Roku platform; trends related to TV streaming and advertising; and Roku’s partnership with Paramount+. Except as required by law, Roku assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause Roku’s actual results to differ materially are detailed from time to time in the reports Roku, Inc. Files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Roku’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and Roku’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on Roku’s website and are available from Roku without charge.

Roku is a registered trademark, and Roku TV is a trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Tradenames, trademarks, and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.

About Paramount+

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, 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 CBS News Network for 24/7 news and CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis.

For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

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Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favorites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!


Originally published: May 28, 2023.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, RedditInstagramFacebookGoogle NewsTumblrvia RSS and more for the latest Nickelodeon and Paramount Plus News and Highlights!

Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years | Season 1, Part 4 Episode Guide | Paramount+

Paramount+ has released Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years "Part 4," featuring the final six new episodes from the first season of Nickelodeon's first-ever SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off! Stream the episodes today, exclusively on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com.

A still from Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years

Helter Shelter/Reveille Revolution: SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick are split up into separate cabins. Squidward has to earn back his morning "Reveille" duties. (#120)

A still from Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
#120

Switch Glitch/Prickly Pests: An accident causes Patrick and Karen to switch bodies. A mischievous camp prank goes terribly wrong. (#121)

A still from Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
#121

Are You Smarter Than A Smart Cabin?/Deep Sea Despot: In an effort to avoid doing chores, Sandy invents a "Smart Cabin." Squidward takes over as Camp Master. (#122)

A still from Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
#122

Regi-Hilled/The Perfect Camper: Narlene and Nobby teach Regigilled all about backwoods living. The Trawler cabin creates the perfect camper to compete in the Camp Summer Games. (#123)

A still from Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
#123

Eye of the Hotdog/Patrick Takes the Cake: Craig Mammalton learns what it's like to not be the best at something. Patrick and a cake hide out in the wilderness. (#124)

A still from Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
#124

The Taste of Defeat/Scaredy Squirrel: Plankton discovers competition in Narlene's backwoods restaurant. Sandy spends a night at the Trawler cabin. (#125)

A still from Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
#125

Hats Off to Space/In a Nuts Shell: The Dinghies travel to outer space. After discovering his empty shell, Narlene and Nobby disguise themselves at Camp Master Krabs. (#126)

A still from Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
#126

Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years is the first-ever SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff. The CG-animated prequel series follows 10-year-old SpongeBob SquarePants and his pals during summer sleepaway camp where they spend their time building underwater campfires, catching wild jellyfish and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck at the craziest camp in the kelp forest, Kamp Koral. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, Calif.

Produced by Nickelodeon Animation, The Patrick Star Show is a family sitcom starring Patrick and the rest of his family as they are constantly disrupted by Patrick’s wild whims and surreal imagination. The Patrick Star Show, the second spinoff of SpongeBob SquarePants, debuted July 9, 2021 on Nickelodeon. The original series is renewed for a second season (26 episodes).

Watch the SpongeBob SquarePants Universe, including Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years and The Patrick Star Show on Nickelodeon and Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com.


Listen to The SpongeBob Musical here!

CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!


Originally published: May 28, 2023.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, RedditInstagramFacebookGoogle NewsTumblrvia RSS and more for the latest Nickelodeon and SpongeBob SquarePants Universe News and Highlights!