Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana Reopens

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana Announces Nov. 5 Reopening

$1 UPGRADES AND CYBER MONTH DEALS JUST IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY TRAVEL


MIAMI (Oct. 23, 2020) –  Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana, the world’s first ever World-Class Gourmet Inclusive® Nickelodeon property, will reopen on Nov. 5. The acclaimed Karisma Hotels & Resorts resort in the Dominican Republic features 208 oversized suites in seven styles designed to cater to a variety of tastes, including prized Swim-Up Suites, which are available for just a $1 upgrade if booked by Oct. 31 for travel by March 27, 2021.

“Since opening in 2016, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana has exceeded all expectations, and we look forward to continued success together with our partners at Karisma,” said Gerald Raines, senior vice president of ViacomCBS. “There is no other international hotel (at least until the opening of our second resort in Riviera Maya in 2021) where guests can immerse themselves in the fun and frivolous Nick lifestyle with personal SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer interactions, full access to Aqua Nick, Club Nick and even enjoy the opportunities of getting slimed and sleeping in the Pineapple Villa, inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants' home in Bikini Bottom.”

Following months of careful consideration and thoughtful updates after closing on March 20, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana is set to reopen its doors with Karisma Peace of Mind™, Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ comprehensive well-being program that ensures guest safety and an unmatched level of service. The program features new health protocols, updated guidelines and industry-leading best practices, including alignment with Delos Well Living’s International WELL Building Institute and Well Living Lab, in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic and with endorsements by Deepak Chopra.


“We know many families are hoping to escape their homes this holiday season and we hope they will come visit us where everything is taken care of,” said Jorge L. Feliz German, president of Karisma Hotels & Resorts for the Dominican Republic. “Plus, with our record-breaking Cyber Month deals launching Nov. 13, it’s the perfect time to plan a merry, affordable getaway with loved ones.”

Holidays this year will be extra special at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana with daily whimsical, family-friendly activities for kids and parents alike, including:
  • Christmas: In December, festive, Instagrammable moments abound with holiday themed arts and crafts and character interactions with special holiday touches. In true Nickelodeon fashion, guests can spend Christmas Day participating in exclusive activities such as making holiday souvenirs at Club Nick, taking Christmas photos with their favorite characters in festive outfits, and enjoying entertainment and shows.
  • New Year’s Eve/Day: Guests will bid goodbye to 2020 and embrace the fresh start of 2021 at the resort’s New Year’s Eve Celebration, which will feature live music to dance any stress away with the Nickelodeon family. Then they can kick off the New Year by making every kid’s dream come true with meet & greets at Plaza Orange with fan favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Reservations are currently being accepted and can be booked by visiting karismahotels.com.

About Karisma Hotels & Resorts

Karisma Hotels & Resorts is an award-winning luxury hotel collection that owns and manages an impressive portfolio of properties in Latin America and the Caribbean. Property brands include El Dorado Spa Resorts by Karisma; Margaritaville Island Reserve by Karisma; Azul Beach Resorts by Karisma; Generations Resorts by Karisma; Karisma Villas; Allure Hotels by Karisma; Hidden Beach Resort by Karisma; Sensatori Resorts; and Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts. Properties have been honored with the industry’s top accolades including Conde Nast Traveler’s “Top 100 Hotels in the World,” Conde Nast Traveler’s “Top 30 Hotels in Cancun,” TripAdvisor® Traveler’s Choice “Best Hotels for Romance,” and AAA’s “Five Diamond Award” and “Four Diamond Award.” Karisma Hotels & Resorts is committed to employee and community support while delivering authentic experiences to guests, receiving worldwide recognition for its compassionate and creative approach to hospitality management and product innovations.  At Karisma Hotels & Resorts, your paradise awaits. Whether you are looking for an unforgettable honeymoon destination or a spectacular destination to create new memories, our world-class resorts offer extraordinary experiences for every style of travel.

About Nickelodeon International

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. Nickelodeon is one of the most globally recognized and widely distributed multimedia entertainment brands for kids and family, available in more than 400 million households across 170+ countries and territories, via more than 100+ locally programmed channels and branded blocks. Outside of the United States, Nickelodeon is part of ViacomCBS Networks International, a division of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC). For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc.

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The resort said it has implemented Karisma's Peace of Mind health and safety protocols, which include measures like ultraviolet sanitization, thermal camera temperature monitoring and social distancing at restaurants, bars, pools, elevators and other public spaces.

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Tuesday, December 29, 2020 | Nickelodeon

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Tuesday, December 29, 2020 | Nickelodeon
Rugrats, provided to Creators Syndicate by Nickelodeon, based off the popular animated television series has been created for children and family's to laugh and enjoy together.

Follow these comics and their take on real episodes of the show and their own spin on hilarious adventures.

Read more Rugrats comic strips!: https://www.creators.com/features/rugrats

More Nick: Nickelodeon Unveils First Look at CG-Animated 'Rugrats' and 'Big Nate'!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Classic Nickelodeon, NickRewind and Rugrats News and Highlights!

'The Ren & Stimpy Show' Marvel Comic | Retro Advertisement | NickRewind

Ren & Stimpy star in this retro commercial to advertise that their then brand-new The Ren & Stimpy Show Marvel comic is available at Titan Games & Comics!


Stream The Ren & Stimpy Show on CBS All Access!

Watch all your ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s Nickelodeon favorites on NickRewind, your late-night destination for your favorite childhood Nickelodeon cartoons and live-action shows! NickSplat doesn't question football-shaped heads, but embrace them - along with Reptar bars, a Big Ear of Corn, orange soda, and even slime for Pete (and Pete's) sake. Make your slime-covered Nickelodeon childhood dreams come true every night on TeenNick USA, and anytime you want Nick Pluto TV, NickHits on Amazon Prime Video Channels and Nick on CBS All Access!

Like NickRewind on Facebook, subscribe to the NickRewind YouTube channel and follow NickRewind on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive digital content from all of your throwback favorites like Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, iCarly, Victorious, Kenan & Kel, CatDog, Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Amanda Show, Clarissa Explains It All, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and so much more!

Join Nickelodeon's official I Was A Nick Kid Facebook Group!: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWasANickKid/

More Nick: Nickelodeon Unveils CG-Animated 'Rugrats' Series!

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Classic Nickelodeon, NickRewind and Nickmas News and Highlights!

Nickelodeon's December + Holidays 2020 Continuity: Global Edition

Check out a super selection of Nickelodeon's December 2020 and Holidays presentation (including idents, bumpers, trailers and BUGs/DOGs) from Nickelodeon channels around the world! (latest videos towards the bottom):

Nickelodeon USA

Lidus - Through the Clouds | Video Premiere | Nickelodeon Russia

Lidus – По облакам | Премьера клипа | Nickelodeon Россия


Lidus много мечтает и немного грустит (совсем чуточку) в новой песне «По облакам». Зацени этот трек первым!

LIDUS в социальных сетях:

VK.COM: https://vk.com/lidus_music

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lidus_music

Больше Nick: ViacomCBS Launches Awesomeness on Okko in Russia
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Russia News and Highlights!

Allan Trautman Joins 'The Barbarian and the Troll'

Puppeteer, actor and director Allan Trautman has joined the crew of Nickelodeon's upcoming live-action puppet comedy series The Barbarian and the Troll! Trautman, who has voiced characters on several Jim Henson Company projects, including Muppets franchise, Earth to Ned and Disney's Dinosaurs, announced the news during an interview during an interview with What's On Disney Plus.

Puppet Up!—Uncensored

Talking about what he is currently working on, Trautman revealed: "At the moment, I’m in production on a show for Nickelodeon called The Barbarian and the Troll. I play two characters that are fast becoming two of my favorites—a kooky wizard and the commander of an army of the undead! Look for the premier of this show either in January or in March of 2021."

As a puppeteer, Trautman has worked on such movies as Dora and the Lost City of Gold, The Happytime Murders, Cats & Dogs, Jack Frost, Men in Black, Dr. Dolittle, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas and Babe, as well as TV series including Crank Yankers, Sid the Science Kid, Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge and The Dolly Parton Show, and commercials including Pizza Hut with the Muppets Hershey S'mores and Pepsi "Uncle Teddy" Superbowl spot.

He has also made appearances (as an in-vision actor or as a voice actor) in shows such as Married with Children, Unhappily Ever After, Greg the Bunny and Grounded for Life.

Announced in September under the working title Brendar the BarbarianThe Barbarian and the Troll (13 episodes) is a brand-new live-action puppet comedy series from co-creators Mike Mitchell (Trolls, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part) and expert puppeteer Drew Massey (Mutt & Stuff, Sid the Science Kid).

The series follows Evan, a bridge troll in search of adventure, and Brendar, a fierce female warrior, on a quest to defeat the evil wizard who that rules over their land of Gothmoria, who has imprisoned her brother. The series is being filmed at North Shore Studios in Vancouver, Canada. Filming commenced on October 19th and is expected to wrap on February 12th, 2021.

In The Barbarian and the Troll, Evan, a troll who has never ventured out from under his bridge, decides to explore the world for the first time in search of a great adventure and inspiration to fulfill his dream of becoming a singer.  He soon meets Brendar, Gothmoria’s most feared and revered warrior, and joins in her quest across treacherous terrain and confrontations with bizarre and magical creatures.  Throughout their journey and encounters with an eclectic puppet cast of wacky characters, they both learn that they’re better together and form an unbreakable friendship.

The Barbarian and the Troll is co-created, written and executive produced by Mitchell, who also serves as director, and Massey, who also serves as lead puppeteer.  Production of The Barbarian and the Troll is overseen for Nickelodeon by Shauna Phelan, Senior Vice President, Live-Action Scripted Content; and Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Live Action.


Originally published: Monday, December 28, 2020 at 22:38 GMT.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and The Barbarian and the Troll News and Highlights!

DJ Lance Rock Reveals My Chemical Romance Was the Best Band to Feature on 'Yo Gabba Gabba!'

It looks like My Chemical Romance really stood out from the other bands on the Nick Jr. show.


Back in 2011, emo music and Nickelodeon got together for a collab that fans will never truly forget. Rock band My Chemical Romance appeared on Yo Gabba Gabba! for a special Christmas holiday episode where they performed “Every Snowflake Is Different (Just Like You).”

Now, DJ Lance Rock, the show’s host, has revealed why MCR were one of the best guests the show has ever had.

Over the years, Nickelodeon's preschool series welcomed various musical acts including Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, Weezer and even the Flaming Lips. However, in 2011, My Chemical Romance truly spread some holiday cheer with their performance of “Every Snowflake Is Different (Just Like You)” on the show.

My Chemical Romance were dressed in color ski gear and performed in front of a Winter Wonderland backdrop. Their performance celebrated uniqueness while also introducing a true emo bop to Nickelodeon’s audience. The festive episode also included appearances from Tom Hanks, Tori Spelling, Rugrats composer and Devo co-founder Mark Motherbaugh, Tony Hawk, Cults, and Leslie Hall.


Now, Yo Gabba Gabba!‘s host DJ Lance Rock has revealed why My Chemical Romance were one of the best guests to appear on the show. In a recent TikTok, the host shares that he often doesn’t remember a lot of guests on the show. However, he still greatly recalls My Chemical Romance’s performance.

“You know, there have been so many awesome bands on Yo Gabba Gabba!, it’s hard to remember every single one,” he says. “But I remember when My Chemical Romance came on.”

DJ Lance Rock goes on to say that My Chemical Romance were really into their performance. As a result, their appearance on Yo Gabba Gabba! was one of DJ Lance Rock’s all-time favorites.

“They were really into it and they really enjoyed being on the show,” he continues. “They were a lot of fun and they brought their A-game. Gerard [Way] was such an awesome guy, the whole band was great. That was really one of the best bands I saw on the show.”


For those of you that want to watch a few more Yo Gabba Gabba! performances, Taking Back Sunday and Jimmy Eat World’s appearances are embedded below.

We All Love Our Pets - Taking Back Sunday - Yo Gabba Gabba!


Beautiful Day - Jimmy Eat World - Yo Gabba Gabba!


Do you remember My Chemical Romance’s performance on Yo Gabba Gabba!? Let me know in the comments below. And remember.. Yo Gabba Gabba, Yo Gabba Gabba, Yo Gabba Gabba, Yoooooo!


Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Preschool and Nick Jr. News and Highlights!

Nickelodeon Iberia Starts to Air '44 Cats' Season 2

Nickelodeon Iberia today (Monday 28th December 2020) started to premiere brand new episodes of 44 Cats season two weekdays at 05:20 on Nickelodeon Portugal and at 06:20 on Nickelodeon Spain (España)! 44 Cats is locally titled 44 Gatos in Iberia.


From neeo:

Nickelodeon se llena de ritmo y diversión con el estreno de la segunda temporada de 44 gatos

Esta vez, el grupo de mininos formado por Lampo, Milady, Pilou y Albóndiga llegan dispuestos a ayudar a la pequeña gatita Peppy a descubrir su talento para convertirse en artista de circo y al perrito Terry a unirse al equipo de bomberos. ¡No hay nada que se les resista!

Si hay algo que une a Los Buffycats, además de la música, es que siempre están dispuestos a trabajar en equipo para ayudar a todos los animales o humanos que lo necesiten. En esta nueva temporada, no dudan ni un minuto en ayudar a la pequeña gatita Peppy a descubrir cuál es su verdadero talento para poder convertirse en una gran artista de circo.

Otro día, el perrito Terry, convencido de que es un gato, hace todo lo posible para convertirse en el gato de los bomberos, pero ¿será capaz de demostrarles su gran valentía con la ayuda de los mininos? En otra de las aventuras, llega por fin el día de la increíble carrera de motos en la que la dulce Pilou está muy emocionada por participar. Sin embargo, el travieso Boss está al acecho para hacer alguna de sus famosas bromas. ¿Conseguirán los animales celebrar esta carrera sin que nada ni nadie la estropee?

Lunes 28 a las 6.20h
Lunes a viernes a las 6.20h

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More Nick: Nickelodeon International Acquires '44 Cats' Season 2!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Iberia News and Highlights!

Children's TV Execs Defend ‘Political’ Themes in Preschool Content

Preschool shows should address issues relating to diversity, according to executives from Nickelodeon, Hopster and BBC Children’s, despite objections from some quarters.


Speaking during a session at C21’s Content London On Demand, the execs were discussing whether it’s suitable to include diversity issues in programmes aimed at younger audiences, after preschool platform Hopster received backlash for making content relating to the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ+ pride. The parents who complained had argued that the topics were “too political” for children of such a young age.

Hopster’s chief creative and content officer Miki Chojnacka rejected the concerns, saying: “Kids are not born prejudiced, it’s a learned behaviour. They don’t mind seeing people on screen who don’t look like them. For them, it’s just always learning. But after preschool, things can change. Celebrating how they are so open and accepting of everything is important.”

Nina Hahn, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Production & Development at Nickelodeon International and head of ViacomCBS International Studios' (VIS) VIS Kids, shared a similar sentiment.

“Racism doesn’t start at age four,” she said. “It’s so lovely when you look at young kids who are agnostic in a lot of ways, and I think the messaging and the way we work with and talk to them is to build that lovely aspect up before they start to change and form opinions that aren’t OK.”

Nickelodeon also received backlash earlier this year for making content relating to the Black Lives Matter movement - including going off-air for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the same length that a white police officer pressed a knee into the neck of George Floyd, ultimately killing him, displaying the Nickelodeon's Declaration of Kids' Rights instead of its scheduled programming - as well as confirming that SpongeBob SquarePants was an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

With ViacomCBS having launched a ‘no diversity, no commission’ policy earlier this year, Hahn said there were two things to consider in relation to this when pitching to the company.

“The two most important seeds to bring to the table are: one, making sure, across the production, you are demonstrably giving a voice to people who may not have had the chance to have a voice; and two, taking a benchmark of wherever you are on the timeline of being a better representative of diversity and inclusion and asking yourself to go one more step.”

Meanwhile, Cheryl Taylor, the outgoing head of content at BBC Children’s channels CBBC and CBeebies, also stressed the importance of including diversity in content for young children in order to better reflect society.

“Whenever you put out a piece of content reflecting or celebrating a person’s life that people think is unsuitable for their child to watch – and the stories are numerous – the simple answer is that you just have to look at social media to see how many different people are expressing themselves,” Taylor said.

“We have to reflect the world as it is to our viewers, otherwise everything we do is fiction and that’s not what we’re there for. Everything we show in that respect is real life. We want to reflect the world, educate and inform our viewers and help them make choices and grow up into happy, healthy and responsible citizens.”



Originally published: Tuesday, December 29, 2020.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Preschool and Nick Jr. News and Highlights!

Nickelodeon International Sets India Co-Production 'The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj'

Update - Official Nickelodeon Press Release:

NICKELODEON INTERNATIONAL AND NICKELODEON INDIA ANNOUNCE FIRST COPRODUCTION, THE TWISTED TIMELINE OF SAMMY & RAJ

New animated series follows time-altering adventures of cousin-brothers who can pause, rewind, fast-forward and slow down their reality thanks to a mysterious phone app


London, UK —September 2, 2020—Nickelodeon International is teaming up with Nickelodeon India, a part of Viacom18 that is a joint venture between ViacomCBS and Network18, to coproduce The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj. The new series marks the first collaboration between the top kids’ entertainment brand and the leading Indian kids’ category brand from India’s fastest growing entertainment network.

Currently in production with Nickelodeon India of Viacom18, The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj is slated to roll out across Nickelodeon International in 2021. With a mysterious time-altering app at their fingertips, the series follows the reality-bending adventures of a pair of cousin-brothers, as they pause, rewind, fast-forward and slow-motion their way into a whole host of rowdy laugh-out-loud exploits.

The international collaboration is underway on the new 20 x 30-minute 2D animated series, with animation and storyboards developing in India, scripting in progress in the U.S. and U.K., and casting initiated in the U.S.

“The popularity of international content is on the rise, and Nickelodeon is focused on meeting the rising demand for diverse, creative stories for a global audience. This groundbreaking partnership with Viacom18 goes beyond kids’ content, as we look to embrace greater diversity both on-screen and behind the camera,” said Jules Borkent, Executive Vice President, Kids & Family, ViacomCBS Networks International.

Nina Hahn, Senior Vice President, International Production & Development, Nickelodeon International, stated: “In the creative world, geographic borders have diminished, as more content is drawn by the hands of global artists from every corner of the world. The idea for this series was developed in collaboration with the team in India as we sought a way to fuse western and eastern story telling elements. Indian culture is very much a part of this series’ DNA, and we are eager to share those elements with our global audience.”

Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head of Hindi Mass Entertainment & Kids TV Network at Viacom18 said: “Over the years, Nickelodeon India has created successful local IPs and characters that kids love. This partnership with Nickelodeon International has gone beyond the border lines of creativity and stands testimony to the success of Nick India and Nick International in creating groundbreaking content. It further reinforces the capability of the Indian Animation Industry. We are happy to partner with Nickelodeon International for this show and look forward to working together in creating this series for kids across the world.”

Anu Sikka, Head Creative, Content & Research, Kids TV Network at Viacom18 said: “Kids imaginations and aspirations are universal and it’s this learning that has brought this show to life. The series will be showcasing stories that kids around the world will find relatable and engaging, hopefully opening up more opportunities for future collaboration. Our efforts are to make sure that kids get to experience the best of animation and that this show will stir their imagination and transport them into a new world of adventure.”

Chris Rose, VP, Animation, Nickelodeon International and Anu Sikka, Head Creative, Content & Research, Kids TV Network at Viacom18 are overseeing the project. The head writer of the series is Jordan Gershowitz.

About Nickelodeon International

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. Nickelodeon is one of the most globally recognized and widely distributed multimedia entertainment brands for kids and family, available in more than 400 million households across 170+ countries and territories, via more than 100+ locally programmed channels and branded blocks. Outside of the United States, Nickelodeon is part of ViacomCBS Networks International, a division of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC). For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc.

About Viacom18:

Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India's fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of Network18, which owns 51%, and ViacomCBS, with a 49% stake, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema.

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Original post:

"The popularity of international content is on the rise, and Nickelodeon is focused on meeting the rising demand for diverse, creative stories for a global audience."


Citing audiences’ growing appetite for international content, ViacomCBS’ Nickelodeon International is teaming with an Indian joint venture to co-produce new animated series The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj.

Nickelodeon India, part of the Viacom18 venture between ViacomCBS and India’s Network18, will be the partner on the 20-episode 30 minute 2D series. The companies said it marks “the first collaboration between the top kids’ entertainment brand and the leading Indian kids’ category brand from India’s fastest growing entertainment network.”

"The popularity of international content is on the rise, and Nickelodeon is focused on meeting the rising demand for diverse, creative stories for a global audience," said Jules Borkent, Executive Vice President (EVP), kids & family, ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI). "This groundbreaking partnership with Viacom18 goes beyond kids’ content as we look to embrace greater diversity both on-screen and behind the camera."

The show will roll out across Nickelodeon International channels in 2021 and could also land on Nickelodeon in the U.S. "With a mysterious time-altering app at their fingertips, the series follows the reality-bending adventures of a pair of cousin-brothers, as they pause, rewind, fast-forward and slow-motion their way into a whole host of rowdy laugh-out-loud exploits," according to a show description.

Work on the series is underway, with animation and storyboards being developed in India, while scripting is in progress in the U.S. and U.K., and casting has been initiated in the U.S.

The head writer of the series is Jordan Gershowitz, whose TV animation writing credits include The Tom and Jerry Show, Gigantosaurus, Taffy and Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty. Chris Rose, Vice President (VP), animation, Nickelodeon International and Anu Sikka, head creative, content & research, kids TV network at Viacom18, are overseeing the project.

“In the creative world, geographic borders have diminished, as more content is drawn by the hands of global artists from every corner of the world,” said Nina Hahn, Senior Vice President (SVP), international production & development at Nickelodeon International. “The idea for this series was developed in collaboration with the team in India as we sought a way to fuse western and eastern storytelling elements. Indian culture is very much a part of this series’ DNA, and we are eager to share those elements with our global audience.”

Nina Elavia Jaipuria, head of Hindi mass entertainment & kids TV network at Viacom18 said: “Over the years, Nickelodeon India has created successful local IPs and characters that kids love. This partnership with Nickelodeon International has gone beyond the border lines of creativity and stands testimony to the success of Nick India and Nick International in creating groundbreaking content. It further reinforces the capability of the Indian Animation Industry. We are happy to partner with Nickelodeon International for this show and look forward to working together in creating this series for kids across the world.”

Anu Sikka, Head Creative, Content & Research, Kids TV Network at Viacom18 said: “Kids imaginations and aspirations are universal and it’s this learning that has brought this show to life. The series will be showcasing stories that kids around the world will find relatable and engaging, hopefully, opening up more opportunities for future collaboration. Our efforts are to make sure that kids get to experience the best of animation and that this show will stir their imagination and transport them into a new world of adventure.”

The Indian animation and VFX sector is valued at $351 million and is projected to grow 18% annually to reach $463 million by 2022, according to a recent EY Indian media industry report.

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From TBI Vision:

Exclusive: Kids’ TV leaders talk financial and culture benefits of co-productions

Co-productions are helping to drive quality and increase cultural diversity on children’s shows, say leading kids’ TV industry figures.

Speaking on yesterday’s TBI Talks (click here to watch on demand), Shabnam Rezaei, co-founder and president of Canadian-US animation studio Big Bad Boo, producer of Hulu’s The Bravest Knight, highlighted how she has seen the number of co-productions on the rise for several years and that the current climate means they make sense “now more than ever”.

“We have all the French-Canadian and English-Canadian broadcasters as partners and they have been talking about co-productions for a very long time, simply because it makes financial sense,” said Rezaei. “The cost of production wants to be kept high, because we want to produce really high-quality shows that are in line with a Netflix show or as Disney show and so co-productions make sense.”

Rezaei added that this desire to maintain high quality productions has led to alliances between the likes of Canada’s CBC, the UK’s BBC and ABC Australia “because they’re very like-minded in the children’s space and they want to work together.”

Nina Hahn, SVP of international production and development at Nickelodeon International, who also took part in the webinar, gave a specific example of an upcoming co-production at the company, which she said would represent the best of both Eastern and Western cultures.

“We’re actually half-way through production on a project, The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj, which is a co-production between ourselves and Viacom18, which is our Nickelodeon Indian arm,” revealed Hahn.

“There is so much amazing content in India and so much amazing content in the West, but never the two sort of meet, and so we sat down to create a show which takes the Indian culture and is reflective of what works in India, but also has what works in terms of ingredients of stories that are told in the West.”

Hahn explained: “We put it together and came back with this show, which is an amazingly fun show acted by Indian actors, written by an Indian and West writing team and it’s a real collage of the two to take the best of both East and West to make a show.”

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From Indian Television Dot Com:

Viacom18's global push with international animation series

The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj is being coproduced with Nickelodeon International.

MUMBAI: Entertaining kids on television is not a child’s play. Many an Indian broadcaster will agree. But Viacom18 owned Nickelodeon India has managed to do it well by bringing to life iconic characters like Motu Patlu, Gattu Battu, Shiva and Rudra amongst several others. Now the kids broadcaster is making its biggest bet: teaming up with its international associate Nickelodeon International to co-produce a new 2-D animation series targeted at two to 14-year-olds all over the world.

Titled The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj, it is slated to roll out on Nickelodeon’s international channels in 2021.

“The UK and the US are two nations that produce a lot of animation content. India is the only region other than these two which has scaled up its original IP animation production capability,” says Viacom18 content & research Kids TV network creative head Anu Sikka. “When the UK team approached us, we thought as so many productions are happening in India why not do something from India. The idea was to create an IP and a show which works across the globe.”

And that’s why it took the teams from the two companies which included - Sikka and Nickelodeon VP animation Chris Rose - two years to crack the project. Sikka brainstormed with her Indian colleagues to come up with the basic concept, which was then fine-tuned and honed jointly with the Nickelodeon International team. “We have incorporated India’s cultural nuances in the show in order to make it more endearing for both Indian and international audiences,” reveals Sikka.

She points out that the initial idea to bring Indian writers on board was dropped in order to avoid communication hassles. The writers room for The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj is now located in the US under head writer Jordan Gershowitz’s supervision. Creatives are being supervised by both the UK and Indian creative teams with the animation being done at Big Animation’s Pune studio.

The channel is using Frame.io for better connectivity as well to clear assets and storyboards. Sikka highlights that due to the pandemic, the entire process slowed down. According to her, the studio has gradually picked up the pace and arranged software and necessary equipment for employees sitting at home. She says: “Luckily for kid's content and animation, we did not require any shoots, so our work didn’t stop. Yes, initially the challenge was to coordinate with everyone, there were internet connectivity issues at some places. There were initial hiccups but now we are back on track. Pre-production work that also includes conceptualisation and writing went at a rather swifter pace.”

Sikka says that while the IP of the new series lies with Viacom18, distribution will be done by Nickelodeon International in the territories where it can be sold. Of course, the first telecast right will lie with all Nickelodeon channels. She says her primary focus is to launch the show on a larger scale, and then depending on the traction the channel will look further into distribution and licensing.

She points out that English dubbing will be done in both India and the UK, but the dubbing of the content in Hindi and other regional languages will be completely homegrown. She further adds, a movie franchise could also be in the works – just like Motu Patlu - depending on The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj’s popularity.

Animated shows on Indian television are budgeted at between Rs 12-25 lakh for a 2D series and Rs 22-35 lakh for a 3D one. Sikka was loathed to reveal the budget of the co-production. But industry sources reveal that it might be in multiples of what Indian shows can command.

The news about the co-production has warmed many an animation industry veteran’s heart. Says one of them: “This is so good. There was a time when India was known for outsourcing and not for original IPs. But recent efforts like Mighty Little Bheem by Green Gold on Netflix and Vaibhav Studios’ Lamput on Cartoon Network has made waves globally and are telling a different story about India’s animation prowess.”

The hope, amongst most industry professionals is that The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj will take that story of animation further into its next chapter.

###

From C21 Media:

Untapped opportunity

The Muslim market is an investor’s dream, but many children’s broadcasters are ignoring the demographic.

With over 1.8 billion Muslims around the world, it’s a market certainly worth tapping into. Global spending by Muslims on food and beverages is growing and by 2023 the sector is expected to be worth US$1.9tn. Major UK fashion retailers have already invested in this growing demographic, with the likes of H&M, Asos and Nike creating their own ‘modest’ clothing lines. And why wouldn’t they, with Muslim spending on clothing predicted to reach US$361bn by 2023?

Yet even with all these staggering spending figures across the globe, the Muslim market is one of many underrepresented diverse markets seeing very little investment from global broadcasters. Children’s networks are missing a trick, with Muslims making up around a quarter of the global population and being the fastest-growing religious group in the world.

Nickelodeon International recently announced a new venture with Nickelodeon India to create the animated series The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj, a great investment opportunity harnessed by tapping into an underrepresented Indian market in children’s content.

As well as reaping the financial rewards destined to come from a large audience hungry for such content, Nickelodeon is showcasing diverse characters with cultural differences, marking a fantastic leap forward in representing true diversity and inclusion.

Nickelodeon International’s investment into this market also has the potential to have a ripple effect, hopefully inspiring other big broadcasters to do the same. Perhaps next, broadcasters will look to the English-speaking Muslim market, who are a growing population and eager for new and interesting content that represents them on a global level.

The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj features two BAME lead characters, cousins who go on adventures through time using a mysterious time-travelling app. Seeing two BAME main characters at the forefront of a children’s animation shouldn’t be groundbreaking or newsworthy. But when a report from children’s streaming service Hopster shows that BAME main characters appear in only six out of the 50 shows studied, and that BAME characters are often ‘pushed’ into the background of children’s programmes, this truly is a massive leap forward for the representation of cultural diversity.

The characters for The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj are to be created by animators in India, where there is fantastic talent within the animation sector and a huge audience that, until now, are not being catered for on a global scale.

According to a recent EY Indian media industry report, the animation and VFX sector in India is set to grow 18% annually to reach an industry value of US$463m by 2022. Nickelodeon has clearly seen this opportunity to provide for these viewers and invest in the growing Indian market. Let’s not forget, this decision is not driven solely by the need for diversity but also for commercial value and investment; diverse characters are quite the silver lining of this investment.

I believe other major broadcasters could be missing out on huge revenues by not investing in the English-speaking Muslim market, and as demonstrated by Nickelodeon, they’re forgoing an opportunity to feature culturally rich content at the same time. Surely this can only be a win-win investment opportunity on the cusp of discovery?

This decision from Nickelodeon International is positive progression, where we are seeing a broadcaster smartly investing outside of their usual demographics. It’s a far cry from when I met with two major US children’s companies two years ago to pitch Zayn & Zayna’s Little Farm, an animation I created featuring a Muslim Family on fun adventures across their British family farm and multicultural neighbourhood.

The show aims to teach preschool age children about diversity, inclusion and sustainability through fun, relatable characters. At the time, my pitch was politely declined by the broadcasters as they didn’t see themselves investing in this type of content, calling it, “too cultural and too religious.” It’s great to see Nickelodeon adapting to modern times and taking interest in markets which present fantastic business opportunities but also the chance to feature much-needed culturally diverse content too.

Finding a place for culturally rich content in the broadcasting schedule is a step in the right direction for diversity, as well as a lucrative business decision. For many years, broadcasters have been promising to make our screens more diverse. Perhaps this lip service could turn into a reality when the realisation hits that there is a multi-million-dollar market open to investment. Could this be the driving force to get more diverse programming on our screens? I hope so.

As The Twisted Timeline of Sami & Raj hits international screens next year, I have no doubt in it being popular, and I hope it opens the doors to other broadcasters spotting this overlooked investment opportunity.

###

More Nick: Nickelodeon International Talks Expanding Global Production Activities, Eyeing More International Partnerships!

Originally published: Wednesday, September 02, 2020 at 17:20 BST.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Exchange4media, Variety, Animation Magazine; H/T: Special thanks to @NickSchedules and Anime Superhero Forums /@animegamer.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj News and Highlights!

ViacomCBS Launches 'South Hub' Within it's EMEAA Division

ViacomCBS’s new ‘South Hub’ in Europe has big ambitions for the region’s local productions and partnerships.


ViacomCBS’s ongoing retooling of its international businesses across networks, platforms and content creation arm ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) continues apace, as it readies more territories for AVoD service Pluto TV and the roll-out of international SVoD proposition Paramount+.

The latest regional rejig within ViacomCBS Networks International's (VCNI) Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA) operations is the formation of a ‘South Hub’ this summer, with former WarnerMedia exec Jaime Ondarza crossing over in June to head operations as Executive Vice President (EVP) and General Manager (GM) for the new business.

A subset of VCNI’s larger EMEAA footprint, which spans Europe (excluding the UK and Ireland), the Middle East, Africa and Asia, the new South Hub takes in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, from France, Spain and Portugal, Italy and Greece to Turkey and MENA.

“This is a newly created regional organisation,” Ondarza explained to C21 Media. “It was designed exactly to maximise the opportunities of the business changes around the world, and we decided to realign the whole organisation to make sure we continue being as successful as we have been in the past years, and probably even more so.”

Within VCNI’s EMEAA portfolio are well-known network brands like Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network and BET in local markets; AVoD service Pluto TV, SVoD Paramount+ and kids’ VoD Noggin; and production arm VIS, which has just unveiled a children’s division, VIS Kids.

VCNI’s EMEAA networks and brands reach 340 million-plus homes in 140 countries. Within that, the new South Hub oversees 27 countries, covering 64 channels, 23 websites and 90 social media accounts.

Working closely with Ondarza’s South Hub networks and brands is VIS for EMEAA, headed by Laura Abril. It started with a roll-out in Spain last year, where a scripted push and a development slate of 20 shows has been established. The plan under the new South Hub structure is to replicate a similar scripted production push in Italy, followed by France.

Abril’s role has expanded in the past year. As well as overseeing VIS’s EMEAA production activities, she has added the role of Senior Vice President (SVP) for VCNI’s network and digital brands in Southern Europe and the Middle East to her remit.

VIS’s studios operation is divided into local hubs within those regions, Abril explains. “We’re looking to develop and produce content not just for our owner-operated brands and platforms but also for third-parties using different production models. We seek partnerships in different ways in all these territories,” she explains.

Ondarza says ViacomCBS and VCNI’s strategy is based on four pillars: its existing networks and brands; the group’s digital transformation; content creation operation VIS, feeding its own networks and brands plus third-parties; and live events and offline consumer products.

The fifth season of Spotlight in Germany airs on Nickelodeon

Referring to its established networks and brands, Ondarza says: “We firmly believe they have a good state of health and a future.”

The exec reports strong growth and competitive performances from VCNI’s South Hub networks in Spain, Italy and France.

In Italy, for instance, Nickelodeon is the leading pay TV kids’ brand – Nick Jr. and TeenNick (which closed in May 2020) combined – on Sky, while ViacomCBS-backed Super! is the country’s leading free-to-air (FTA) kids’ channel. In Spain, Nickelodeon leads the pay TV children’s market, growing over 67% year-on-year in 2020. In France, Nickelodeon is the leading pay TV broadcaster, while Nickelodeon Junior leads among thematic channels for kids aged 4-12.

Meanwhile, Paramount Network, which is present in 57 million homes across the South Hub, has made gains in key markets such as France, Spain and Italy. Its highest is in France, where ratings have grown by 75%.

The future of those ‘traditional’ networks and brands are also now closely aligned to the group’s second pillar, focused on ViacomCBCS’s transition and transformation to digital, Onrarza says. “The digital transformation is a fundamental element of the strategy for us,” he explains. “It’s a really great view of the future and we have ambitious plans.”

SVoD service Paramount+ and AVoD offering Pluto are the spearheads of that transformation globally and in October VCNI rejigged its international streaming operations following the departure of Pierluigi Gazzolo, president of streaming and studios at VCNI.

Amid preparations for Paramount+’s global roll-out, fuelled by CBS All Access rebranding to Paramount+ in the US, the new SVoD service is already present in the Nordics and developments are underway in Australia and Latin America.

No Paramount+ plans have been unveiled yet for Ondarza’s South Hub, “but we are really looking closely also at this part of the world, because we have great content, especially after the merger of CBS and Viacom, great franchises and brands, a solid presence in the market, global power and local presence and expertise with strong partnerships,” Ondarza says.

Pluto TV is already making its mark. Available in European markets like the UK and Germany, it successfully premiered in Spain at the end of October. The service was launched in partnership with Telefónica-owned Movistar in Spain, VCNI’s existing pay TV partner. “They were smart enough to understand the opportunity it may represent in the future, integrating the free world with the pay world and making it a win-win strategy,” says Ondarza.

Pluto TV offers 40 free channels, including exclusive networks with Spanish and international content, as well as pop-up and branded channels like SpongeBob SquarePants (Bob Esponja) and MTV Originals. It plans to expand this offering monthly to reach 50 channels by the end of 2020 and 100 by the end of 2021.

Ondarza hails Pluto TV as a “unique” idea that gives ViacomCBS “a strong leadership and distinguishing position.” Within his South Hub footprint, Pluto TV will launch next in France in the first quarter of 2021 and in Italy the same year.

Another growing VCNI digital asset is preschool VoD service Noggin. Increasingly available on a range of platforms such as Apple TV, the service launched recently on Amazon Prime in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

Pillar number three is VIS leading the group’s content creation ambitions. “We want to confirm our position as one of the biggest content players in the world, producing A-class content for our networks and our services, but also for third parties,” says Ondarza.

Over the past year, VIS EMEAA has developed “a great formula in Spain and we want to replicate it in other markets, including in the short-term – Italy first and then France,” he says.

VCNI’s attendance at last month’s MIA Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo event reinforced this move, with Abril and her team currently scouting for the best local talent and already making inroads.

ViacomCBS’s fourth pillar is being one of the biggest players for events like MTV’s European Music Awards and Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards. It also covers consumer products, currently led by preschool brands such as megahit Paw Patrol.

“In an age when people are increasingly having digital experiences, there’s also a huge desire to go back to real life,” especially given Covid, Ondarza explains. “Events didn’t stop, they just became more digital. But we will go back to the real world.”

This time next year Ondarza believes the South Hub group will be the leader in both the traditional and digital spaces. “Pluto TV will already be consolidated in Spain, consolidated in France and quite well established in Italy,” he says, adding that he also expects continuing strong performances by the group’s networks and new scripted VIS productions emerging from countries like Italy.

“Content is king in our company,” adds Abril. “The uses we give to content are what will drive the business, whether it’s going to go to our networks, or to our streaming platforms, or to our partners in some other way. That’s the key to the evolution of our business.”

Current programming, original production, drama entertainment, formats, kids

Although VIS has a broad content remit to populate VCNI’s brands and territories, Abril says VIS EMEAA is largely present in three main areas of content development and production: kids, unscripted reality and comedy, and latterly scripted.

VIS’s scripted development in EMEEA is still young. “We haven’t done a lot for our brands because it wasn’t within our scope,” says Abril.

An early coproduction was Atrapa a un Ladron, a Spanish-language TV remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie To Catch a Thief, created by Spanish showrunner Javier Olivares and produced by VIS and VCNI for Paramount Networks around the world.

VIS’s Spanish hub now has a slate of 20 projects as the group taps an “amazing talent boom,” Abril says. The division isn’t just accessing writing and directing talent but also production talent, she notes, and the intention is to develop those relationships.

Investing in development has also taken a front seat during Covid, says Abril. “One of the interesting things about our industry right now is that everyone is becoming very receptive to partnering in different ways,” she says. While this trend has been evolving for some time, Covid has accelerated it, she says, “because the economy is pushing us towards new ways of sharing cost and sharing content and trade ideas.”

One Spanish series in the pipeline is dramedy When You Least Expected It (Un día de Estos), co-developed with Zeta Studios, maker of the series Élite for Netflix. Written by showrunning duo Cristóbal Garrido and Adolfo Valor, it follows a group of strangers whose lives intersect after they join the same support group for bereaved spouses.

Also in development is The Gypsy Bride (La Novia Gitana), co-developed with Banijay-owned Diagonal Television and adapted from a book series, with director and showrunner Paco Cabezas on board.

Another project in the works is a reboot of Stories to Stay Awake, a classic Spanish horror anthology series dating back to the 1960s from iconic Spanish director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador. “We will have extremely successful showrunners to run different episodes as a homage to this amazing director,” says Abril.

Stories to Stay Awake and When You least Expected It are likely to be the first two projects from the development slate to make it to screen. The latter will probably go to SVoD and FTA in Spain, and there’s already international interest in either adapting it or taking the ready-made show, says Abril.

VIS is now deploying the same scripted development strategy in Italy, followed by France. The aim is to create a slate of great Italian stories that can travel within Italy and abroad. “The more local they are, sometimes they become more universally attractive,” Abril says.

“One of the most interesting parts is that the whole world is now becoming so global that we tend to think about ‘glocal,’ as in importing mostly US shows into our international countries and then doing a little bit of local,” she observes. “I now feel there’s an opportunity to even do it the other way around.

“Thanks to streaming platforms, everyone around the world is becoming more open and receptive to non-English-language content, and I feel that opens a really broad opportunity for content creators.”

Already in the works for Italy is a biographical drama about Italian Baroque painter and feminist forerunner Artemisia Gentileschi, which has been greenlit for full development. The project is being exec produced by independent film and TV producer Frida Torresblanco and former ViacomCBS exec Jill Offman, MD of prodco 66 Media and former MD of ViacomCBS International Studios UK.

“It has originated in Italy because of this amazing character, but has a global objective because it’s going to be done in English and we know that English, in the end, opens many doors internationally,” says Abril. “Advanced negotiations” are underway with various as-yet undisclosed platforms.

The series is also timely in terms of its subject matter and ViacomCBS’s own diversity goals. “We just announced a new policy on diversity and inclusion for productions, which I very much like and support,” says Abril. “It means we won’t greenlight any new show that doesn’t have the right diversity standards that we expect our production to have.

“Of course, diversity is quite a broad concept and really varies from country to country and culture [to culture], but it’s one of our key goals as a company, and certainly in the EMEEA region.”

Elsewhere, VCNI has already launched its first African telenovela, Isono, on BET Africa. The 260×23’ production had been due to launch in the summer but ended up being postponed until late September. Its launch landed BET 171% share growth over its first four weeks on air and reaching 21 million-plus users on social media.

On the kids’ production front, the unveiling of VIS Kids, led by Nina Hahn, has underpinned its importance. While Nickelodeon remains the engine for kids’ originals, Abril says several partnerships across the world have also helped enhance developments in this area.

Deer Squad

One of them is preschool animated series Deer Squad, made with local Chinese streaming platform iQIYI, which became an instant number one in the country after launching. “Season two has just been greenlit and we’re working on a potential season three,” says Abril.

Partnerships are also being exploited through windowing. Live-action series Spotlight, produced in the Netherlands and Germany, recently completed a fifth season in Germany on linear channel Nickelodeon, with earlier seasons having gone to Netflix. The plan is to extend the franchise, says Abril. “We believe it really resonates with both kids’ audiences and the teen audience.”

For VCNI’s South Hub, the idea is to “deepen” the production, Abril says, pointing to further potential local versions for VCNI’s other kids’ brands, Italian FTA channel Super!, as well as Spanish-language opportunities with Latin American colleagues.

Elsewhere, VIS is already a major producer of unscripted shows in reality, factual entertainment and comedy for brands like MTV and Comedy Central. “Our aim is to use that expertise and partner with third parties not just to do more, but do it in a larger and more ambitious way,” says Abril.

Italian late-night satirical comedy series CCN, for instance, which is akin to US programmes like The Daily Show, has been produced in Germany and in Spain since launching in 2015. “Our intention is to continue doing that,” says Abril.

Other VIS productions include local adaptations of formats like MTV reality show Ex on the Beach, as well as the successful Italian version of 16 & Pregnant (16 Anni e in Cinta). Made by local prodco Stand by Me for VIS, it is now entering its eighth season.

VIS’s local production teams have also managed to continue delivering during the pandemic, observes Ondarza. “We faced big challenges in all the markets – mainly Italy, France and Spain – and Laura and her team have been amazing because they keep delivering on time and with high-quality, great content.”

Among these programmes is Zelig C-Lab, a new format launching this month on Comedy Central in Italy. It’s a collaboration between the network, VIS and Zelig Cabaret, an established cabaret theatre in Milan famous for emerging talent.

Pandemic production challenges not withstanding, Abril says VIS will be deploying a “hybrid” approach of case-by-case projects and longer-term partnerships to expand local originals for the South Hub.

With VIS producing almost all of VCNI’s shows in association with third parties, it is also a first port of call for external pitches.

“For now we’re taking it on a case-by-case basis, but I think one triggers the other – one single project may lead to a more in-depth partnership. And one of the positive things about our company is that we are generally very receptive to opportunities,” says Abril.

“And the proof is that we have a very 360º-driven model in our business, on streaming platforms, on pay, on AVoD, with the networks, but also the content that we create for third-party partnerships.”


Originally published: Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 22:38 GMT.
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