Tuesday, January 05, 2021

JoJo Siwa Responds to Controversial 'JoJo’s Juice' Board Game Featuring 'Inappropriate Content'

JoJo Siwa is addressing the criticism over the controversial Nickelodeon card game "JoJo's Juice," in which players ask one another truth-or-dare, two-truths-and-a-lie, and never-have-I-ever-style questions.


The 17-year-old Nickelodeon star and social media phenomenon, who has a young fanbase, took to Instagram and TikTok on Monday, Jan. 4 to shed some light on how the children's game ended up with "inappropriate" content for the targeted (according to the game's packaging) six and up audience, which, up until Monday, was available for purchase online at Walmart and on Amazon, among other retailers, for around $20.

Siwa currently has an overall talent deal and consumer product partnership with Nickelodeon.

"Over the weekend, it has been brought to my attention by my fans and followers on TikTok that my name and my image have been used to promote this board game that has some really inappropriate content," the "Boomerang" singer began. "Now when companies make these games, they don't run every aspect by me, so I had no idea of the types of questions that were on these playing cards."


The internet sensation continued, "Now when I first saw this I was really, really, really upset about how gross these questions were and so I brought it to Nickelodeon's attention immediately. And since then they have been working to get this game to stop being made and also pulled from all shelves wherever it's being sold."

JoJo went on to explain that she would "never, ever, ever would have approved or agreed" to a game that reportedly included questions about being arrested and nudity.

Questions included on the multi-player game including "Have you ever been arrested?," "Who in this room would you most like to date?," "Have you ever gone outside without underwear (a bathing suit doesn't count)?," "Have you ever stolen from a store?", and "Have you ever taken money from someone's purse or wallet without asking?," as well as cards that asked players if they had "Kissed a boy" and "Learned the art of twerking."

Negative reviews for "JoJo's Juice" date back to 2018.

The Dance Moms alum ended her video on a positive note by adding, “I hope you all know that I would have never ever ever approved or agreed to be associated with this game if I would have seen these cards before they started selling it,” adding “I love you all so much. Thank you for bringing this to my attention so that way I could put a stop to it and I could get it fixed immediately. I love you all so much and I hope you have an awesome 2021.”

Amid backlash, Nickelodeon and "JoJo's Juice" manufacturer Spin Master released a statement addressing the game. "We respect and value the relationship JoJo Siwa has with her fans and take the concerns raised regarding the game 'JoJo's Juice' very seriously," the statement read. "This game is no longer being manufactured and we have requested that retailers pull any remaining product from their shelves."

In a post shared on Friday (Jan. 1) by Facebook user Heather Watson, a real estate agent in Lynchburg, Virginia, included photos of some of the cards, which featured the aforementioned questions plus others such as, "Have you ever stolen from a store?" and, "Who in this room would you most like to date?" Watson also shared a video about the game to her own TikTok account.

The mother of four told TODAY she was expecting the game to include things like, "Have you ever picked your nose? Silly kid questions," but the subject matter was actually much more serious. Watson also shared her concern around that game was not only that the questions were not age-appropriate but also that they seemingly came from Siwa, whom many young children look up to.  She added that when she saw the line about bathing suits, she thought that made the game "even more inappropriate, and I just couldn't believe it. ... I went and told my husband and ... (he) didn't even believe me," Watson recalled. "I showed it to him, and we felt like we had to physically pick our jaws up off the floor." Watson, who said she has experience with child psychology from her 11 years as a teacher, also worried that the game could have a negative emotional impact on kids. "I'm well aware of how triggering some of those questions could be for some kids who have suffered trauma in their life," she said. "If a game was asking kids that question, a game that they think JoJo made, they're probably thinking, 'I haven't been arrested, but should I have been since JoJo's asking me that?'" Watson explained.

Watson posted a duet of herself and her children reacting to JoJo's video on TikTok Monday night after the singer posted her video, writing atop the clip, "JoJo responded" alongside a string of celebratory emojis.

"Thank you sooo much for taking care of this! My daughter [Tinslee] loves you!!❤️you made her day," Watson captioned the footage, addressing JoJo.

"That was kind of what I had hoped would happen but didn't actually think would happen," Watson told TODAY. "I was actually really impressed. ... My daughter was really happy because she thinks it's like a personal message to her."

And while she's aware that social media can be used for "horrible" things, Watson thinks it made all the difference in this case.

"We all took a stand together," she said. "I posted it, but if other people didn't share it, other people didn't get mad about it and comment and tag JoJo and ... Nickelodeon, it would have never gotten to that point. It's just really good to see social media be used to make a change."

Siwa's swift response to the backlash left commenters impressed.

"The only person I know that is mature enough to handle any situation thrown at her in a respectful manner. Truly amazing," one user wrote.

"This is how you handle a scandal in a mature way. Some influencers should be taking notes," another said.

"We stan an unproblematic queen," a third commented.

However, some users on social media are claiming that the said game is apparently a knock off of an actual board game.

More Nick: Nickelodeon’s JoJo Siwa D.R.E.A.M. The Tour to Resume Touring During Summer 2021!

Sources: E! NewsBusiness Insider, People, In The Know, Just Jared Jr., tubefilter.

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Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Tuesday, January 5, 2021 | Nickelodeon

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Tuesday, January 5, 2021 | 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'!
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4 Boys Write Me a Love Song in Tik Tok Mansion | AwesomenessTV's Next Influencer w/ Alex Warren

4 Boys Write Me a Love Song in Tik Tok Mansion | AwesomenessTV's Next Influencer w/ Alex Warren


Tension is at an all-time HIGH in the mansion as members drag each other into their Tik Tok drama. But one boy finds a way to steal the heart of his crush by writing her a love song. Talk about COUPLE GOALS. 💕

Secret GROUP CHAT EXPOSED in AwesomenessTV's Next Influencer #Shorts


but HOW would they know?!? Find out on #ATVNextInfluencer out now on our YouTube!

→ PREVIOUS EPISODES ←
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#ATVNextInfluencer #AlexWarren #AwesomenessTV

AwesomenessTV's Next Influencer w/ Alex Warren! | TEXT 310-742-0040 FOR A SNEAK PEEK - http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/11/text-310-742-0040-for-sneak-peek-of.html

→ about AwesomenessTV's Next Influencer! ← 
ATV's Next Influencer hosted by Hype House‘s own Alex Warren, follows a group of up and coming latinx influencers living under one roof with one common goal - become the NEXT BIG TIKTOK STAR. But balancing new relationships and continuously trying to go viral, all while adjusting to their new life in Miami means drama is bound to pop up. Find out if these TikTokers have what it takes to become the #ATVNextInfluencer! 

→ Talent Credits ← 
Alex Warren: @AlexWaarren
Colie Nuanez: @Colie.1
Gaby Obregon: @gabyobregon
Jada Wesley: @JadaWesleyy
Julian & Jovani Jara: @99goonsquad
Owen Holt: @Owen.Holt
Raul Encio: @Raulencio
Sabrina Quesada: @sabquesada 
Valeria Arguelles: @Valeriaxxargu
 
→ Crew Credits ← 
Director & Supervising Producer: Katherine Lauren @KatherineLauren
Director of Photography: Roan Olivas
Post-Production Supervisor: Dima Kovalchuk 
Producers: Ian Midura, Candace Stephens, Nick Haddad and Taylor Henriquez @TaylorHenriquez 
COVID Safety Officer: Oz Ozmen
Line Producer: Sean Saley 
Production Coordinator: Tina Poston 

If you see this, comment below which alliance you would have been part of. 🤔

→ about AwesomenessTV! ← 
Welcome to AwesomenessTV, where all of your favorite creators like Niki & Gabi, Brent Rivera, Eva Gutowski, Jordyn Jones, The Stokes Twins, and more come together in daily shows made for you! Our originals My Dream Quinceañera, Malibu Surf, Cheerleaders are real life dramas with friends you know, and a dose of the Daily Report keeps you informed on celeb gossip. New shows everyday to create an awesome day!

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Scenes in this episode were filmed adhering to then-current Local, State, and/or Country mandated COVID-19 safety guidelines and restrictions.

More Nick:
Nickelodeon Updates Icons, Sets New Characters for 2021 | Next-Gen Nick!

Originally published: Sunday, January 03, 2021.

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Nickelodeon to Premiere New 'Ryan's Mystery Playdate' Episodes from Monday, January 4, 2021

Get set for a week of brand new episodes of Ryan's Mystery Playdate, weekdays at 9:00 a.m. (ET/PT) from Monday, January 4, only on Nickelodeon!


Monday, January 4, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. - Ryan's Tacklin' Playdate: Ryan's gotta tackle his challenges in order to get to his winnin' playdate. Special guest star Los Angeles Rams' 2x NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. (#320A)

Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. - Ryan's Bakin' Playdate: Mmm, it's startin' to smell good in the playroom! Ryan's gotta whip past his challenges in order to see what his playdate is cookin' up! (#320B)

Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. - Ryan's Blue Playdate: Ryan must paint his way through his challenges to get to his colorful playdate. Special guest stars the Blue Man Group. (#319A)

Thursday, January 7, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. - Ryan's Challengin' Playdate: Ryan gotta wiggle through his challenges in order to meet up with his content-makin' playdate. (#319B)



Ryan wants to be Strong on Ryan's Mystery Playdate with NFL Super Star Aaron Donald!


Ryan's Mystery Playdate New Episode NFL Super Star Aaron Donald!! 
@larams @AaronDonald99

Alien Ryan vs Flying Daddy on Ryan's Mystery Playdate!!! | Ryan's World



Alien Ryan vs Flying Daddy on Ryan's Mystery Playdate!!! Lots of more Ryan's Playdate Kids show challenges on Nickelodeon!!!


LA Rams' Aaron Donald Appears on Children's Show RYAN'S MYSTERY PLAYDATE
The episode airs on Monday, Jan, 4, at 9/8c on Nickelodeon.

Tomorrow, Jan. 4, Nickelodeon's Ryan's Mystery Playdate, the Emmy-nominated #1 TV show for preschoolers, will debut a special celebrity episode featuring the Los Angeles Rams' 2x NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.

In the episode, Aaron goes head-to-head with the nine-year-old Forbes' #1 Youtube Top Earner in a series of kid-friendly challenges - including bench-pressing bananas, a whoopie cushion tackle, and an end-zone dance off. The 6'1'' Rams defensive lineman teaches Ryan what "hard work, dedication, and a lot of muscle can do." Aaron currently leads the NFL with 12.5 sacks, hoping to be one of three players in league history to earn the title of "Defensive Player of the Year" for a third time.

The Los Angeles Rams (9-6) host the Cardinals (8-7) this afternoon in the regular season finale, with both teams seeking to clinch a playoff spot. Kickoff from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. pacific time on CBS. Including the postseason, Sunday's game will mark the 87th all-time meeting between the two teams, with Los Angeles leading the series 46-38-2.

The episode airs on Monday, Jan, 4, at 9/8c on Nickelodeon.

Ryan Kaji is the nine-year-old star of the TV's #1 show for preschoolers, airing weekdays at 9/8c on Nickelodeon. The live-action game series follows Ryan as he solves puzzles to reveal the identity of the day's playdate. Over three seasons, RYAN'S MYSTERY PLAYDATE has reached over 33 million viewers across Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. Now in its fourth season, the show has earned Emmy nominations and worldwide acclaim, seen across television screens in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia.

Ryan's Mystery Playdate is based off the hit Youtube channel, Ryan's World, which boasts 41.7 million subscribers, includes videos of Ryan unboxing toys, conducting DIY Science experiments, playing games, teaching young viewers how to complete tasks like brushing their teeth, and more. Ryan also shares educational videos, like teaching his viewers about the U.S. states and their capitals, or how tsunamis are formed.

The show has featured guests Tony Hawk, Dave Grohl, chef Duff Goldman, Olympic all-around champion Gabby Douglas, soccer star Brandi Chastain, and more. The show is executive produced by Albie Hecht and Chris M. Williams of Pocket.watch - the studio behind global franchises from the Youtube stars and characters loved by Generation Alpha - and Ryan's parents, Shion and Loann Kaji.

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Originally published: Sunday, January 03, 2021 at 19:45 GMT.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nick Jr., Nickelodeon Preschool and Ryan's Mystery Playdate News and Highlights!

Nickelodeon International to Premiere 'Nickelodeon Spyders' on Monday 4th January 2021

Nickelodeon International will premiere Nickelodeon Spyders, Nickelodeon International's brand new comic action-adventure series on Monday 4th January 2021! The series follows the adventures of three siblings who discover that their parents are undercover spies for an environmental protection agency, and decide to also become spies in order to help them in secret.


Nickelodeon Spyders will air weekdays at 17:15 in Portugal, 18:00 CAT in Africa, 18:15 in Spain (España), 19:00 CEST in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) - including at 19:00 CEST in Hungary (Magyarország) and 20:00 in România - and at 21:00 in Turkey (Türkiye).

Spyders is locally titled is locally titled Tinikémek in Hungary, De-a spionii Nickelodeon in Romania and Nickelodeon Casuslar in Turkey.

Leading up to the launch of Spyders, Nickelodeon International aired the first episode as a sneak peek 

2021-01-04 1x01 The Discovery - series premiere
2021-01-05 1x02 Snooping Around
2021-01-06 1x03 The Decoy
2021-01-07 1x04 Breaking In
2021-01-08 1x05 The Disguise
2021-01-11 1x06 Critical Information
2021-01-12 1x07 The Search
2021-01-13 1x08 Stakeout
2021-01-14 1x09 The Blue Bird
2021-01-15 1x10 The Message
2021-01-18 1x11 Blackmail
2021-01-19 1x12 The Cover Story
2021-01-20 1x13 New Evidence
2021-01-21 1x14 Heartbreak
2021-01-22 1x15 The Guest
2021-01-25 1x16 The Switch
2021-01-26 1x17 Eavesdropping
2021-01-27 1x18 Prison Break
2021-01-28 1x19 The Set Up
2021-01-29 1x20 Unexpected Twist - season one finale

​"While spending a summer-long family vacation by the lake, siblings Tommy, Nikki, and Daniel Fisher discover that their seemingly boring parents are actually daring undercover spies, who are chasing a devious villain aiming to dry up the country's water supply. When the siblings realize their parents' mission is in jeopardy, they form a secret task force called THE SPYDERS in order to help them out. Tommy, 12, a cute, irresistible goofball; Nikki, 15, a well-meaning but impetuous leader, and Daniel, 16, a sedentary, anxiety-ridden computer nerd, use their brains, charm, audacity and unbridled enthusiasm to outwit and outsmart the villain, who has so far eluded their parents. Will the untrained, blundering Spyders succeed where mom and dad failed?"

Spyders (stylised as SpiderZ; originally titled The Covurts) focuses on Anna and Noah Fisher, (portrayed by Nati Kluger and Kobi Maimon (The Greenhouse), respectively) highly highly skilled undercover agents who work for a ECCO – Environmental Counter Crime Organization, and are tasked with fighting criminals who endanger nature or the environment. Little do they know that their three kids – Daniel (16; played by Amit Hechter, Dog House), Nikki (15; played by Kim Or Azulay) and Tommy (12; portrayed by Yonathan Gottlieb, Dog House, Forever) – have discovered their secret occupation and have formed a task force of their own, named Spyders.


Nickelodeon's Spyders is the first original co-production between Nickelodeon International and Israeli Nutz Productions—the subsidiary production arm of Ananey Communications Group—together with Israeli cable network HOT.

Nickelodeon has ordered 40 x 22-minute episodes, which will be distributed to Nickelodeon's international audiences spanning 170+ countries and territories via the brand’s more than 100 channels and branded blocks. The series made its world debut on TeenNick Israel on Wednesday 18th March 2020.

Spyders is created by Michal Cooper Keren, Tom Riles, David Guest and Patrick Quinn. The head writer is Israeli screenwriter Michal Cooper Keren, the creator of Nickelodeon Israel's Spell Keepers. The series is an original co-production between Nickelodeon International, Nutz Productions and Ananey Communications Group.

Michal Cooper Keren, who created Nickelodeon Israel's Spell Keepers, is also the series' head writer. The series is an original co-production between Nickelodeon International, Nutz Productions and Ananey Communications Group.

The series commenced filming in Israel during summer 2019 and wrapped in December the same year.

“After a long history of collaboration with Ananey, we are so excited to kick off our first co-production together with our partners in Israel,” said Nina Hahn, the Senior Vice President (SVP) of International Production and Development for Nickelodeon, when the show was first announced at global TV and digital content market MIPTV in April 2018. “We can’t wait for young fans around the world to meet The Spyders!”

Orly Atlas-Katz, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) OF Ananey Communications said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Nickelodeon International. I am certain that with their vast experience in content for kids, HOT's programming expertise and our high-end productions abilities, this show will be something to look forward to."

Ananey is an Israeli content producer and pay-TV provider that serves as the Israeli licensor of several of Viacom’s biggest brands, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV, and produces both local and international original content.

Under the partnership, Nickelodeon has become Israel's No. 1 children's channel and, alongside Nick Jr., reaches 49 percent of the youth audience, due in large part to Ananey’s original local productions for kids and teens.

The greenlight of The Spyders comes on the heels of Viacom purchasing a minority stake in Ananey Communications Group in 2017.

Nickelodeon Spyders is the second series that originated on Nickelodeon Israel to air on Nick UK, following The Greenhouse in 2014 which was filmed in Hebrew and dubbed into English. The series was later remade under the title Greenhouse Academy for Netflix.

Nutz entered a co-pro deal with Bunim/Murray Productions’ (Nickelodeon's The Crystal Maze) new BMP Kids division on the youth prank show Gotcha, which bowed on Nick Israel last December. Other popular Nutz series currently airing on Nick Israel include Spell Keepers, Bed & Biscuit (Dog House) and The Hood.

Spyders | El cumpleaños de Tommy | Nickelodeon en Español


Tres hermanos descubren que sus padres son espías encubiertos de una agencia de protección ambiental y deciden convertirse también en espías para ayudarlos en secreto.

From neeo:

Nickelodeon estrena la nueva serie Spyders, que sigue de cerca las alucinantes aventuras de los hermanos Tommy, Nikki y Daniel

El lunes 4 de enero a las 18:15h Nickelodeon estrena la nueva serie Spyders, que sigue de cerca las alucinantes aventuras de Tommy, Nikki y Daniel, tres hermanos que después de descubrir que sus padres Anna y Noah Fisher son espías encubiertos de una agencia de protección ambiental, decidirán crear su propio grupo de espías llamado Spyders. ¡Que comience la diversión!

¿Hay algo más molón que hacer un viaje especial en familia? Sí, ¡descubrir que no se trata de unas vacaciones normales sino de una misión supersecreta! Y si no, que se lo pregunten a Tommy, Nikki y Daniel quienes, después de averiguar que sus padres son espías encubiertos, se darán cuenta de que este viaje tan repentino se trata realmente de una misión secreta.

Pero la diversión no acaba aquí. Para intentar ayudar a sus padres, a los tres hermanos se les ocurrirá la brillante idea de trabajar en equipo como auténticos espías secretos, bajo el nombre de “Spyders”. Por si fuera poco, todo se volverá aún más interesante cuando comienzan a encontrar información relevante para la investigación, como la que descubrirán del dueño del hostal, el señor Goodman.

Sin embargo, mientras Nikki y Tommy continúan el espionaje secreto, Daniel se distraerá con su nueva amiga Sophie y sus emocionantes videojuegos. ¿Conseguirá esta familia de espías llegar al final de la misión sin que nada ni nadie los descubra?

Lunes 4 a las 18:15h
Lunes 4 a viernes 29 a las 18:15h

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Originally published: Monday, January 04, 2021.

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ViacomCBS Announces Expanded Distribution Agreement with Hulu

ViacomCBS Announces Expanded Distribution Agreement with Hulu

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


NEW YORK, NY.--January 04, 2021--ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) today announced a new distribution agreement that adds more content from ViacomCBS’ leading portfolio of news, entertainment and sports networks to Hulu’s live TV subscription streaming service, Hulu + Live TV.

The comprehensive, multi-year deal includes continued carriage of CBS broadcast stations, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and The CW, as well as continued distribution of ViacomCBS’ premium subscription service, SHOWTIME®. The deal will also introduce fourteen additional ViacomCBS networks to Hulu + Live TV, including Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, 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.

VIAC-IR

###

From Deadline:

ViacomCBS Sets Expanded Distribution Deal With Disney’s Hulu + Live TV

ViacomCBS has set an expanded distribution deal with Disney’s Hulu + Live TV, which is now the fifth-largest U.S. pay-TV provider.

Financial terms of the multi-year agreement were not disclosed. It continues carriage for CBS broadcast stations, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and the CW, as well as Showtime’s pay streaming service. The deal also adds BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, CMT, Nick Jr., TV Land, BET Her, MTV2, NickToons, TeenNick and MTV Classic to the streaming bundle.

Disney reported last November that Hulu + Live TV, which launched in 2017, has 4.1 million subscribers, making it the No. 5 U.S. pay-TV distributor. It is the leader in the internet-delivered bundle sector, ahead of YouTube TV and Sling TV, its closest rivals.

Since the merger of Viacom and CBS in December 2018, the combined company has secured distribution deals with YouTube TV as well as Comcast, Dish and Verizon, plus affiliate deals with major station owners Nexstar, Meredith, Cox and Sinclair. When CEO Bob Bakish took the helm at Viacom several years ago, he made distribution a priority after it had languished under predecessor Philippe Dauman.

All major TV programmers face increasing pressure on distribution and advertising revenue from their legacy linear networks. Like its peers, ViacomCBS is increasingly emphasizing streaming, planning to roll out a rebranded Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) later this year as it manages through ongoing declines in viewership and advertising in the traditional pay-TV bundle.

“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.”

###


MTV, Nickelodeon Added to Hulu Live TV Bundle in Expansive ViacomCBS Deal

Channels including BET, Comedy Central and Paramount Network will also join the streamer's live television offering.

ViacomCBS has reached an agreement with Hulu to distribution its portfolio of cable channels on via streamer's live television bundle.

The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, means that channels including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Network will be available through the Hulu + Live TV bundle for the first time. It also includes continued carriage of CBS, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel and The CW. Premium cable channel Showtime also remains available as an add-on for Hulu live TV subscribers.

"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," ViacomCBS U.S. Networks Distribution president Ray Hopkins said in a statement.

When Hulu launched its live TV bundle in 2017, it did so without Viacom's portfolio of cable channels. At the time, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish had said that the company would be "highly selective" about its streaming distribution partners going forward. But in the three years since, streaming has become a primary means of watching entertainment programming in the U.S. In May 2020, Viacom CBS inked a carriage agreement with YouTube TV to carry its cable channels.

With the Hulu deal, ViacomCBS is now carried on all major over-the-top live TV bundles. Disney-owned Hulu has more than 4 million subscribers to its live TV bundle. The streamer, which has nearly 39 million total subscribers, recently increased the cost of a live TV subscription from $55 to $65.

###

From Variety:

Hulu Inks ViacomCBS Deal to Add 14 Cable Networks to Live TV Package

Disney’s Hulu + Live TV subscribers will — finally — get Comedy Central, MTV, Nick, BET and other legacy Viacom cable channels as part of their lineup.

ViacomCBS announced a new multiyear distribution agreement with Hulu, under which Hulu’s live TV subscription streaming service will add 14 cable networks: BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, CMT, Nick Jr., TV Land, BET Her, MTV2, NickToons, TeenNick and MTV Classic. The companies declined to specify the date when those networks will be available to Hulu + Live TV customers.

Hulu’s live TV package has lacked the legacy-Viacom nets ever since its spring 2017 debut. ViacomCBS’s agreement with Hulu comes after the media conglomerate secured a similar deal last spring with Google’s YouTube TV, which also had not previously carried the 14 cable networks. In ViacomCBS’s first year as a combined company, it also has inked renewals with pay-TV providers including Comcast, Dish Network and Verizon.

The 14 Viacom channels are joining Hulu + Live TV after Disney hiked rates for the internet pay-TV package by $10 per month as of Dec. 18, 2020. Under the new pricing, the baseline Hulu + Live TV tier with ad-supported VOD rose to $64.99 per month, an 18% increase.

The multiyear pact between ViacomCBS and Disney-controlled Hulu includes continued carriage in the live TV service of CBS broadcast stations, as well as CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and the CW, as well as continued distribution of Showtime as an add-on.

“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,” Ray Hopkins, ViacomCBS president of U.S. networks distribution, said in a statement.

At its investor day last month, Disney said Hulu had 38.8 million subscribers as of Dec. 2, including more than 4.1 million live TV customers. That’s up from 30.4 million subs overall (including 3.2 million with live TV) at the end of 2019.

Notably, Disney and ViacomCBS are both competing for share in the growing direct-to-consumer subscription space. In early 2021, ViacomCBS is gearing up for the rebranding of CBS All Access as Paramount Plus.

###


Hulu + Live TV adds Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and more ViacomCBS networks

Hulu + Live TV is expanding its agreement with ViacomCBS to include 14 additional networks including Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET and Paramount Network.

The new multi-year deal includes continued carriage of CBS broadcast stations, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and The CW along with continued distribution of Showtime. The deal also introduces additional channels including 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, in a statement. “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.”

The channel lineup expansion arrives not long after Hulu + Live TV raised its monthly price from $55 to $65 – the cost of Hulu with no ads plus live TV increased from $61/month to $71/month. The price hike brought Hulu’s rates in line with competitors including YouTube TV and fuboTV.

Hulu + Live TV ended the third quarter of 2020 with 4.1 million subscribers, making it the largest U.S. virtual MVPD and bigger than many traditional MVPDs including Verizon Fios.

After a sequential slowdown, Hulu + Live TV picked up speed and added 700,000 subscribers in the third quarter, up 41% year over year. Disney said average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for the Hulu + Live TV rose from $58.82 to $71.90 year over year thanks to a retail pricing increase and higher live TV per-subscriber advertising revenue.

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More Nick: ViacomCBS to Rebrand CBS All Access as Paramount+ in Early 2021!

Originally published: Monday, January 04, 2021 at 18:21 GMT.


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World Braille Day | Nickelodeon

Today is World Braille Day! Did you know that Braille was invented by a kid?


Accessibility Caption:

SpongeBob, Side Hustle & Loud House characters dance as we hear that we celebrate World Braille Day on January 4 because it’s Louis Braille’s birthday. SpongeBob stands on his bed & blows a party blower with balloons in the background. We hear that Louis Braille invented the Braille system when he was a kid: during this narration, we see a statue of Louis Braille, an example of someone reading Braille with their fingers & a Loud House clip of Clyde dressed as a baby hugging Lily. Patrick from SpongeBob says “No way.” We zoom in on a map of Paris as we hear about Louis Braille’s school & we see an image of the early system of reading by touch mentioned by the narrator as Louis Braille’s inspiration for the Braille system. Henry Hart says “Isn’t that cool?” SpongeBob collapses on his desk as we hear that the early system was way too complicated to be useful. Patrick says “Oh, were those too complicated for ya?” As we hear that Louis Braille wanted to figure out a system of reading & writing that was easy enough for everyone to use, we see a plaque dedicated to Louis Braille, then 2 clips from the Loud House: Lisa from with a huge basket of books & Lincoln & Lola reading together. Lori from the Loud House says, “Even if we wanted to do that, how would we?” We see video clips of people reading Braille with their fingers as the narrator explains that Braille is made of arrangements of raised bumps on the page, representing letters, numbers & punctuation. We see old video footage of an early printing press printing Braille pages, an image of a Braille chart, a photograph of Louis Braille on a table in front of people reading Braille, an image of a child using a globe marked with Braille labels & a Braille chart in Mandarin Chinese. While we’re seeing those images, we hear that the Braille system changed the game for people who are blind. At the end of the video, we hear that kids really can change the world while we see: Ronnie Anne & Sid from the Casagrandes hugging; the kids from Ollie’s Pack smiling together, Clyde from the Loud House raising his arms excitedly, the Thundermans family dancing & finally Annie & Pony from It’s Pony high-fiving.

More Nick: 2021 on Nickelodeon | New Shows, Specials, Podcasts, Events, Movies, Episodes, and More!



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2021 on Nickelodeon | New Shows, Specials, Podcasts, Events, Movies, Episodes, and More

With lots of brand-new shows and tons of brand-new episodes, 2021 is set to be another epic year on Nickelodeon! Check out Nickelodeon's upcoming highlights below!