Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for February 14, 2024 | Nickelodeon
Stream the classic and the all new CG-animated Rugrats series on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!
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.
Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for February 13, 2024 | Nickelodeon
Stream the classic and the all new CG-animated Rugrats series on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!
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.
Nickelodeon recruited SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) and Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) to offer live commentary on Super Bowl LVIII, and their reaction to the Kansas City Chiefs’ game-winning touchdown was priceless.
Following the format's success in other games, CBS once again worked with the kids network to bring younger audiences a more informative and lighthearted take on this year’s Big Game. This included motion-captured performances from the yellow and pink undersea duo, fit with an “Are you ready, kids?” before everything got started.
As SpongeBob and Patrick referenced past episodes of their show, the cartoonish coverage provided its own iconic moments. Some highlights saw Nickelodeon broadcasters explaining Taylor Swift’s long flight from Tokyo to the game’s location in Las Vegas, to shots of a digital Larry the Lobster running around on the field. The clip showing the reaction to the game’s overtime touchdown is the real star of the show, however, as it includes screaming hosts, a Bikini Bottom shoutout, and of course, gallons of slime shot from giant clams.
If you listen closely toward the end of the clip, you can hear SpongeBob quickly say, “And now comes the big proposal!” It’s a reference to rumors that Chief’s tight end Travis Kelce would proposal to Swift should a Kansas City victory fall in to place. To SpongeBob’s dismay, no on-field proposal came to be.
Super Bowl LVIII was huge for SpongeBob and fans alike, as it brought more than a just few oceanic gags. The evening finally saw the spongey character perform Sweet Victory with his friends. The performance took place just before kickoff, giving fans an especially cinematic take on the classic Bikini Bottom song after somewhat of a letdown during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show in 2019.
CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!
The Super Bowl is the most-watched TV event every year. And this year, Nickelodeon got in on the action with its own kid-friendly broadcast.
This year, children were taken through the play-by-play calls by the incredibly popular cartoon characters SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) and his best friend Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke).
Now, people don’t often think of cartoons as being super-political. But as we know, life itself is political and therefore a few references and even a poignant life lesson or two are bound to slip through.
One such comment made by these two during the Super Bowl got many on social media talking. The pair were discussing how tiring it can be making Krabby Patties, presumably relating to how tired the football players must have been at that moment. Then SpongeBob helpfully reminded everyone, “That’s right, that’s why we have a union!” What!? A union!
Naturally, a lot of viewers took a moment to celebrate this shout-out to workers’ rights.
Exactly, Nickelodeon used a small moment to make a point that is lasting: Workers’ rights are human rights! I know I would like to know what SpongeBob’s union is called. How many people are a part of it!?!? No this isn’t the biggest deal in the world, but small moments matter and it's great that small strides are being made to bring real-world issues to younger demographics.
This isn’t the first time SpongeBob and friends have mentioned unions and labor issues. An iconic episode titled “Squid on Strike” aired a whopping 23 years ago, in 2001. Mr. Krab, the notoriously rough boss, started putting the hammer down at his Krusty Krab establishment. He started charging SpongeBob and Squidward Tentacles for things like “breathing.” SpongeBob initially was going to just accept these strict changes, but Squidward was not having it. He convinced his friend to go on strike. There was a particularly famous line from this episode, as SpongeBob chanted his frustrations.
The line went: “Krusty Krab is unfair! Mr. Krabs is in there! Standing at the concession! Plotting his oppression!”
Insider Unionanalyzed this episode and agreed that it taught important themes about workplace strikes and unions in general. For example, it showed how important unity is. Squidward explicitly told SpongeBob that they had to “unite as workers!” This is such an important message. It is going to mean something a little different to children; they may just understand the importance of sticking together as friends. But in the real world, they will come to learn that there is power in numbers and that they deserve to fight to be treated well.
Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke with their vtuber setup for the Nickelodeon Super Bowl broadcast (via the official @SpongeBob TikTok account) pic.twitter.com/Jl2UBccb3a
CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!
CBS SPORTS’ PRESENTATION OF SUPER BOWL LVIII IS MOST-WATCHED TELECAST IN HISTORY WITH 123.4 MILLION VIEWERS ACROSS PLATFORMS
120.0 Million Viewers Watched on CBS, Largest Audience Ever for Single Network
Most-Streamed Super Bowl Ever, Led by Record-Setting Audience on Paramount+
CBS Sports’ coverage of SUPER BOWL LVIII, which featured the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers, delivered the most-watched telecast in history with a Total Audience Delivery of 123.4 million average viewers across all platforms, including the CBS Television Network, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, and CBS Sports, Univision and NFL digital properties, including NFL+.
Viewership figures are based on Nielsen Fast National data and Adobe Analytics. Final Nielsen data will be available tomorrow.
RECORD-SETTING VIEWERSHIP
Super Bowl LVIII is the most-watched program ever, averaging 123.4 million viewers across all platforms, up +7% vs. last year’s Super Bowl which was the previous record (115.1 million).
More than 200 million viewers (202.4) watched all or part of Super Bowl LVIII across networks, the highest unduplicated total audience in history and up +10% vs. last year’s Super Bowl (184 million).
CBS LEADS THE WAY WITH LARGEST AUDIENCE EVER FOR SINGLE NETWORK
Super Bowl LVIII on CBS led the way with 120.0 million viewers, the largest audience in history for a single network.
Super Bowl LVIII capped off a record-setting season for CBS Sports. The NFL ON CBS scored the most-watched regular season since the NFL returned to CBS in 1998 as well as the Network’s best postseason viewership since 1998.
MOST-STREAMED SUPER BOWL EVER
Super Bowl LVIII is the most-streamed Super Bowl in history, led by a record-setting audience on Paramount+.
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Super Bowl LVIII LIVE from Bikini Bottom! on Nickelodeon was reportedly watched by 1.75 million people, according to iSpot.
Nielsen: Nielsen, which has been tracking Super Bowl ratings since the first game in January 1967, reports Super Bowl LVIII on CBS, Univision, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ and other digital services averaged 123.4 million viewers (persons 2+), making it the most watched program in the U.S. The game was also a 7% increase from last year’s record audience of 115.1 million viewers (which Nielsen had revised upward last May).
According to Nielsen’s fast-nationals and Adobe Analytics, the CBS feed averaged 120 million viewers. Univision averaged 2.2 million viewers, making it the most watched Super Bowl on any Spanish language network. The Nickelodeon simulcast, which had a SpongeBob themed feed, averaged about 1.2 million viewers. (By comparison, in 2023 Nickelodeon averaged 190,000 viewers in primetime). The Paramount+ audience was included in the CBS total, the network said Super Bowl LVIII had also set a streaming record.
(Nielsen began including out-of-home viewing in their ratings service in September 2020. Sports Media Watch said, unofficially, the 2017 Super Bowl overtime game Patriots-Falcons had averaged 124.6 million which included out-of-home viewing but not included. Several other Super Bowls which had only measured in-home viewing may have also surpassed Super Bowl LVIII if out-of-home was officially measured.)
Nielsen also reported 202.4 million viewers had tuned in to some portion (a minimum of six minutes) of Super Bowl LVIII, a year-over-year increase of 10% (184 million). Nielsen noted the audience for the Apollo 11 moon landing in July 1969 on the (then) televised by the three broadcast television networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) averaged anywhere from 125 to 150 million viewers. The 2½ hour M*A*S*H finale in February 1983 (also on CBS) remains the highest rated TV program of all-time.
iSpot: According to preliminary data from iSpot, a cross-platform audience measurement provider, Super Bowl LVIII averaged 126.63 million total (Persons 2+) viewers across CBS, Univision, Nickelodeon as well as streamed on Paramount+. According to iSpot it was a year-over-year increase of 10.9%. CBS accounted for the lion’s share of the audience averaging 121.9 million viewers (including streaming and out-of-home viewing). The Spanish language Univision averaged 2.9 million viewers and Nickelodeon averaged 1.75 million viewers. In total, the out-of-home audience (bars/restaurants, etc.) averaged 25.87 million viewers.
iSpot reported viewing peaked at 8:38 p.m. (ET) during the halftime show headlined by Usher. Among adults 18+, of the 81 ads from 65 advertisers, the most watched TV commercial was Etsy’s France spot that ran at 8:23 p.m. (ET).
Samba TV: Samba TV, another audience measurement provider, also reported a year-over-year increase in viewing for Super Bowl LVIII. According to Samba’s Smart TV panel, 39 million U.S. households watched the Super Bowl, an increase of 6% (36.8 million). Samba also notes it was the highest Super Bowl household audience in six years. The halftime show had 30.1 million U.S. households, a 5% increase from last year. Samba said that Poppi was the most watched Super Bowl ad with an average of more than 29.1 million U.S. households. Samba TV also noted the audience skewed towards white households with an increase of 5% compared to the overall U.S. and baby boomer households as Adults 65-74 grew year-over-year by 6%.
AdImpact: Also, according to audience estimates from AdImpact, Super Bowl LVIII viewing peaked at 115.5 million just before the halftime show. Using their Smart TV panel, 59% of the audience watched the game on linear television, 14% viewed the “big game” on YouTube. The remaining 27% of the audience had streamed the game on another provider
Super Bowl LVIII will be remembered for several reasons: It was the first Super Bowl played in Las Vegas. CBS charged advertisers a reported $7 million for a :30 ad, making it the most expensive television commercial to date. It was only the second of 58 Super Bowls games to go to overtime and time-wise the longest ever played.
With Kansas City’s victory 25-22 victory over San Francisco, it confirmed, for many, the Chiefs are the team of the 2020’s. Also, Kansas City, won its second consecutive Super Bowl, becoming the first team since the New England Patriots (the last NFL dynasty) 19 years ago, to accomplish that feat. Over the past five years, it was the Chiefs fourth Super Bowl appearance in the “big game” and third victory. In the process, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been named Super Bowl MVP three times.
Leading up to Super Bowl LVIII, the ratings (per Nielsen) for the NFL had been on the rise. During the 2023 regular season, the average audience across all networks was 17.9 million, a year-over-year increase of 7% and the second highest total after the 2015 season of 18.1 million. The 12-game post season averaged a record 38.5 million viewers, a year-over-year increase of 9%.
Part of the audience increase can be attributed to the “Taylor Swift effect”. Her relationship with Travis Kelce of Kansas City has boosted NFL ratings among her fan base a.k.a. “Swifties”. In analyzing TV ratings, The New York Times NYT -0.3%, using “back of the envelope calculations”, estimates that this season when Swift is at a Chiefs game, TV ratings for late Sunday games increased by 9% and for early Sunday games the audience grew by 16%.
Taylor Swift was at Super Bowl LVIII.
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STREAM ALL 7 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE FILMS NOW ON PARAMOUNT+
Are you in or out? Every movie. Every mission.
February 12, 2024 - Paramount+ is now the streaming home to all seven MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films including the latest installment in the franchise, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING. Your mission, should you choose to accept it – experience the most action-packed movie collection ever. Try Paramount+ for FREE at ParamountPlus.com.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - COMPLETE FILM COLLECTION
Tom Cruise is IMF Agent Ethan Hunt, one of the greatest action heroes of all time, in the adrenaline-pumping, suspense-filled blockbuster films. Enjoy heart-pounding action, incredible stunts, and exotic locations in the franchise that has earned over $4 billion at the worldwide box office.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
Ethan Hunt, is framed for the deaths of his espionage team and attempts to flee government assassins after him. He races against the clock in order to discover the truth.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II
The world’s greatest spy, Ethan Hunt, returns and partners up with the beautiful Nyah Hall to stop renegade agent Sean Ambrose from releasing a new kind of terror on an unsuspecting world.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
Ethan Hunt hurdles into spectacular new adventures from Rome to Shanghai as he races to rescue a captured agent and stop Davian from eliminating his next target: Ethan’s wife.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL
The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION
With his organization shut down, agent Ethan Hunt and his team race against time to stop a dangerous network of rogue operatives turned traitors. To defeat them, he must join forces with an elusive agent as he faces his most impossible mission yet.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT
Ethan Hunt chooses to save his team over completing a mission, allowing stolen plutonium to fall into the wrong hands. Now, he must partner with a hard-hitting CIA agent in a race against time to stop a nuclear threat.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: to track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
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About Paramount+
Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combines live sports, breaking news and A Mountain of Entertainment™. The streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, the service's cornerstone plan, is also home to SHOWTIME® content, including scripted hits and critically acclaimed nonfiction projects and films. This premium plan includes unmatched events and sports programming through the local live CBS stream, including golf, basketball and more. All Paramount+ subscribers have streaming access to CBS News Network for 24/7 news and CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com, and follow @ParamountPlus on social media.
About Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Paramount Pictures controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, and Paramount Players. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
NICKELODEON WELCOMES SIX EMERGING ARTISTS TO STUDIO-LED ARTISTS PROGRAM
BURBANK, Calif. – February 8, 2024 – Nickelodeon has selected six new participants to join its esteemed annual Artist Program, which is overseen by the Paramount Office of Global Inclusion. Currently in its 13th year, Nickelodeon’s Artist Program is designed to provide a launchpad for emerging talent by offering opportunities for unique voices from underrepresented backgrounds. The participants will work from the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank.
“We are pleased to welcome the newest cohort of artists and storytellers to this year’s Nickelodeon’s Artist Program,” said Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Inclusion, Paramount and Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Nickelodeon “For over a decade, this initiative has cultivated the next generation of creatives by offering the support and tools needed for future careers across the entertainment industry. We are thrilled that many alumni from the program are placed in both full-time and freelance positions across our brands at Paramount and other media companies.”
During the six-month program, these aspiring artists will work directly on productions under the guidance of a creative mentor, participate in workshops, learn from lead artists and more across Storyboard, Visual Development, and CG Generalist tracks.
The 2024 Artist Program participants are:
Brian Duran
Brian Duran (Visual Development Track) is a half-Salvadoran and half-Taiwanese visual development artist from Southern California. Growing up, he was always fascinated with art and spent most of his childhood cultivating his passion by drawing alongside his older sister. He continued his journey at Art Center College of Design, where he discovered his love for storytelling. With his work, he strives to share intimate stories inspired by his culture and personal interests in hopes of offering unique perspectives that people can resonate with.
Heather Patterson
Heather Patterson (Storyboard Track) is a Los Angeles-based creative and full-time cat aunt to two domestic shorthairs. She grew up in a household full of adopted kids, and in school, she learned how to create things - animations, video games, ads, and gourmet dormitory instant ramen (the secret, an egg). To expand her horizons, she left the humid heat of Texas for the dry heat of LA and worked for six years as an advertising art director. Patterson’s dream is to work on stories she really needed as a kid – narratives that teach kids that their uniqueness and weirdness are the best part of them.
Kelly Copeland
Kelly Copeland (CG Generalist Track) is a CG Artist from San Antonio, Texas, who specializes in all processes of character creation for 3D Animation. She pursued her passions for art and technology in the Visualization Program at Texas A&M University, where she primarily focused on 3D modeling and rigging. Upon graduating (during the height of the pandemic), she decided to go back to school and work on a master’s degree, where she dove deeper into her understanding of all things 3D and developed new interests in look development and hair creation for characters.
Mai-Han Nguyen
Mai-Han Nguyen (Visual Development Track) is a Vietnamese American artist based in Washington, D.C, with a background in Fine Arts. As a kid, she would run to the library at recess to check out books–either Princess Fairy Tales or Horror stories and read them obsessively. Her love of the art found inside those books led her to study in Printmaking at Boston University, and ultimately, to pursue Animation after graduation. As a Visual Development artist, Mai-Han aims to design beautiful worlds tailored to the stories that occupy them.
Meibol Moran
Meibol Moran (Storyboard Track) is a proud Ecuadorian American artist and storyteller from a big immigrant family. Meibol made a name for herself in grade school as the kid who always drew all over her jeans and wrote stories instead of studying for math tests. After having her mind blown by the incredible worlds of Avatar: The Last Airbender, she chose to pursue a career in animation at Ringling College of Art & Design and graduated with honors in May of 2023. Meibol prefers drawing on appropriate canvases now, but still has the avid imagination of a kid.
Trinity Akins
Trinity Akins (Storyboard Track) hails from the lively state of Michigan. Trinity developed a deep love for cartoons from a young age, spending hours drawing and creating comic books for people to enjoy. In high school, she took charge as the epic president of the anime club. College life unfolded at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, where Trinity honed her abilities in storytelling. Fast forward to current day, Trinity has transformed into a spirited guest art teacher, not afraid of putting her students to the test! Trinity aspires to ignite creativity and imagination in others through her storyboards, inspired by the cartoons that sparked her own imaginative journey.
Previous Artists Program alums include Roger Hernandez (CG Generalist, Big Nate), Sarah Jacques (Art Director, Santiago of the Seas), Jasmine Reyes (Storyboard Revisionist, Big Nate), Anna Hill (Storyboard Artist, The Loud House), Marisa Torres (Visual Development Artist, Santiago of the Seas & Rock, Paper, Scissors), Bikram Singh (Storyboard Artist, SpongeBob SquarePants), and Katarina Perez (CG Generalist, Max and the Midknights). Outside of Nickelodeon, program alumni have also gone on to work freelance and staff positions on productions for various networks, including CBS, DreamWorks, Netflix, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Hulu, and Cartoon Network.
For more information about the new artists and the program, visit @nick_artists on Instagram and www.nickartist.com. The next submission period opens July 1, 2024.
Nickelodeon Artist Program
Nickelodeon’s Artist Program launched in 2011 to open the door for talented artists with unique voices from underrepresented communities. The program mentors, develops, and staffs emerging artists with diverse backgrounds and experiences on the studio’s animated productions in CG, visual development, and storyboard roles.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 44th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon is a part of Paramount’s (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA) global portfolio of multimedia entertainment brands.
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Details are starting to emerge about the major round of layoffs Tuesday (February 13) at Paramount Global impacting about 800 employees in the U.S.
Paramount Global headquarters in New York | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Headed into today’s reductions, there had been chatter about Paramount TV Studios possibly downsizing. The studio, led by Nicole Clemens, has remained independent from the larger CBS Studios as the two combined support operations in November 2022 by centralizing finance, law, production and casting.
Paramount TV Studios, which absorbed Paramount+’s scripted originals team in 2022, is now streamlining its programming operations by consolidating development and current under Head of Development Jana Helman, who will continue to report to studio president Clemens.
Leaving are Cheryl Bosnak, PTVS’s Executive Vice President (EVP) and Head of Current; Kate Gill, Senior Vice President (SVP) Development; Julie Katchen, Vice President (VP) of Current; and Devin Crossfield, Manager, Development.
Also departing is PTVS’ SVP and Head of Communications Dominic Pagone, who moved into the role a year ago after five years at Showtime and 18 at FX. CBS Studios and PTVS’ communications operations are now being consolidated under CBS Studios’ EVP Communications Kristen Hall.
Additionally, leaving are Paramount TV Studios’ SVP Strategic Marketing Victoria Chew as well as SVP Post-Production Joseph Berger-Davis along with a coordinator and a couple of assistants in the post-production division.
CBS Studios and Paramount TV Studios’ development/current teams will remain separate.
PTVS established a stand-alone current department in 2019 when former Disney ABC current executive Bosnak was brought in to lead it. The studio’s slate of existing series has paired down in the last few months amid cost-saving content cuts at Paramount+.
All Paramount divisions are said to be impacted by the layoffs.
In international distribution, Paul Gilbert, SVP, International Formats, Paramount Global Content Distribution, who has been with the company in various guises for over 16 years, is one of those impacted. Gilbert is responsible for striking global format deals for series such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy! and Lip Sync Battle as well as scripted formats such as The Good Wife and The Affair.
At Nickelodeon, Liz Paulson, head of animation and live-action casting and talent development for the network and studio content for third-party platforms, is leaving. The division’s talent department is being decentralized, Deadline has heard. Nick’s animation department has been significantly impacted, with close to 10 layoffs on both coasts.
Other notable TV executive departures so far include Brie Neimand, SVP, Current, Cable and Streaming Series at CBS Studios, who has been at the studio for 2 1/2 years; and Geoff Stier, SVP, Original Programming at Showtime Networks, who has been there for five years.
On the feature side, there were over a dozen layoffs with no senior executives affected, sources said.
Today’s layoffs represent about 3% of Paramount’s global head count. At the start of 2023, Paramount had 24,500 full- and part-time employees in 37 countries, with another 5,800 project-based staffers.
“To those with whom we are parting ways, we are incredibly grateful for your hard work and dedication,” Paramount CEO Bob Bakish wrote in a company memo at the start of the layoffs this morning. “Your talents have helped us advance our mission of unleashing the power of content around the world.”
Like other traditional media companies, Paramount has been hampered by a slowdown in advertising as it navigates the transition from linear TV to streaming.
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Paramount Global has begun a planned round of layoffs, telling U.S.-based employees that those affected by the cutbacks will be notified by the end of Tuesday, February 13.
Paramount Global headquarters in New York | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
An internal memo from CEO Bob Bakish (read it below) did not disclose numbers. A person familiar with the cutbacks estimated the total number at 800, which is consistent with a Deadline report last month. Bakish had confirmed the planned cutbacks at a “Bob Live” town hall event in January. The scope and details of the staff reductions will come into focus over the course of the day.
The cuts represent about 3% of the company’s global head count. At the start of 2023, Paramount had 24,500 full- and part-time employees in 37 countries, with another 5,800 project-based staffers.
Like its media peers, Paramount has been squeezed by a slowdown in advertising and a challenging transition from linear TV to streaming. The company will report fourth-quarter earnings at the end of February.
Tuesday’s sobering news followed a company high point Sunday with the broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII. The telecast set a record as the most-viewed one of all time, with 123.4 million viewers across CBS, Paramount+, Nickelodeon and Univision.
“To those with whom we are parting ways, we are incredibly grateful for your hard work and dedication,” Bakish wrote in the memo. “Your talents have helped us advance our mission of unleashing the power of content around the world.”
He continued, “While I realize these changes are in no way easy, as I said last month, I am confident this is the right decision for our future. These adjustments will help enable us to build on our momentum and execute our strategic vision for the year ahead – and I firmly believe we have much to be excited about.”
Reports continue to swirl about the future of Paramount as a stand-alone entity, with a number of suitors expressing interest in acquiring some or all of the company. Formed by the 2019 merger of CBS and Viacom and controlled by Shari Redstone’s National Amusements, Paramount has drawn interest from Byron Allen and David Ellison’s Skydance Media, along with private equity investors. Deadline reported Monday that Apollo Global Management has stepped back after initially considering making an offer for National Amusements and its controlling stake in Par’s voting shares.
As we shared at Bob Live in January, returning our company to earnings growth is a top priority in 2024.
This will require us to continue to grow revenue, while reducing costs. And unfortunately, part of streamlining costs means that today, we will begin the difficult process of saying goodbye to some of our very valued colleagues across Paramount.
We will be notifying impacted employees who are based in the U.S. by the close of business today.
We’ll share details directly regarding next steps and will do all we can to support you during this time of transition.
There will also be impacts in some of our offices based outside the U.S. Those notifications will occur over time in line with our local legal obligations in each of the countries where we operate.
To those with whom we are parting ways, we are incredibly grateful for your hard work and dedication. Your talents have helped us advance our mission of unleashing the power of content around the world.
We are a better company because of you.
While I realize these changes are in no way easy, as I said last month, I am confident this is the right decision for our future. These adjustments will help enable us to build on our momentum and execute our strategic vision for the year ahead – and I firmly believe we have much to be excited about.
We are coming off of a blockbuster event with Super Bowl LVIII that showcased the full power of Paramount. We’re launching a big slate of new and returning primetime programming on CBS, and last night marked the return of Jon Stewart to The Daily Show. We continue to release films, like Bob Marley: One Love this week, which reinforce our heritage as one of Hollywood’s most iconic movie studios. And we’re coming together as One Paramount more than ever, with continued commitment to our values, culture imperatives and fostering an inclusive workplace.
We should all take time this week to support one another – our colleagues who will be impacted, as well as our teams remaining – in adjusting to this change. Speaking personally, I want our entire team to know that I am committed to sharing updates when we’re able to.
As always, I am continually grateful for your commitment to our company. And I’m confident we will navigate this transition and emerge stronger than ever.
Best,
Bob
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THE GARFIELD MOVIE "How To Eat Pizza" Trailer (NEW 2024) | JoBlo Animated Videos
Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.
Directed by:
Mark Dindal
Screenplay by: Paul A. Kaplan & Mark Torgove and David Reynolds
Based on the Garfield® characters created by: Jim Davis
Help Dora Solve Grumpy Old Troll's Riddle! ❓ Brand New Scene | Dora & Friends
Oh no, Dora, Boots, and the musical trio are trying to find the Wizzle Wozzle Woo in the musical forest, but they can't get there because Grumpy Old Troll is taking down his bridge! They need to cross it to find the sound. Grumpy Old Troll will let them cross if they can solve his riddle - help Dora solve the riddle in this new scene!
Dora the Explorer's back in the brand new CG-animated series, Dora, premiering Spring 2024 on Paramount+!
Stream the brand new special Dora: Say Hola to Adventure on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com
Join your favorite explorer in NEW and EXCITING adventures on YouTube! Play games, dive into adventures, sing along to songs, solve puzzles and so much more! Subscribe to the OFFICIAL Dora & Friends YouTube Channel! Ready? ¡Vámonos! Let’s go! https://at.nick.com/DoraSubscribe
Stream your favorite Nick Jr. shows on Paramount+ and Noggin! Try Paramount+ for FREE at ParamountPlus.com!
STAR TREK Lower Decks TAWNY NEWSOME Sat Panel – Farpoint 31 - Fandom Spotlite
Star Trek: Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome gave a panel at Farpoint 31 to talk about the show, her love of Star Trek, and to answer fan questions.
Tawny Newsome plays Beckett Mariner in Star Trek: Lower Decks and is also known for her roles in Space Force, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Brockmire, The Comedy Get Down, Sherman’s Showcase, Physical, and many more. She also played her role as Mariner in live-action on a special episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. She is also a talented writer, comedian, and musician.
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The Woman in the Wall | Cast and Creators Discuss Lorna and Colman's Relationship | SHOWTIME
Ruth Wilson, Daryl McCormack, and Creator Joe Murtagh delve into the surprising character dynamics between Lorna and Colman. New episodes of The Woman in the Wall streaming Fridays with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan. Try it FREE by clicking the link below!
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About The Woman in the Wall:
Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack star in the new SHOWTIME® Original series THE WOMAN IN THE WALL. In a small town in Ireland, Lorna Brady wakes one morning to discover a corpse in her home with no recollection of how it got there – or if she’s responsible. A survivor of the infamous Magdalene Laundries, where “fallen women” were taken to atone for their ‘sins’, Lorna has been plagued for years by bouts of sleepwalking and haunted by vivid flashbacks of her time there: of giving birth, and the nun who took her baby away before she had a chance to hold it. Meanwhile, Detective Colman Akande arrives from Dublin to investigate the seemingly unrelated murder of an elderly priest. Struggling with the demons of his own hidden past, he finds himself drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse as both he and Lorna search for answers in a small town full of long-buried big secrets. Inspired by true events, THE WOMAN IN THE WALL is a chilling, psychological thriller too real to forget.
