Paramount and Comcast Announce Multi-Year Distribution Agreements

PARAMOUNT AND COMCAST ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS

Paramount Global (PRNewsfoto/ViacomCBS Inc.)

NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 7, 2025 -- Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA) (NASDAQ: PARAA) and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) today announced the renewal of their comprehensive distribution agreements to continue delivering Paramount's leading portfolio of broadcast, entertainment, news and sports brands across Xfinity platforms.

The multi-year deals feature ongoing carriage of Paramount's networks, including CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network and more. Comcast subscribers will also retain access to Paramount's popular streaming services across Paramount+, Pluto TV and BET+. Additionally, as part of the renewal, Comcast has the right to make Paramount+ with SHOWTIME available to qualifying Xfinity customers.

Comcast

"We are pleased to renew and expand upon our broad partnership with Comcast," said Ray Hopkins, President, Paramount Distribution. "This new deal ensures that our dynamic portfolio of popular brands and premium programming continue to reach and entertain our valued audiences everywhere."

"Paramount Global is a valued partner, and we are excited to continue providing Xfinity customers with access to their traditional and streaming content across our industry-leading entertainment platforms," said John Dixon, Senior Vice President, Entertainment, Comcast Cable.  "This agreement gives us the ability to offer customers more choice and flexibility in what they want to watch and how they want to watch it."

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Paramount

Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) is a leading global media, streaming and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, Paramount's portfolio includes CBS, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Paramount holds one of the industry's most extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, the company provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution, and advertising solutions.

For more information about Paramount, please visit www.paramount.com and follow @ParamountCo on social platforms.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

PARA-IR

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

More Nick: Paramount Plus Expands Kids and Family Programming with New Slate of Films and Series from Nickelodeon Studios!

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Nickelodeon Announces the Launch of Nick Sr.

From the creators of Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nick Jr. comes a brand new network for the young at heart: Nick Sr.! Kick it old school with your favorite elderly characters, kids dressed as elderly characters, and even real old people! Nick Sr., the only network where grannies can shake their *ahem*. Coming never!

Nick Senior.

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

More Nick: Paramount Plus Expands Kids and Family Programming with New Slate of Films and Series from Nickelodeon Studios!

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Paramount and Comcast Xfinity Ink Major Carriage Deal, Averting Blackout of CBS, Nickelodeon

Paramount Global and Comcast Xfinity have cut a new carriage deal, averting a potential New Year’s Day blackout that would have included the CBS network and other channels owned by the company.

The deal includes continued carriage of Paramount’s portfolio of channels and apps across the Xfinity platforms. Paramount owns Nickelodeon, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, BET and Paramount Network, among other offerings.

A Paramount spokesperson confirmed the new carriage agreement to news outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.

The deal comes before the expiration of the current pact at the end of the year. In January 2022, Paramount (then known as ViacomCBS) and Comcast announced a “multi-year” carriage renewal.

Talks proceeded quietly in recent days, without any of the consumer-facing warnings about looming deadlines that often accompany carriage negotiations. A blackout would have been ill-timed for both parties, given that Paramount carries the NFL and other marquee programming.

The agreement is significant as some New Year’s Eve NFL games and New Year’s Day college football games could have been impacted had the companies not reached a deal. The NFL playoffs also start early next month, with CBS holding some big games.

The company’s flagship broadcast network, CBS, is also slated to broadcast the Super Bowl in February, with cable sibling Nickelodeon providing an alternate telecast.

Comcast is one of the two largest cable companies in the U.S. through its Xfinity service (Charter Spectrum is the other) making the deal a pivotal one for Paramount. Comcast has more than 14 million video subscribers.

The new agreement provides for continued carriage of Paramount’s entertainment, news and sports channels and apps on Comcast’s Xfinity TV and internet platforms. It is understood that the deal skirts the kind of outcome some industry observers had predicted, with the loss of linear carriage for some of Paramount’s two-dozen-plus channels. When Disney reached terms with Charter Communications last September, the pact included gains for streaming services like Disney+ but also the loss of carriage for established networks like Freeform and FXX. As they contend with subscriber erosion due to cord-cutting, programmers are looking to avoid near-term shocks like having channels outright dropped as the entire industry continues to shift toward streaming.

As streaming takes over from traditional linear TV, some cable companies are beginning to reimagine their deals. Charter and its Spectrum service were in an extended carriage dispute with Disney earlier this year, forcing ESPN off the lineup during the U.S. Open. The two sides eventually cut a deal before the NFL season, though it included big changes like the elimination of some major channels and adding Disney+ to the bundle offering.

Paramount CEO Bob Bakish has focused on mending fences with distributors since taking the top job at Viacom in 2015, a process that has grown more complex since the boom in direct-to-consumer streaming. The distribution effort is playing out against a larger dealmaking backdrop for Paramount. The company and its controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone’s National Amusements, have recently entertained offers for some or all of its assets as it continues to face a host of challenges like the soft advertising climate, streaming costs, cord-cutting and pressure on theatrical moviegoing. Any potential buyer of the company will want to have carriage deals in place so they can develop a strategy for its assets.

Paramount is nearing another distribution crossroads in 2024 as its current deal with Charter winds to a close. The parties signed a multi-year deal in mid-2021, with streaming a key component. Charter’s management team has said it will use the latest Disney deal as a template for its future distribution agreements.

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

More Nick: Nickelodeon and CBS Sports to Bring Super Bowl LVIII to Bikini Bottom!

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Fetch TV in Australia to Add Nick Music

Nick Music and BBC Kids are joining the Australian platform Fetch TV, as replacements for Cartoon Network and Boomerang, which are leaving the service on April 23rd.

The ViacomCBS-owned NickMusic, which launched in Australia in July 2020, is a dedicated 24-hour music channel for kids, offering a dedicated 24-hour music channel for kids featuring chart-topping hits by the world’s most popular artists. From Ariana Grande and The Weeknd to Sia and Taylor Swift, Nick Music is curated by Nickelodeon with a line-up of the latest music videos and Top 40 hits kids will love.

Nick Music joins Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. in the Fetch Kids Pack, bringing the total ViacomCBS subscription channels on the platform to nine, including Spike, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Music and MTV Dance.

BBC Kids, meanwhile, is aimed at 6- to 10-year-olds, and offers comedy, drama, entertainment, natural history and documentaries. The programming roster at launch includes the dance drama The Next Step; football drama Jamie Johnson, featuring cameos by some of the UK’s biggest soccer stars; adaptations of David Walliams’ hilarious best-selling children’s novels Gangsta Granny and Mr Stink; Horrible Histories, the hit show that explores the side of history that they don’t teach you about in school; Deadly 60 on a Mission, with wildlife presenter Steve Backshall coming face-to-face with some of the world’s deadliest animals; and the teen spy drama MI High.

Described as "entertaining, energetic, unpredictable and clever", BBC Kids is making its Australian debut on Fetch, and will sits alongside the BBC’s pre-school channel CBeebies in the Fetch Kids Pack.

Beverley McGarvey, chief content officer and executive vice president (EVP) for ViacomCBS Australia & New Zealand, said: “We know Aussie kids love music, so we wanted to create a safe place for them to be able to watch their favorite artists and listen to chart-topping hits from around the world, curated just for them. Nick Music is a channel kids will love, and parents can trust.”

Tim Christlieb, director of branded services for BBC Studios ANZ, said: “We are delighted to launch this new virtual playlist channel on Fetch that fits perfectly with our preschool channel CBeebies, offering a destination for older kids to enjoy a diverse range of programming all with the hallmark of BBC quality.”

The new channels will be added to the $6 Kids Pack from April 24, as replacements for Cartoon Network and Boomerang, which will become exclusive to Foxtel from April 23rd.

Fetch has been left furious after Foxtel used its programming deal with Warner Bros to secure exclusive Australian rights to Cartoon Network, Boomerang and news channel CNN. Fetch is now taking its complaint to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and is urging subscribers to write to the ACCC.

Today’s announcement brings the number of BBC channels now available on Fetch to 7, with BBC Kids joining BBC First, UKTV, BBC Earth, BBC Brit, BBC World News, and CBeebies on the Fetch service. Fetch also recently added SVOD service BritBox, which is a JV between BBC Studios and ITV.

Sam Hall, chief content and commercial officer at Fetch TV, said: “Fetch TV is excited to be the Australian launch partner for BBC Kids and to further extend our partnership with BBC Studios demonstrating our commitment to offering quality British content.

“Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. are the two top-rating kids’ channels on Fetch. We are delighted to add another great offering from Nickelodeon, and are confident that Nick Music will fill a void in the market.”

Scott Lorson, CEO of Fetch TV said: “As a master aggregator, Fetch continues to expand and enhance our content offerings to ensure that we cater to all audiences and viewing preferences. We recognize that free-to-air channels and BVOD apps, subscription channels, SVOD services, and transactional on-demand content are all critical to a complete content offering, and our focus remains on delivering on our consumer promise of ‘All your Entertainment, easy.’”

More Nick: Nickelodeon Australia Announces Inaugural 'Nickelodeon 1K Foam Fest'!

Sources: TVKIDS, TV Blackbox, TV Tonight.

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Canal+ Caraïbes, Canal+ Calédonie and Canal+ Réunion to Add Nickelodeon Junior

Nick News Mini: Canal+ Caraïbes, a direct broadcasting satellite service serving the French Overseas Departments of the Caribbean, as well as French Guiana will be adding Nickelodeon's top-rated preschool channel, Nickelodeon Junior next week. The channel will be added at no extra cost to subscribers, and will also be available via the myCANAL streaming service. Canal+ Caraïbes is wholly owned by the Canal+ Group, and is broadcast on Intelsat 903 at 34.5° West.

Update (19/1) - Canal+ Calédonie (originally called Canal Satellite Nouvelle-Calédonie and CanalSat Calédonie), a satellite provider based in the Overseas French Department of New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna, and with reduced offers in Vanuatu, will also be adding Nickelodeon Junior.

Update (22/1) - Canal+ Réunion, which is available in La Réunion, Mayotte and Comores will also be adding Nickelodeon Junior.

From Megazap:

GRAPHÉ TV, la nouvelle chaîne de la chrétienté des Offres Canal+ Caraïbes

La semaine prochaine, les abonnés aux Offres Canal+ Caraïbes auront le privilège de découvrir de nouvelles chaînes qui viendront enrichir l'offre de l'opérateur: NICKELODEON JUNIOR et ES1. Ces nouvelles chaînes qui seront ajoutées sans supplément de prix bien évidemment.

Outre ces deux nouvelles chaînes, l'offre s'enrichira d'une autre chaîne, son nom: GRAPHÉ TV, la chaîne de la chrétienté dans sa richesse et sa diversité.

Créée en 2012 par Daniel Louis-Joseph, cette nouvelle chaîne Martiniquaise proposera une grille de programmes composée de documentaires, magazines et reportages bibliques, des célébrations de culte en direct, des émissions d’intérêt général, des émissions de divertissement, des clips vidéo d’artistes Gospel, des séries...

Déjà disponible dans les Offres TV de SFR Caraïbes, cette chaîne qui tient son nom du mot «écritures» en grec, a pour objectif de faire connaitre la chrétienneté dans toute sa richesse et sa diversité avec un programme adapté à toute la famille :

- Music Box et ses chants gospel (en anglais, espagnol, français et créole).

- Des documentaires, magazines et reportages bibliques

- Des émissions pour les enfants (dessins animés, comédie musicale...), telles que « SuperBook » pour faire découvrir la Bible avec un langage adapté aux enfants

- Des célébrations de culte des églises

- Des émissions de divertissements, dont une émission de télé achat

- Des émissions d’intérêt général (culture, médecine, histoire …).

Elle remplacera la chaîne ZITATA TV dont le lancement a été reportée à une date ultérieurement. 

Rappelons que pour recevoir les chaînes Nickelodeon Junior, ES1 et GRAPHÉ TV, une mémorisation des chaînes sera nécessaire. Ces nouvelles chaînes seront aussi accessibles via le service myCANAL.

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From Megazap:

Nouvelles chaînes du côté de Canal+ Caraïbes

Qui dit nouvelle année, dit nouvelle résolution ! Du côté de Canal+ Caraïbes cela signifie l'arrivée de nouvelles chaînes.

Le bouquet s'enrichit avec l'arrivée de nouvelles chaînes thématiques qui plairont les tout-petits mais aussi les jeunes.

Ainsi, débarqueront dés la semaine prochaine, Nickelodeon Junior, ES1

Présentation des nouvelles chaînes

ES1: Créée en 2018 par Webedia, ES1 est la chaîne dédiée à l'esport qui vous propose de découvrir de nombreux magazines, des heures de gameplay autour des meilleurs jeux mais également des compétitions exceptionnelles.

Nickelodeon Junior: Chaîne liée à la chaîne principale Nickelodeon, est destinée de son côté aux enfants de 0 à 4 ans. Elle propose donc des séries animées uniquement dédiées au tout-petits. Au programme: Dora l'exploratrice, Paw Patrol, Diego...

Ces nouvelles chaînes sont sans supplément de prix, pour y avoir accès, une mémorisation de chaînes est nécessaire. Elles seront aussi accessible via le service myCANAL.

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From Megazap:

Nickelodeon Junior débarque dans les Offres Canal+ Calédonie

Après les Antilles-Guyane, c'est au tour des abonnés aux Offres Canal+ en Nouvelle-Calédonie de découvrir la chaîne Nickelodeon Junior, la chaîne des tout-petits du groupe ViacomCBS.

Cette chaîne débarquera, selon nos informations, dés la semaine prochaine dans les Offres TV de l'opérateur et proposera toute la journée le meilleur des animés des studios Nickelodeon tels que UMIZOOMI, DORA L'EXPLORATRICE, BUBULLE GUPPIES ou encore PEPPA PIG.

Elle sera disponible sans supplément de prix dans les Offres Canal+ Calédonie et rejoindra l'univers jeunesse qui comprend: TiJi, Disney Junior, Nickelodeon, Gulli, Disney Channel, Teletoon+.

Outre Nickelodeon Junior, les offres Canal+ Calédonie s'enrichiront aussi avec la chaîne locale PACIFIC+.

Rappelons que ce nouvelles chaînes seront aussi accessibles via le service myCANAL.

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From Megazap:

Nouvelles chaînes du côté de Canal+ Réunion

C'est bientôt la rentrée du côté des Offres Canal+ Réunion ! Pour l'occasion, l'opérateur enrichit son offre TV avec l'arrivée de nouvelles chaînes thématiques.

Trois nouvelles chaînes débarqueront dans l'offre avec au programme: des séries, des dessins animés et du Bollywood.

Présentation des nouvelles chaînes 

TF1 Séries Films: Chaîne issue du groupe TF1 consacrée au cinéma, au court-métrage et à la fiction française. Vous retrouverez sur cette chaîne: Hollyoaks, Grey's Anatomy, Dr House...

Nickelodeon Junior: Chaîne des tout petits du groupe ViacomCBS. La chaîne jeunesse proposera les aventures de Dora l'exploratrice, Paw Patrol, Go Diego, Peppa Pig...

Zee Thirai: Chaîne indienne. Elle diffuse en langue tamoule des films 24h/24, 7j/7. Elle sera disponible dans l'option Bollywood (5€/mois).

Ces nouvelles chaînes débarqueront dés la semaine prochaine, une mémorisation de chaînes sera necessaire. Elles seront aussi accessible via le service myCANAL et les offres TV de CanalBox Réunion (Hors Zee Thirai).

De plus, elles seront aussi disponible pour les abonnés aux offres Canal+ Maurice et Madagascar qui recevront en plus la chaîne CUISINES.

 

Chaîne des recettes faciles, CUISINES a une programmation gourmande avec Jamie Oliver en tête d'affiche et "Recettes d'Afrique" une émission culinaire dédiée à l'Afrique.

CUISINES propose de revisiter et découvrir les meilleures recettes du continent africain et du monde entier.

A travers des documentaires et des magazines dédiés aux cultures culinaires internationales, le téléspectateur retrouvera des chefs et des animateurs reconnus des 4 coins du globe (Jamie Oliver, Fred Chesneau).

Au programme, 4 rendez-vous quotidiens:

Les recettes faciles (Luana Belmondo, Louise Denisot…)

Recettes de… (Jamie Oliver, Lorraine Pascale…)

Cuisiniers Voyageurs (Chef Kelly, Globe Cooker…)

Les recettes d'Afrique

Et un rendez-vous hebdomadaire le dimanche.

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Via Megazap:

Canal+ Calédonie fait sa rentrée avec le plein de nouveautés !

Avec 5 boutiques en provinces nord et sud, dont une toute récente au nouveau merchandising plus chaleureux et plus moderne, dans la galerie marchande de Leader Price Magenta et plus de 50 distributeurs agrées sur l’ensemble du territoire, dont les stations MOBIL, CANAL+ joue la carte de la proximité. Proximité, mais également accessibilité avec une offre dès 2500 F/mois (plus de 45 chaînes, radios et services) avec ou SANS engagement.

Avec 289 minutes de durée d’écoute par foyer, les abonnés aux OFFRES CANAL+ dépassent d’environ 1 heure la moyenne nationale. Regarder la télévision en direct (live) reste important pour les calédoniens qui affectionnent particulièrement les films et les séries (90%).

Quand il s’agit de regarder des programmes « A la demande » (REPLAY) ce sont les séries CANAL+ (créations originales) et la téléréalité qui sont plébiscitées. En 2020, les créations locales CANAL+ CALEDONIE qui ont le plus attiré les téléspectateurs calédoniens sont « TOTEM REQUIN », « LES FABLES DU CAILLOU », « L’AUTRE FEMME » et « PORTE PAR LA HOULE ». Ces co-productions locales sont toutes à voir et à revoir sur myCANAL.

2021 : toujours + de nouveautés !

La LIGUE 1 UBER EATS revient en force et en exclusivité avec CANAL+ : la saison 2020/2021 est à suivre sur les chaînes CANAL+. A retrouver sur les chaînes CANAL+ : 100% de la LIGUE 1 UBER EATS.

DES CHAINES SPORTS EXCLUSIVES : 4 chaînes Multisports, proposées uniquement en digital. Diffusion en intégralité des 4 matchs de Ligue 1 diffusés dans le Multiplex de CANAL+ SPORT et des 4 matchs de Top 14.

DES NOUVELLES CHAINES : PACIFIC+ ; NICKELODEON JUNIOR ; CANAL+ SPORT WEEK-END ; VIXEN.

DE NOUVEAUX SERVICES : STARZPLAY et enrichissement des 5 mondes DISNEY+ avec STAR.

CANAL+ CALEDONIE aujourd’hui, ce sont plus 10 documentaires calédoniens par an, soit un vivier de plus de 80 co-productions locales, très appréciées par les calédoniens, parce que touchant à des sujets qui les concernent et qui leurs « parlent ».

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Plus Nickelodeon : Bob l'éponge - Le film : Éponge en eaux troubles | Bande-annonce officielle VF | Française | Netflix France !

Originally published: Thursday, January 07, 2021.

Additional source: telecompaper.

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Nicktoons Turkey Launches on TV+

Nick News Brief: Turkish digital TV provider TV+ has added Nicktoons Turkey (Türkiye) to its channel line-up! At present, Nicktoons Türkiye is the only Nickelodeon-branded channel on the platform.

From TEKNOLOJİ Haberleri:

Çocuklar tatilin tadını TV+’ta çıkarıyor

Türkiye’nin en çok tercih edilen dijital televizyon platformu TV+, yarıyıl tatilini çocuklara özel çizgi film ve animasyonlarla karşıladı. Zengin çocuk yayınlarının yanı sıra dünyanın en sevilen çocuk kanalı olan Nickelodeon çizgi filmlerinden 500 bölümlük bir seçki ve listesine yeni eklediği Nicktoons kanalı ile minikleri eğlenceli bir tatil bekliyor.

Türkiye’nin en çok izlenen dijital televizyon platformu TV+, bu yarıyılda da minik izleyicilerini unutmadı. Çocuklar için yayınladıkları çizgi film ve animasyonları özenle seçen TV+, uzaktan eğitim döneminde DaVinci ve English Club TV gibi kanallarla öğrencilere hem eğlenecekleri hem de öğrenecekleri yapımlar sunmaya devam etti. Pandemi sebebiyle zor bir eğitim-öğretim yılını geride bırakan çocuklar, TV+ çocuk kanalları sayesinde keyifli bir yarıyıl tatili yaşayacak.

TV+’ın yeni çocuk kanalı: Nicktoons

Her yaştan izleyici kitlesine sahip dijital televizyon platformu TV+’ın çocuklara yönelik kanalları arasında yer alan Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Cartoon Network, Baby TV, Duck TV, Minika Çocuk, Minika Go ve TRT Çocuk kanallarının yanı sıra listeye yeni eklenen Nicktoons ile toplam kanal sayısı dokuza ulaştı.

Nickelodeon’ın en sevilen çizgi dizileri TV+’ta

Dünyanın en çok seyredilen çocuk kanalları arasında olan Nickelodeon’da yayınlanan 500 bölümlük içeriği kataloğuna ekleyen TV+, yüzlerce çizgi film, animasyon ve çocuk programı ile miniklere keyifli anlar yaşatıyor. 

Platforma eklenen yapımlar arasında; inek, fare, domuz ve köpek gibi hayvanların bir çiftlikteki hayatını konu edinen ‘Back at the Barnyard’, Zac ve Leah adında iki yakın arkadaşın maceralarını anlatan ‘Işıltı ve Parıltı’, bir traktör ve sürücüsünü konu alarak fizik ve matematiğe dair bilgilendirmeler yapan ‘Blaze ve Yol Canavarları’, konusu sadece insanları kabul eden bir ortaokula başlayan küçük bir canavarın etrafında dönenen ’Canavar Bunsen’,  Dora isimli bir kızın, kaşif ailesi ve arkadaşları ile birlikte Parapata isimli kenti aramaya başlamaları ile gelişen olayları konu alan ‘Dora ve Arkadaşları’ bulunuyor.

Yeni eklenen diğer yapımlar arasında ise sevimli iki kuşun ormandaki maceralarını anlatan ‘Harvey Beaks’, ‘Pençe Devriyesi’ olan adlandırılan ve kurtarma köpeklerinden oluşan bir ekibin hikâyesini konu alan ‘Paw Patrol’, kaplumbağaların yeteneklerini keşfettiği yıllardır severek izlenen Ninja Kaplumbağa serilerinden ‘Ninja Kaplumbağaların Yükselişi’, Rusty adlı genç bir mucit ve onun özelleştirilmiş robotlardan oluşan ekibinin maceralarını anlatan ‘Rusty Rivets’ ve uzun yıllardır popülaritesini koruyan karakterlerin su altı şehrindeki maceralarını ve çabalarını anlatan ‘SüngerBob KarePantolon’ yer alıyor.

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More Nick: Nickelodeon and Emerge Gaming Partner for 'NickX', a New Kid-Focused Competitive Gaming eSports Platform!

Additional source: LyngSat.

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Nickelodeon UK to Make Channel Changes to the Sky EPG on Tuesday 10th November 2020

Nickelodeon UK is doing some channel surfing on the Sky EPG this November in order to have all their main channels next to each other. On Tuesday 10th November 2020:

- Nickelodeon +1, currently on channel number 605, will move down to channel 620

- Nicktoons, currently on 606, will move up one place to 605

- Nick Jr., currently on 615, moves up to 606

- and Nick Jr. Too, currently on 620, will move up to channel number 615.

Nickelodeon (604) and Nick Jr. +1 628 will remain unaffected by the changes. If you're a Nickelodeon HD subscriber, the SD versions Nickelodeon (642) and Nick Jr. (648) will also remain unaffected.

More Nick: Netflix Bows 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run' Internationally!

Original source: Anime Superhero Forum /@Francisque.

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Nickelodeon Launches Nick Music Channel in Australia and New Zealand

Nickelodeon Australia & New Zealand will launch Nick Music - Australia’s first music channel for kids - on Foxtel on Wednesday 1st July 2020! Following its Australian launch, Nick will launch Nick Music in New Zealand on Sky in Australia on July 1 and in New Zealand on Monday 6th July 2020!

Update (9/8) - New information about Nick Music Australia & New Zealand has emerged since its launch. Instead of using its own feed or the U.S. channel's feed, Nick Music AU/NZ is a direct simulcast of the Dutch version of the channel - even airing Dutch-language music videos. In turn, it seems like the Dutch version of NickMusic is now being re-positioned as NickMusic Global.

Official ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand announcement:

The countdown is on to the launch of Australia’s first kid-safe and family-friendly music TV channel, Nick Music, by Nickelodeon.

From Wednesday, 1 July, Nickelodeon will be providing Aussie kids with a dedicated 24-hour channel, Nick Music, which will feature chart-topping hits by the world’s most popular artists.

From Ariana Grande and The Weeknd to Sia and Taylor Swift, the new channel on Foxtel (#802) will house a safe and kid-friendly Nickelodeon-curated line-up of music videos and Top 40 hits.

A research study conducted by Nickelodeon in 2019, identified music and music clips as two of the top three most commonly consumed content on YouTube by kids, with 36% of respondents confirming they watch music clips on the platform*. These insights paved the way for the implementation of Australia’s first music channel for kids.

Nick Music not only delivers kids content they want, and are actively seeking out, it also offers parents the reassurance that they are consuming their favourite music in a safe and secure space.


“At Nickelodeon kids come first, which is why we invest time and resources into understanding today’s generation of kids,” says Ben Cox, GM of Nickelodeon ANZ.

“We know kids love music, especially here in Australia, but there are limited kid-friendly platforms available for them to consume this content. Nick Music fills this void, providing a new channel that kids will love and parents will trust.”

* Nickelodeon Brand Tracker, 2019

--Ends--

ViacomCBS and DISH Announce Carriage Agreement

ViacomCBS and DISH Announce Carriage Agreement

NEW YORK--ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) and DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced a multi-year renewal of their carriage agreement to continue delivering ViacomCBS’s portfolio of broadcast, entertainment, news and sports networks to DISH and SLING TV customers.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, however, sources familiar with the matter told The Streamable that no changes will be made on the Dish side, but there will be changes on Sling. In the near future, it’s expected that ViacomCBS channels carried on Sling Blue base package, will also be available on Sling Orange.

BET, Comedy Central, and Nick Jr. are currently part of Sling’s Blue Plan ($30), while the rest are a part of various add-ons to the Sling service. Viacom (now ViacomCBS) and Dish last signed a multi-year deal in April 2016, which was set to expire.

More Nick: ViacomCBS and Google Announce Expanded Distribution Agreement!

Additional source: The National Interest.

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CruiseSAT and ViacomCBS Partner to Launch Nick at Sea Channel for Cruise Ships

CruiseSAT is branching out from the Americas to offer global services and new premium and live content.

'We're excited about expanding to the rest of the world,' said Charles Sackermann, CEO of Digital Video Systems (DVS), the long-established parent company of CruiseSAT.

Until now, there hasn't been much competition in the space, according to DVS maritime consultant Shannon McKee of Access Cruise.

'We're bringing more variety, more flexibility and additional options,' Sackermann said. 'The technology we're using allows us to give a higher performance.'

Single satellite downlink

CruiseSAT provides high-definition and standard-definition linear networks including news, sports, entertainment and specialty networks and on-demand content using a single satellite downlink.

After launching in 2017 with Carnival Cruise Line as its first customer, CruiseSAT added Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises — but for services only in the Americas. Now, by going global, the door is open to all lines.

DVS provides satellite engineering, services and support for some 250 cruise ships worldwide and Sackermann said CruiseSAT was developed after listening to those customers' needs. CruiseSAT is now aboard more than 50 cruise ships so 'we see a large runway for our expansion.'

And having global reach makes it possible to serve emerging markets like the expedition cruise segment with its far-flung deployment.

News, sports, entertainment, live events

From a content perspective, CruiseSAT has master agreements with key partners and works closely with cruise lines to develop a package that best suits their demographics. The portfolio includes BBC World News, CNN, CBS News, FOX Business, Travel Channel, Food Network, HGTV, Discovery Channel, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Rai Italia and Deutsche Welle.

CruiseSAT worked with partner ViacomCBS to create Nick at Sea. Unique to cruise lines, the Nickelodeon-branded channel features kids' programming from Nickelodeon's extensive catalogue.

Among the other available content is GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV of the Philippines, ET Live, CNBC, MSNBC and Newsmax TV.

The sports portfolio includes ESPN, SEC ESPN, ESPNU, NFL Network and others. Last year more than 1,000 hours of prime events like NCAA March Madness Final Four, NFL games and the Super Bowl were available.

Cost-effective solutions

During this challenging period for the cruise industry, 'It's even more important for us to bring cost-effective solutions to our customers,' Sackermann said. 'We're a trusted partner. We'll continue to work with them through these difficult times.

'We're pushing the envelope to be cost-conscious and bring solutions that have high value but are reasonably priced.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Upfront 2020 Roundup!

Original source: Seatrade Cruise News.

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ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand Expands Sales Team and Announces New Division

ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand today announced the expansion of its Sales team with the establishment of a new Independent Agencies and Direct Sales division.

The new division will be led by Ian Smith, who returned to ViacomCBS’s Network 10 last month after a five-year absence. Most recently he was general manager of trading and operations, national sales, at News Corp Australia.

Reporting to Network 10 national sales director Lisa Squillace, Ian will work closely with Sydney sales director Diane Ho and digital sales director Sophie Hicks Lloyd.

The Melbourne sales team has also been restructured, with the appointment of Adam Quick to the new role of head of independent agencies and direct sales, and John O’Brien to the new role of head of agency. Adam and John were previously Network 10 group sales managers in Melbourne.

ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand chief sales officer, Rod Prosser, said: “The launch of the new Independent Agencies and Direct Sales division is a big step for us and our clients.

“It represents a significant investment and highlights the commitment of ViacomCBS to creating the best Sales team to deliver the best results for clients.

“The merger of the Network 10 and ViacomCBS sales departments on 1 May this year created one business that covers the best local and global brands, shows and events. Together, we offer marketers the power to engage and connect with people aged under 50 at every age and every stage,” he said.

“Now we are building on that incredibly strong proposition with a new focus on the important independent agencies sector and direct clients.”

Lisa Squillace said she was delighted to welcome Ian back to the business.

“With almost 20 years’ experience across sport sales, direct sales, content creation, agency investment and revenue management, Ian’s appointment as sales director, independent agencies and direct sales, is going to make big difference for our clients in those areas.

“I’m also thrilled to congratulate Adam and John on their new roles. Their talent, enthusiasm and professionalism make them a critical part of our Melbourne team.

“Melbourne is a critically important market and a unique market, given its large number of agencies, so it makes sense to have two great sales people leading our team there,” she said.

As a result of the changes announced today, Damon Jackson is leaving Network 10. Damon has been with the network for almost six years and was appointed Melbourne sales director in September 2018.

Rod said: “Damon has been a pleasure to work with and generated great results for our Melbourne business. He leaves us with my very best wishes and a big thank you from everyone at 10.”

Today’s announcement comes 18 months after Network 10 re-established its in-house sales team. Since then, the network has seen strong revenue share growth and won several agency awards.

Ian said: “I’m excited to join ViacomCBS, especially at a time when the company is experiencing such success. It’s great to see that ViacomCBS recognises the significance of the independent agencies and direct sales markets, particularly given the independent agencies have recently launched their own governing body. I look forward to working with the team as this important segment of the market continues to grow.”

Adam said: “I am delighted to help lead the Melbourne team in this exciting time of growth in the independent agencies space. The new leadership structure puts us in a strong position to drive our strategy and achieve excellence and results, as we continue to focus on powerful, integrated solutions for our clients.”

John said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be leading the agency sales team in Melbourne. We’ve built great momentum since having the sales team back in house and I’m keen to build on this for the future. With the addition of powerhouse brands such as MTV and Nickelodeon to the 10 line up, we now have a broader offering, catering for every stage at every age under 50. Our dual leadership approach will help us capitalise on this and deliver great business outcomes for agency and client partners.”

Official ViacomCBS Media Release:

ViacomCBS expands Sales team

Sydney, 1 June 2020: ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand today announced the expansion of its Sales team with the establishment of a new Independent Agencies and Direct Sales division.

The new division will be led by Ian Smith, who returned to ViacomCBS’s Network 10 last month after a five-year absence. Most recently he was general manager of trading and operations, national sales, at News Corp Australia.

Reporting to Network 10 national sales director Lisa Squillace, Ian will work closely with Sydney sales director Diane Ho and digital sales director Sophie Hicks Lloyd.

The Melbourne sales team has also been restructured, with the appointment of Adam Quick to the new role of head of independent agencies and direct sales, and John O’Brien to the new role of head of agency. Adam and John were previously Network 10 group sales managers in Melbourne.

ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand chief sales officer, Rod Prosser, said: “The launch of the new Independent Agencies and Direct Sales division is a big step for us and our clients.

“It represents a significant investment and highlights the commitment of ViacomCBS to creating the best Sales team to deliver the best results for clients.

“The merger of the Network 10 and ViacomCBS sales departments on 1 May this year created one business that covers the best local and global brands, shows and events. Together, we offer marketers the power to engage and connect with people aged under 50 at every age and every stage,” he said.

“Now we are building on that incredibly strong proposition with a new focus on the important independent agencies sector and direct clients.”

Lisa Squillace said she was delighted to welcome Ian back to the business.

“With almost 20 years’ experience across sport sales, direct sales, content creation, agency investment and revenue management, Ian’s appointment as sales director, independent agencies and direct sales, is going to make big difference for our clients in those areas.

“I’m also thrilled to congratulate Adam and John on their new roles. Their talent, enthusiasm and professionalism make them a critical part of our Melbourne team.

“Melbourne is a critically important market and a unique market, given its large number of agencies, so it makes sense to have two great sales people leading our team there,” she said.

As a result of the changes announced today, Damon Jackson is leaving Network 10. Damon has been with the network for almost six years and was appointed Melbourne sales director in September 2018.

Rod said: “Damon has been a pleasure to work with and generated great results for our Melbourne business. He leaves us with my very best wishes and a big thank you from everyone at 10.”

Today’s announcement comes 18 months after Network 10 re-established its in-house sales team. Since then, the network has seen strong revenue share growth and won several agency awards.

Ian said: “I’m excited to join ViacomCBS, especially at a time when the company is experiencing such success. It’s great to see that ViacomCBS recognises the significance of the independent agencies and direct sales markets, particularly given the independent agencies have recently launched their own governing body. I look forward to working with the team as this important segment of the market continues to grow.”

Adam said: “I am delighted to help lead the Melbourne team in this exciting time of growth in the independent agencies space. The new leadership structure puts us in a strong position to drive our strategy and achieve excellence and results, as we continue to focus on powerful, integrated solutions for our clients.”

John said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be leading the agency sales team in Melbourne. We’ve built great momentum since having the sales team back in house and I’m keen to build on this for the future. With the addition of powerhouse brands such as MTV and Nickelodeon to the 10 line up, we now have a broader offering, catering for every stage at every age under 50. Our dual leadership approach will help us capitalise on this and deliver great business outcomes for agency and client partners.”

The ViacomCBS sales team represents some of Australia’s most-loved media brands including MasterChef Australia, Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Project, Australian Survivor, The Bachelor Australia, The Bachelorette Australia, Bachelor In Paradise, Gogglebox, The Masked Singer, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Junior MasterChef, The Living Room, SpongeBob SquarePants, Henry Danger, PAW Patrol, Ridiculousness, Geordie Shore, Teen Mom and The Veronicas: Blood is for Life, plus branded live events.

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From Mumbrella:

ViacomCBS restructures sales team with Melbourne sales director Damon Jackson exiting

Ten parent company ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand has announced a restructure of its sales team and the establishment of a new independent agencies and direct sales division.

The expansion sees Ian Smith return to the business after five years of absence. Smith returns from News Corp Australia where he was general manager of trading and operations, national sales. Melbourne sales director Damon Jackson will be exiting the business as part of the changes.

Jackson’s departure follows a number of cuts across the Ten business, which Ten boss Beverley McGarvey denied were related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten and ViacomCBS merged sales teams in May.

Jackson had been with Ten for almost six years and was appointed Melbourne sales director in September 2018. ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand chief sales officer, Rod Prosser, said he leaves with best wishes.

“Damon has been a pleasure to work with and generated great results for our Melbourne business. He leaves us with my very best wishes and a big thank you from everyone at Ten,” said Prosser.

Ten also recently closed its news and video platform 10 Daily.

Smith will report to Ten’s national sales director Lisa Squillace and work alongside Sydney sales director Diane Ho and digital sales director Sophie Hicks Lloyd.

Adam Quick has been appointed head of independent agencies and direct sales and John O’Brien head of agency. The two were previously group sales managers in Melbourne where the sales team has been restructured.

“The launch of the new independent agencies and direct sales division is a big step for us and our clients,” said Prosser.

“It represents a significant investment and highlights the commitment of ViacomCBS to creating the best sales team to deliver the best results for clients.”

Lisa Squillace said she was delighted to welcome Smith back to the business.

“With almost 20 years’ experience across sport sales, direct sales, content creation, agency investment and revenue management, Ian’s appointment as sales director, independent agencies and direct sales, is going to make big difference for our clients in those areas.

“I’m also thrilled to congratulate Adam and John on their new roles. Their talent, enthusiasm and professionalism make them a critical part of our Melbourne team.

“Melbourne is a critically important market and a unique market, given its large number of agencies, so it makes sense to have two great salespeople leading our team there,” she said.

Smith said: “I’m excited to join ViacomCBS, especially at a time when the company is experiencing such success. It’s great to see that ViacomCBS recognises the significance of the independent agencies and direct sales markets, particularly given the independent agencies have recently launched their own governing body. I look forward to working with the team as this important segment of the market continues to grow.”

Quick said: “I am delighted to help lead the Melbourne team in this exciting time of growth in the independent agencies space. The new leadership structure puts us in a strong position to drive our strategy and achieve excellence and results, as we continue to focus on powerful, integrated solutions for our clients.”

O’Brien said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be leading the agency sales team in Melbourne. We’ve built great momentum since having the sales team back in house and I’m keen to build on this for the future. With the addition of powerhouse brands such as MTV and Nickelodeon to the Ten line up, we now have a broader offering, catering for every stage at every age under 50. Our dual leadership approach will help us capitalise on this and deliver great business outcomes for agency and client partners.”

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More Nick: ViacomCBS Renews Distribution Agreement with Foxtel in Australia; To Launch Nick Music Channel!

Originally published: Monday, June 1, 2020.

Original source: B&T.

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ViacomCBS Renews Distribution Agreement with Foxtel in Australia; To Launch Nick Music Channel

• Agreement expands Foxtel music channels with more music genres including a new kid friendly music channel

Australian pay TV company Foxtel has announced a landmark partnership which will see ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) provide a new line-up of music channels offering a wider range of music genres for Foxtel subscribers.

From Wednesday 1st July 2020 the new look music line-up will cover every music style, rock and pop, contemporary and country, charts and dance, urban R&B, easy listening and the all-time classics.

The music channel collection will by spearheaded by MTV HITS, together with MTV Classic, Club MTV, CMT (Country Music Television) and the new Nick Music, a kid-safe and family-friendly Nickelodeon-branded music video channel for 4-15 year olds featuring chart-topping hits by the world’s most popular artists.

NickMusic originally launched in the U.S. in September 2016.

The move means Foxtel will no longer produce its own channels [V], Max and CMC (Country Music Channel). Channel [V] was one of the original subscription TV channels in Australia and was originally produced for Foxtel by XYZ Entertainment which was jointly owned by Foxtel and Austar. Some Foxtel staff will be impacted by the change with discussions underway about possible alternative employment.

The expanded portfolio will be owned and operated by VCNI with the MTV and CMT-branded channels all programmed in Australia for Australian audiences.

The new agreement with VCNI also includes renewal of the channels Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and MTV on the Foxtel platform.

The deal could clear the way for Network 10 to offer a ViacomCBS music and/or kids channel as a multichannel addition for its free-to-air audience. The VCNI-owned Australian free-to-air (FTA) channel added Nickelodeon programming to it's 10Peach and 10Play line-ups in April.

Foxtel Chief Commercial Officer (COO) Amanda Laing said: “We are delighted to forge this new partnership with ViacomCBS which reaffirms Foxtel’s commitment to music television designed for Australian audiences.

“The agreement continues the refresh of Foxtel’s channel line-up and provides our customers with an even greater choice of music genres. ViacomCBS are global leaders in music television with a long-standing commitment to Australian music and we are pleased to continue building on our relationship with them with this historic new arrangement.”

ViacomCBS Executive Vice President (EVP), Music & Talent Programming/Events, Bruce Gillmer said: “Expanding ViacomCBS Networks International’s portfolio of music channels allows us to build even deeper relationships with Australian music fans, artists and labels. These branded channels resonate with music fans all over the world and launching in Australia gives us even more opportunity to bring audiences great music across genres.

“We’ve showcased incredible Australian artists from Gang of Youths to The Veronicas internationally. Launching these new music brands on Foxtel gives more Australian artists the opportunity to connect with fans locally and, potentially, around the world.”

Foxtel Executive Director of Television Brian Walsh added: “Music remains as a strategically important part of the Foxtel content story and emphasises the depth and richness of our programming. These new channels will all be programmed by Australians, for Australians continuing our passion for local music curation.

“We are proud of the heritage of our owned and operated music channels and the success they have enjoyed entertaining Foxtel customers for the past 25 years. I want to acknowledge the management and music teams, past and present, who created Channel [V], Max and CMC.

“Creating a great entertainment experience for our subscribers means constant renewal in every aspect of our business and our partnership with Viacom provides a fresh, new direction for music on Foxtel.”

Original source: Mediaweek.

Nickelodeon Launches 'NickHits', a New SVOD for Older Kids

As part of Viacom's First Quarter 2019 Results article on viacom.com/news, Viacom has revealed that Nickelodeon has launched a new Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service named Nick Hits on Amazon channels which is aimed towards older kids!

Update (3/25): Apple today announced that they'll be adding Nick Hits to their revamped Apple TV app in May 2019! Additionally, the new Apple TV app with continue to support Nickelodeon's NOGGIN preschool app!

Update (5/2): The fourth beta of Apple's iOS 12.3 has recently been released to developers, and its TV app is the most talked about feature of the update. Acting as an aggregating application for hundreds of different TV channels, the feature provides an easier way to watch and subscribe to different platforms offering varying shows.

Update (5/14): Just seven weeks after rolling out iOS 12.2, Apple has released iOS 12.3. The biggest update this time around is a major refresh of the TV app ahead of the Apple TV+ streaming service debuting later this year.

The previous version of the iOS 12.3 was only limited to subscriptions on Starz, Smithsonian, Showtime and Tastemade. Now, its options have been vastly expanded to include Viacom's Nickelodeon, MTV Hits and Comedy Central Now, as well as CBS All Access, HBO, and more!

The news follows Viacom adding Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels to Pluto TV and FuboTV in recent days.

In the article, Viacom talks about its plan to acquire Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service in U.S., and how the media company hopes that the platform will act as a powerful marketing engine for Viacom’s SVOD products - Noggin, Comedy Central Now, and the latest, Nick Hits.

Update (2/6): Robert Bakish, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Viacom, revealed during Viacom's 1Q19 financial results earnings call, that Nick Hits launched last week on Amazon channels, and is aimed towards older kids!

Update (5/14) - NickHits features a wide selection of programming from Nickelodeon's vast content library, including show's such as SpongeBob SquarePants, iCarly, Bella and the Bulldogs, Avatar The Last Airbender, Henry Danger, Victorious, The Legend of Korra, Fairly OddParents, Game Shakers, Big Time Rush, Sam & Cat, House of Anubis (SIBUNA!), Kenan & Kel, All Grown Up!, TMNT Half Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past, Dora and Friends: Into the City, The Other Kingdom, Monsters Vs. Aliens, The Mighty B!, All That, Clarissa Explains it All, Doug, How to Rock, Every Witch Way, The Amanda Show, My Life As A Teenage Robot, Fanboy & Chum Chum, The Troop, Ride, 100 Things To Do Before High School, Crashletes, Robot and Monster, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, Fresh Beat Band of Spies, and Rank the Prank, and original movies such as Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library, Albert, A Fairly Odd Christmas, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf, Splitting Adam, Swindle, Rufus, Rufus 2, Big Time Movie, and Jinxed.

NickHits is available as part of Prime Video Channels, however, non-Prime members can subscribe for $7.99/month (with a 7-day free trial). For more information and to subscribe, visit https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/storefront/ref=atv_hm_hom_5_c_MiuPXS_8?contentType=subscription&contentId=nickhits&benefitId=nickhits

However, no other information about what kind of SVOD service Nick Hits could be. The name could indicate it could be dedicated to the most loved Nickelodeon content from the 1990’s and beyond. Nickelodeon already has a NickSplat channel on VRV featuring a selection of retro Nick programming, however, this could be the next step for the NickSplat brand.

The name Nick Hits could also refer to a Nickelodeon-branded SVOD music channel, similar to Nickelodeon's Nick Music linear channel.

There is a third option, however, which could be that Nick Hits was a typo and the publisher meant to type NickSplat.

Nickelodeon has already established the Nick Hits brand name internationally, as a programming block airing older Nickelodeon programming on Nickelodeon Latin America (Latinoamérica) between July 4, 2009 and ended on April 4, 2010, and as a Nickelodeon music channel in the Netherlands (Nederland) and Flanders between 2007-2017 (it rebranded as Nick Music in 2017).

More Nick: Nickelodeon and Netflix Sign Original Animated Film Deal; Announces 'Rise of the TMNT' and 'The Loud House' Movies!

Originally published: Tuesday, February 05, 2019.

Additional sources: Wikipedia (II, III), Google.co.uk, Logopedia, Kidscreen, Broadband TV News, Twitter @Littlewarior8.

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Viacom Will Debut 15 Channels Based on Flagship Brands on Pluto TV to Bolster its Upfront Pitch

Viacom has revealed plans to distribute some of its TV programming on its newly acquired streaming video service Pluto TV, as part of an effort to address ad buyers’ concerns about reaching fewer people through its TV networks, thanks to declining TV viewership, Digiday has learnt.

Viacom will debut up to 15 channels on Pluto TV that will be tied to its linear TV networks later this spring, such as one that will air old episodes of MTV’s The Hills and channels from other Viacom-owned networks such as Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and BET, that will similarly feature full episodes from Viacom’s library of past shows. The move is meant to highlight Pluto TV — which Viacom announced in January that it had acquired for $340 million — as the digital centerpiece of the TV conglomerate’s upfront pitch to advertisers this year.

In the fourth quarter of 2018, viewership across Viacom’s cable TV networks dropped by 13 percent year over year when using Nielsen’s C3 rating that counts live and on-demand viewership for the first three days after a show airs, according to Ad Age.

A streaming video service that features channels consisting of online videos stitched together into 24/7 feeds as well as a library of on-demand programming, Pluto TV attracts 15 million unique viewers per month — up from roughly 12 million monthly viewers at the time of the acquisition’s announcement — and half of those viewers are between the ages of 18 and 34 years old, according to John Halley, Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Viacom Ad Solutions. “Half [of that audience] don’t watch pay TV, so it’s incremental audience,” he said.

Advertisers’ interest in TV-like digital video streamed on TV screens continues to grow as a way to offset traditional TV’s diminished reach and rising ad prices. “Viacom has obviously been struggling with linear ratings for the past few years. They’re very smart to look at their portfolio and see what they can do to offset some of this,” said an agency executive.

Viacom will include Pluto TV within broader ad packages that include linear TV and digital.

The company will also offer Pluto TV for digital-only buys, which can require less of a financial commitment from advertisers and appeal to digital advertisers that may not yet be a part of the TV company’s client base. “Digital doesn’t require a half-million dollar budget to play in these pools,” said Halley.

Viacom is emphasizing that it is the only company able to sell ads across Pluto TV’s platform. While other media companies like NBC and CBS are sometimes able to sell ads against their own content that they distribute on Pluto TV, they are limited to that inventory and, as a result, typically use it as supplementary digital inventory.

Viacom will allow advertisers to target their ads on Pluto TV using the traditional age-and-gender categories deployed for traditional TV buyers. It will also enable advertisers to target their ads to more specific audience segments using advertisers’ own data as well as third-party data to identify those audiences. Advertisers will be able to measure their Pluto TV ads’ performance using Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings system, Halley said.

Halley said the average Pluto TV viewer spends two to three hours at a time watching videos on the service, according to Halley, mimicking behavior similar to linear TV.

Being able to offer up that TV-like audience for advertisers to reach through a digital platform that resembles traditional TV is compelling to ad buyers. “Pluto is interesting because it’s OTT but you’ve got that [programming] guide that looks really similar to live linear TV. It’s different than what we have been thinking about as OTT for the past few years,” said the agency exec.

As much Viacom is positioning Pluto TV to appeal to digitally curious TV advertisers, the company is also taking aim at digitally native advertisers that may concentrate their ad spending on Google and Facebook. The addition of Pluto TV’s TV-like inventory to Viacom’s digital packages could help the company to attract more digital advertisers, like direct-to-consumer marketers that are looking to spend more money on TV-like programming but may struggle to meet traditional TV’s higher budgetary requirements.

The courtship of these mid- to long-tail advertisers could help to reinforce the TV network’s business by bringing in new competition to push up its digital ad prices and counter any reduced spending from traditional TV advertisers that may reallocate their ad dollars across a broader set of TV networks, digital platforms and publishers as they bring their TV budgets online.

“OTT is a TV product. OTT is not a kid watching Netflix on the subway on his phone. OTT is people watching full-episode programming, typically in the living room, often with other people,” said Halley.

Update (4/17) - From Cord Cutters News:

Viacom Plans to Add 15 Channels to Pluto TV With Content From Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, & More

Last week Cord Cutters News broke the news that Viacom planned to add more content to Pluto TV from Viacom networks. Now it is being reported that Viacom will be adding 15 new channels to Pluto TV including content from MTV including shows like “The Hills” and content from Comedy Central, BET and Nickelodeon according to DigiDay.com. Sadly no date has been announced for when this new content will be added.

Last week at NAB Glenn Goldstein from Viacom talked about the future of Pluto TV. Goldstein once again announced plans to bring Viacom-branded content to Pluto TV. This news comes as Pluto TV announces a new deal to bring BBC content to Pluto TV. This was first hinted at when Viacom purchased Pluto TV. Now it is reconfirmed that Pluto TV will be slowly adding Viacom content from places like MTV, Paramount, Comedy Central, and VH1.

A few months ago, Viacom announced plans to buy Pluto TV. The CEO of Pluto TV said: “Since our launch less than five years ago, and particularly over the past year, Pluto TV has enjoyed explosive growth and become the category leader in free streaming television.” Pluto TV CEO and Co-Founder Tom Ryan continued, “Viacom’s portfolio of global, iconic brands and IP, advanced advertising leadership and international reach will enable Pluto TV to grow even faster and become a major force in streaming TV worldwide. Viacom is the perfect partner to help us accomplish our mission of entertaining the planet.”

Viacom has been clear that they plan to keep Pluto TV free. Viacom’s CEO Bob Bakish on CNBC pushed the idea of how Pluto TV as a free service is important to Viacom. “We love how (Pluto TV) fits in with over 12 million active users. We have a ton of (ads) to sell and that is where Pluto TV comes in.”

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From The Streamable:

Classic TV Shows from MTV, Comedy Central, BET, and Nickelodeon Coming to Pluto TV

According to a report from DIGIDAY, Viacom will launch 10-15 new channels based on their library of content. Viacom has confirmed to The Streamable that the channels will launch later this spring and include variations of their flagship channels like MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and Comedy Central. They are also expected to debut "pop-up" channels like "The Hills", which will return to MTV this summer, to promote shows on their linear channels.

Viacom has been using these new networks as part of their upfront pitch to lure advertisers. Unlike other networks, the company no longer does a massive upfront pitch in May to announce programming, instead they set-up Presidents Dinners with agencies which started at the beginning of April.

At these events, they have been promoting their recently acquired ad-supported streaming service, Pluto TV, as a way to assail fears of cord-cutting. Viacom has told advertisers that they will launch linear networks on the service that will be made up of classic shows from their various properties like MTV's The Hills. It is expected that they will do similar with their library of shows from Comedy Central, BET, and Nickelodeon.

Last week, Pluto TV Co-Founder & CEO Tom Ryan shared that since Viacom acquired Pluto TV in January, the company grew from 12 million to 15 million unique monthly active users. It's expected that they will offer advertisers inventory on Pluto TV as part of bundled ad packages that include their linear channels, but also as digital-only buys.

In February, Viacom said that they plan to use their infrastructure to expand Pluto TV’s footprint in the United States and around the world. The company also hopes to expand on the platform's 100 live linear channels with their deep library genre-specific content - kids (Nickelodeon), African-American (BET), reality (MTV & VH1), and comedy (Comedy Central).

Viacom also sees Pluto TV as a marketing engine to sell their own OTT services -- Noggin, Comedy Central Now, and Nick Hits. But don't expect first-run content to appear on Pluto TV, as Viacom says they will keep that content for their own linear channels.

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From Appleosophy:

Pluto TV to Get 15 Viacom Channels

According to Cord Cutter News, Pluto TV will be adding not one, but 15 Viacom channels to its free live TV streaming service. These channels include Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and BET, just to name a few.

We did publish an opinion article last week about how Viacom should bring a Nickelodeon channel to Pluto TV. This would include making sure that there are channels set up for watch TeenNick shows like Drake and Josh and iCarly, as well as a channel that could be dedicated to just showing reruns of Spongebob Squarepants.

Even though this does sound like it would be expensive for both companies, Viacom has said that they do plan on keeping Pluto TV a free service. Viacom’s CEO Bob Bakish said to CNBC:

“We love how (Pluto TV) fits in with over 12 million active users. We have a ton of (ads) to sell and that is where Pluto TV comes in.”

This comes at a time where Pluto TV recently announced a partnership with the BBC to air old BBC TV shows such as Classic Doctor Who.

At this time, there is no set date as for when the 15 Viacom channels will be coming to Pluto TV, nor is there a set date for when the older BBC TV shows come to service either.

Pluto TV is available for free on the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Apple TV and Mac.

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More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever | Nick Upfront 2019!

Originally published: Tuesday, April 16, 2019.

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Viacom Channels Return To Suddenlink Customers In Texas And Oklahoma; NickMusic Removed From Optimum

As it continues portfolio tightening and fence mending under new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Bakish, Viacom has removed NickMusic and BET Soul from Optimum and shuffled other networks on the cable service.

The two music channels were pulled altogether and Nick Jr. and MTV2 switched tiers, as first reported by Cablefax. Viacom rebranded MTV Hits last fall as the kid-focused NickMusic and rebooted VH1 Soul as BET Soul at the end of 2015.

Optimum had offered NickMusic in its residential Preferred, Silver and Gold packages as well as in the commercial Business & Entertainment Preferred tier. Optimum is also removing MTV2 from its Optimum Value package and replacing it with Nick Jr. MTV2 will continue to be carried in Preferred, Silver and Gold packages.

Bakish has implicitly acknowledged the pressure on cable programmers to streamline their offerings in a world of mushrooming content and OTT options for consumers. He implemented a new focus on six networks under the Viacom tent: Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, BET, MTV, Comedy Central and the Paramount Network, which will soon replace Spike. That re-focusing of production spending and marketing resources comes as rivals also retool. Discovery paid a premium to acquire Scripps Networks; A+E is exiting scripted programming and Disney set ambitious OTT plans as it starts a withdrawal from Netflix.

While it shuffles the deck at Optimum, Viacom is set to return to the lineup at Suddenlink, which is now owned by Altice, under a new distribution deal announced in May. Roll-out started today in parts of Texas and Oklahoma, and will continue steadily nationwide.

The May deal between Altice and Viacom included provisions for upcoming VR and 4K content as well as advanced advertising. More than 90% of Suddenlink’s footprint will feature up to 16 Viacom channels.

Original source: FierceCable (I,II).

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