NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to the world’s premiere entertainment brands, today announced the introduction of Viacom’s flagship networks to Pluto TV’s channel lineup and a new slate of original digital programming during its second-annual NewFront event at the PlayStation Theater.
“We’re excited to return to the NewFronts after a year of rapid digital acceleration and momentum across the leading social and online video platforms,” said Kelly Day, President of Viacom Digital Studios. “Our remarkable growth continues to be driven by an investment in premium original programming and experiences that engage our young, diverse audiences on the platforms they love most, presenting an unprecedented opportunity for our advertising partners to join the conversation.”
Viacom Digital Studios shared its plans to produce new and returning original series around major tentpole events, linear franchises and the most popular digital shows from Awesomeness, BET, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon. Viacom is also teaming up with big-name stars and fan-favorite digital talent to deliver entirely new programming across Facebook, Snap, Twitter and YouTube for Viacom’s more than 880 million fans — the largest social footprint among entertainment companies.
The new content slate includes: “How to Survive: A Break-Up,” Eva Gutowski stars in this AwesomenessTV scripted romantic comedy series about the heartbreaking, and sometimes hilarious, steps to getting over a messy break-up and maybe finding new love along the way; “Black Coffee,” BET’s daily morning talk show starring Marc Lamont Hill that catches up with Black Twitter’s liveliest conversations and features news-making interviews with top celebrities, athletes, and social media stars; untitled late-night show from David Spade, Comedy Central’s new late-night show hosted by David Spade will launch show channels and publish content across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; “MTV No Filter: Tana Turns 21,” follows Tana Mongeau and her crazy crew for a behind-the-scenes look as they navigate vlog life, studio time, partying and the occasional controversy; “SpongeBob Smarty Pants Game Show,” a digital game show from Nickelodeon where two SpongeBob superfans compete to win The Golden Pineapple by answering trivia questions, completing messy stunts and competing in SpongeBob-themed games.
Viacom also announced that its flagship networks will launch on Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service in the U.S. with more than 15 million monthly active users. BET, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon will debut channels on May 1, with content from Viacom’s extensive library of iconic IP through three categories of branded channels: Co-Branded Flagship Channels that are curated versions of Viacom’s leading networks; Signature Channels with the most celebrated and diversified programming from each brand; and Pop-Up Channels that deliver binge-worthy series in marathon-style airings, starting with MTV’s “The Hills” — just in time for the highly anticipated revival series “The Hills: New Beginnings” premiering Monday, June 24.
"We are thrilled to expand the Pluto TV offering with the addition of Viacom's world-class channel brands and iconic programming. This is a major step forward in our mission of entertaining the planet,” states Tom Ryan, CEO & Co-Founder of Pluto TV. “Viacom has been entertaining audiences for decades with evergreen content that is bold, daring and inspires worldwide fandom. These channels are guaranteed to provide endless entertainment to both new and existing Pluto TV viewers."
VidCon will welcome 75,000 attendees at its 10th anniversary flagship event in Anaheim, California this July. In partnership with the IAB, VidCon announced the addition of The Direct Brand Summit at VidCon, an Industry Track programming block that will explore how direct brands are using the power of online video to build relationships with consumers. Additionally, an all-star lineup of featured creators will be joining the celebration, including Annie LeBlanc, Simmi Singh, Rhett and Link, Tessa Violet, The Bramfam and more.
Since the launch of Viacom Digital Studios, Viacom brands have seen year-over-year domestic increases in social video views and watch time by 83% and 119%, respectively, with a global average of 4 billion views and over 6 billion minutes watched each month.
“We have made incredible strides over the past year due to our acquisitions and expansion to grow our digital reach significantly to the direct benefit of our advertising partners,” said Sean Moran, Head of Ad Solutions, Viacom. “With more touch points than ever before, we look forward to leveraging the full scale and power of Viacom to help our clients create real, authentic connections with our highly coveted and hard-to-reach young audiences wherever they are.”
With the addition of Pluto TV, Viacom’s digital video impressions will grow to 5 billion impressions per month by next year.
Additional announcements included the following across Awesomeness, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Pluto TV and VidCon.
Pluto TV to Add All-New Viacom Brand Channels to its Offering
Beginning May 1, Viacom will premiere new channels from its flagship brands and library of iconic IP for Pluto TV:
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Co-Branded Flagship Channels:
Specially curated versions of Viacom’s most iconic networks.
- BET Pluto TV: Kick back and enjoy the best of Black Hollywood through all of your favorite urban movies! Featuring hundreds of hours of classic films and box office hits, this channel is guaranteed to have everything you’ve been waiting for in one place. Grab a snack and get comfortable. You’re going to be stuck here for a while.
- Comedy Central Pluto TV: Comedy Central Pluto TV is the destination for the best in iconic original comedy series, late night, sketch, animation and a whole lot more. It features specials from “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” and a nonstop stash of classic episodes of “Tosh.0,” “Another Period,” “Ugly Americans,” among plenty of others. In short, if you’re looking for something funny, we have good news: you just found it.
- MTV Pluto TV: Looking to escape the everyday? Get your party started and take a dive into the most iconic reality and dating shows that only MTV can deliver, including hits like “16 & Pregnant,” “MTV Cribs,” “Are You the One?” and “Punk’d.” You want your MTV Pluto!
- Nick Pluto TV: Welcome to Nick Pluto TV where you can watch your favorite classic shows from “All That,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “The Fairly Odd Parents,” “iCarly” and more! It’s all on Nick Pluto TV.
- Nick Jr. Pluto TV: Welcome to Nick Jr. Pluto TV where you’ll find your preschooler’s favorite friends from classic “Blue’s Clues,” “Dora the Explorer,” “Wallykazam” and many more hit Nick Jr. Pluto TV shows.
- Spike Pluto TV: The first network for men is on Pluto TV! Spike features series like “Duck Dynasty,” “Pit Boss” and “Cajun Pawn Stars,” starring people who play by their own set of rules. It’s your one stop shop for bold, unapologetic entertainment.
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Signature Channels: These channels
hone in on the most celebrated and differentiated programming from the
flagships - spinning them into dedicated, themed channels.
- CMT Westerns: Saddle up with CMT Westerns, the best place to kick off your boots and find your favorite country movies.
- Comedy Central Stand-Up: Are you looking for groundbreaking stand-up comedy? Well, you just hit the jackpot. Comedy Central is the ultimate stand-up source, opening its iconic vault for Pluto TV by featuring content from the world’s best comedians. Whether you’re revisiting classic stand-up series from Dave Attell and John Oliver or discovering early performances from John Mulaney and Amy Schumer, Comedy Central Stand-Up is a gold mine of series and specials that’ll keep you up all night laughing until your parents, spouse or roommates beg you to turn it off.
- MTV Dating: Get cozy with some of the most buzzed about reality dating show hits like “NEXT” and “Parental Control.” Do the romantic hopefuls ever find true love? Maybe, maybe not -- but we sure don’t mind watching them try and try again!
- MTV Guy Code: Consider this your man cave, an escape to catch favorite episodes of “Beavis & Butthead,” “MTV Guy Code,” “Rob & Big” and “Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.”
- MTV Teen: Is the one-stop shop for teen content, including shows like “Made” and “My Super Sweet 16,” with an abundance of OMGs, LOLs and cringe-worthy moments.
- Paramount Movie Channel: The most storied movie studio in Hollywood is throwing open its gates with the Paramount Movie Channel, featuring the greatest movies of the past century all in one place, 24 hours a day.
- Spike Outdoors: The first network for outdoors-men! Spike Outdoors goes all out with a full slate of shows featuring guys making their living off the land. Man up with the modern day adventurers in “Tougher in Alaska,” “River Monsters,” “Bering Sea Gold” and more! If it’s high octane outdoor shows you crave, journey no further than Spike Outdoors!
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Pop-Up Channels: Channels present
binge-worthy series, in marathon-style airings.
- MTV’s The Hills: Just in time for the highly-anticipated revival series, "The Hills: New Beginnings," premiering on Monday, June 24th, viewers can catch up on the series that changed the reality TV landscape and look back at the most unforgettable and iconic moments from the past seasons of “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills.”
Viacom Digital Studios to Develop Even More Premium Original Series
In addition to bringing back many of its popular digital series for new seasons and spinoffs, Viacom also announced new original programming and talent partnerships on stage — including new Snap Originals made exclusively for Snapchat and the first Viacom shows out of our partnership with Facebook’s digital publisher and creator video incubation program for Facebook Watch:
Awesomeness:
- Brent Rivera’s Dream Vacation (AwesomenessTV YouTube Channel; Summer 2019): Join Brent Rivera and his friends as they ditch the LA grind for the vacation of a lifetime.
- How to Survive: A Break-Up (AwesomenessTV YouTube Channel; Summer 2019): YouTuber Eva Gutowski stars in this scripted romantic comedy series about all the heartbreaking, and at times hilarious, steps to getting over a messy break-up and maybe finding new love along the way.
- Light as a Feather Season Two (Hulu; July 26 & Oct. 4, 2019): Having inherited the curse brought on by the lethal game of “Light As A Feather,” McKenna finds herself plagued by the mysterious chrysalis on her back, a ticking clock compelling her to play a new round of the game… But McKenna refuses, unwilling to put anyone else in harm’s way. However, as the curse begins to destroy her from the inside out, she’s forced to turn to the only person who can possibly help her — Violet.
BET:
- Black Coffee (YouTube, Facebook Watch, Twitter, O&O Coming 2019): Black Coffee is an original digital talk series starring Marc Lamont Hill. This daily morning show promises to make sure viewers “stay woke” by catching up with Black Twitter’s liveliest conversations. Marc will be joined by guests representing some of this generation’s most influential voices and the show will feature daily Twitter exclusive discussions around some of social media’s trendiest topics. These segments will provoke passionate conversations from viewers on engaging and relevant topics.
- De’Arra & Ken’s Prank Show (Snap Original; Coming 2019): YouTube stars De’Arra and Ken team up with couples who want to prank their significant other, and challenge each other to see who can pull off the same prank best.
- Two Grown (YouTube, Facebook Watch, O&O May 1, 2019): Two twenty-something women recently move to New York and hilariously struggle with growing up and pursuing their dreams. Jourdan Guyton and Alana Johnson star in this smart comedy full of wit and charm.
Comedy Central:
- Comedy Central Creators Program – Sydnee Washington (YouTube, Facebook Watch, Twitter and Instagram; April 2019): The Comedy Central Creators Program welcomes Sydnee Washington, whose humor and takes on topics like vanity, bisexuality, and partying safely as a woman are both unique and refreshing.
- untitled late-night show from David Spade (YouTube, Facebook Watch, Twitter, Instagram, O&O Summer 2019): Our new late-night series hosted by David Spade will be launching show channels and publishing content across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- Gus Johnson Overall Talent Deal (YouTube; Summer 2019): Gus Johnson has signed an overall deal with Viacom Digital Studios to create monthly original videos for Comedy Central, in addition to more episodes of his “Low Budget” series. He will also star in a number of Comedy Central’s existing social series, including “That’s an App” and “As Seen on CC.”
- Second Chances with Jason Nash (YouTube; Summer 2019): Forty-something comedian and digital star, Jason Nash, takes a shot at all the life experiences he missed out on in his youth.
- The Daily Show Digital Expansion (YouTube, Facebook Watch, Twitter, Instagram, O&O April 2019): Viacom Digital Studios has invested in the expansion of The Daily Show’s digital presence with several new digital exclusive formats and series in development.
MTV:
- 3 Days With... (YouTube; Coming 2019): Told through our unique MTV lens, this new docu-series will provide unfiltered access to both up-and-coming and established artists.
- Drag My Dad (Facebook Watch; Summer 2019): Hosted by Bob the Drag Queen, this makeover show with a heart showcases dads who choose to get closer to their children by, believe it or not, turning themselves into fabulous divas.
- MTV No Filter: Tana Turns 21 (YouTube; Summer 2019): The first installment of MTV’s new “No Filter” reality series will follow social media wild child Tana Mongeau and her crazy crew as they navigate vlog life, studio time, partying and finally becoming adults.
- Next Big Dance Move (YouTube; July 2019): Three contestants will perform what they think is the next big dance move in front of an esteemed panel of judges.
- Wild ‘N Out (Twitch; Summer 2019): Since “Wild ’N Out” fans love video games, we’re launching a dedicated Twitch channel for show personalities to play alongside fans.
- Wrong Distance Relationship (Snap Original; June 4, 2019): “Wrong Distance Relationship” is a docu-drama series following the evolution of three couples around the country trying to keep their romance alive in the most dire of circumstances.
Nickelodeon:
- Annie vs. Hayley Season 2 (YouTube; Coming 2019): After their LeBake Battle, your favorite competitive sisters are back for more. Annie and Hayley LeBlanc will put their design and style skills to the test in a series of DIY challenges in new episodes of Annie vs. Hayley.
- Jayden’s Dance Throwdown (YouTube; Coming 2019): Dancers from every corner of the Internet are stepping up against Internet sensation Jayden Bartels in a series of epic head-to-head dance-offs. The challengers may be masters of their craft, but they’ll have to adapt and overcome when Nickelodeon throws some serious curveballs into their routines. Who will Nickelodeon fans crown the winner? Find out on “Jayden’s Dance Throwdown.”
- JoJo and BowBow Show Show Season 2 (YouTube; Coming 2019): JoJo Siwa & Bow Bow are back! Join this pair as they go on brand new animated adventures with a pack of new pals and their furry friends.
- SpongeBob Smarty Pants Game Show (SpongeBob YouTube Channel, Facebook; Coming 2019): “SpongeBob Smarty Pants” is a digital game show where two SpongeBob superfans compete to win The Golden Pineapple by answering trivia questions, completing messy stunts and competing in SpongeBob-themed games! There will be special live episodes of the show broadcast across Nickelodeon's social accounts.
- Throw Back with Nickelodeon (Facebook Watch; Summer 2019): Digital star Anthony Padilla sits down and waxes nostalgic with some of your favorite Nick stars from the past.
VidCon Celebrates its 10th Anniversary
VidCon made a series of announcements ahead of the 10th anniversary of VidCon US, taking place July 10-13 in Anaheim, CA:
- Fan-Favorite Featured Creators: Some of the world’s top digital talent are confirmed to participate at VidCon this summer as Featured Creators, including Annie LeBlanc, Simmi Singh, Rhett and Link, Tessa Violet, The Bramfam, Paula Galindo, Joana Ceddia, the Dobre Brothers, and Sean Evans.
- Industry Track Partnership with the IAB: Announced as part of the Industry Track, The Direct Brand Summit will take place on Friday, July 12th. The summit will feature a keynote from IAB’s CEO Randall Rothenberg and curated programming specific to building direct brands in the online video space, with a special focus on core themes like brand safety, compliance, working with digital talent and more.
- Community Track Partnership with The Dodo: VidCon is partnering with The Dodo to bring the first ever co-branded programming section, “The Dodo Pet Zone,” to the Community Track this July. The Dodo will program sessions featuring the Internet’s most beloved pets, including Manny the Frenchie, Nala Cat, Walter Geoffrey the Frenchie, Venus the Two Face Cat and Norbert the Dog among others. Nala Cat also makes a special guest appearance at the NewFront.
About Viacom
Viacom creates entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture around the world. Through television, film, digital media, live events, merchandise and solutions, our brands connect with diverse, young and young at heart audiences in more than 180 countries.
For more information on Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following us on Twitter (twitter.com/viacom), Facebook (facebook.com/viacom) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/viacom).
