Revolt is an American music-oriented digital cabletelevision network and media company targeting African Americans that was founded by Sean "Diddy" Combs and Andy Schuon. The TV network launched on October 21, 2013, as part of a larger agreement with Comcast. As of 2024, Detavio Samuels serves as CEO, while the company's employees are the majority shareholding group.[1]
As of July 2021, Revolt's cable network was available in 50 million U.S. households.[4]
History
First logo, used until 2020
As part of its arrangement to acquire a minority interest in NBCUniversal, Comcast committed to carry several minority-owned networks.[5] The arrangement followed pressure led by Maxine Waters in congressional hearings.[6] In April 2011, Comcast solicited proposals for minority-owned networks.[7]
In February 2012, Comcast announced distribution arrangements for four networks, including Revolt.[8] The four announced networks and six forthcoming stations were being chosen from among in excess of 100 proposals to begin airing by 2020.[9] On October 1, 2013, Revolt announced that it would debut in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago on October 21.[10]
Expansion
AT&T U-verse added the SD feed on July 27, 2015, and the HD feed on November 24, 2015; DirecTV would add the feed on December 24, 2015.[11]
On October 18, 2019, Ziggo announced that it would launch a Netherlands version of Revolt on November 1, 2019, in-collaboration with Dutch record label TopNotch, and AreaMedia.[12] Its programming would consist of interviews, news, hip-hop documentaries, live events, and music videos.[13][14] During its first months of broadcast, the US version of the channel would be shown on a 6-hour delay; from January 2020, Dutch programmes would be broadcast. After over a year, the Dutch version was closed on February 1, 2021.[15]
In Canada, Revolt would be part of the launch lineup of Live TV service RiverTV on June 4, 2020.[16]
Departure of Combs; employee ownership
On November 28, 2023, Combs said he would take a leave of absence amidst sexual assault lawsuits;[17] it was unclear when he would return to the company.[17] At the time, Combs was not involved with Revolt's day-to-day operations.[17] In March 2024, Combs sold his stake in Revolt to an anonymous buyer.[18]
On June 4, 2024, Revolt revealed that “Shares held by the company’s former chair have been fully redeemed and retired”, and that they have transferred majority ownership to its employees in order to keep the outlet Black-owned.[1][19] CEO Detavio Samuels, who joined in 2020, spoke to Billboard in an interview expressing hope that “more CEOs embrace and embody this idea of linked prosperity: if the company wins, every single person wins. We’re trying to set an industry standard where this type of thing becomes the norm.”[20]
Revolt Films
Revolt Films is a separate entity from the network, founded before its launch, but using the same name for brand association. It specializes in developing, producing, and financing films and original television content.
Lawless (2012; one year before the network launched; its first full-length feature film).[21][22]
Sean Love Combs, also known by his stage name Diddy, formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Combs worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993. Combs has been credited with the discovery and cultivation of artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher. He has won three Grammy Awards from 13 nominations, two MTV Video Music Awards, and a Guinness World Record for "Most Successful Rap Producer" in 1997.
Bad Boy Records is an American record label founded in 1993 by Sean "Puffy" Combs. During the mid 1990s, the label signed numerous artists including Craig Mack, The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Mase, 112, Total, The Lox, Shyne and Carl Thomas. At its 1997 peak, Bad Boy was worth an estimated US$100 million.
Comcast Corporation, incorporated and headquartered in Philadelphia, is an American multinational telecommunications and media conglomerate. The corporation is the second-largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world by revenue. It is the third-largest pay-TV company, the second-largest cable TV company by subscribers, and the largest home Internet service provider in the United States. In 2023, the company was ranked 51st in the Forbes Global 2000. Comcast is additionally the nation's third-largest home telephone service provider. It provides services to U.S. residential and commercial customers in 40 states and the District of Columbia. As the owner of the international media company NBCUniversal since 2011, Comcast is also a high-volume producer of feature films for theatrical exhibition and television programming, and a theme park operator. It is the world's third-largest telecommunications company by revenue.
Television in the Netherlands was officially introduced in 1951. In the Netherlands, the television market is divided between a number of commercial networks, such as RTL Nederland, and a system of public broadcasters sharing three channels, NPO 1, NPO 2, and NPO 3. Imported programmes, as well as news interviews with responses in a foreign language, are almost always shown in their original language, with subtitles.
Sean John is a privately held fashion lifestyle company created by music mogul Sean Combs. The line made its fashion debut with a men's sportswear collection for the spring 1998 season.
Fuse is an American television channel owned by Fuse Media, LLC, that launched in 1994.
Casandra Elizabeth Ventura, known mononymously as Cassie, is an American singer, dancer, actress, and model. Born in New London, Connecticut, she began her musical career after meeting producer Ryan Leslie in late 2004, who signed her to his record label, NextSelection Lifestyle Group. In 2006, Ventura released her debut single "Me & U", which was discovered by rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. Leslie agreed to partner his NextSelection imprint with Combs' Bad Boy Records for the commercial release of her debut album. The song marked the first of her two entries on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three by July 2006.
Andre O’Neal Harrell was an American record executive, media proprietor, and former rapper. He formed the short lived East Coast hip hop duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde with Alonzo Brown in 1980, who signed with Profile Records the following year. After their 1986 disbandment, he founded the record label Uptown Records that same year, which saw commercial success in contemporary R&B, new jack swing, and hip hop music releases into the coming decade. The label entered a distribution deal with MCA Records and signed artists including Jodeci, Heavy D & the Boyz, Mary J. Blige, Guy, and Al B. Sure, as well as then-unknowns the Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy, among others. He is credited with discovering and giving the latter his start in the industry in 1990. Harrell was later appointed as CEO of Motown from 1995 to 1997.
TV One is an American basic cable television channel targeting African American adults. It is owned by Urban One, and headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Originally launched as a joint venture with Comcast, Urban One would acquire the former's stake in 2015.
The discography of American rapper Sean Combs consists of five studio albums, two collaborative albums, one remix album and seventy-two singles – including thirty-three as a lead artist and thirty-nine as a featured artist.
Kenny Burns is an entertainment industry executive, television and radio host, lifestyle specialist and entrepreneur.
UPC Nederland was the second largest cable operator in the Netherlands, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers.
Viceland, and Vice TV in the United States, are brands used for television channels owned and programmed by Vice Media. Viceland launched on February 29, 2016, with two branded cable channels; the American version is a joint venture majority-owned by A&E Networks, while the now defunct Canadian version operated as a Category A-licensed specialty channel majority-owned by Rogers Media.
HGTV is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate.
Aspire TV is an American pay television channel targeting African Americans. The network was launched by Magic Johnson on June 27, 2012.
El Rey Network is a media brand founded by Robert Rodriguez on December 15, 2013, that is currently owned in a joint venture with FactoryMade Ventures.
Ziggo B.V. is the largest cable operator in the Netherlands, providing digital cable television, Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers.
VodafoneZiggo Group B.V. is a Dutch joint venture between Vodafone Group and Liberty Global Plc, announced in February 2016, approved by the European Commission in August 2016 and completed in December 2016.
State of the Culture is an American late-night talk show created by Joe Budden and Sean Combs, that premiered on September 10, 2018 on Revolt. The show is hosted by Joe Budden and Remy Ma and co-hosted by Brandon "Jinx" Jenkins and Eboni K. Williams, and formerly co-hosted by Scottie Beam.
Roma Khanna is a television and digital media executive and current executive chair of HiddenLight Productions. She has previously served as the CEO of Revolt TV, as President of Global Networks at NBCUniversal, and as the president of the TV and digital divisions at MGM Studios.
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