Formerly |
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Company type | Division |
Industry | |
Founded | December 1, 1977(as Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment) June 25, 1984(as public company) |
Founder | Robert Pittman |
Headquarters | 1515 Broadway, , U.S. |
Key people |
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Brands | |
Parent |
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Subsidiaries |
Paramount Media Networks [1] is an American mass media division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of its television channels and online brands. The division was originally founded as MTV Networks in 1984, named after the MTV cable network. [2] It would be known under this name until 2011; when it would be thereafter known as Viacom Media Networks until 2019; and ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks until 2022.
The division's television assets are managed through three units: the MTV Entertainment Group, Showtime Networks, and the Nickelodeon Group. Paramount's international assets are overseen by Paramount International Networks.
Warner Cable Communications was founded on December 1, 1977, by Warner Cable, itself a division of Warner Communications, to launch QUBE, an interactive cable television network. Seeing the potential in the creation of new cable networks, Warner Cable divested QUBE's biggest brands, Star Channel, Pinwheel and Sight on Sound, into nationwide outlets. Star Channel began by satellite in January 1979 and was renamed The Movie Channel by the end of the year. The original Channel C-3, by then known as Pinwheel, became Nickelodeon in April 1979. As a result of these actions, Warner Cable Communications would then be rebranded as Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, becoming a joint venture between Warner Cable and American Express.
In 1980, Warner-Amex formed a joint venture with Cablevision's Rainbow Media division to launch Bravo, a cable network dedicated to arts and films, on December 1, 1980. Full control of the channel, however, was sold to Rainbow Media in 1984; NBC would acquire Bravo in 2003, and the channel is now currently owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal. [3]
On August 1, 1981, MTV debuted.
In 1983, concerned by the strategic and financial failure of its pay-TV venture The Movie Channel (started to reap the benefits Time Inc. was having with HBO and Cinemax), WASEC established a joint venture with Viacom, merging TMC with their premium movie network Showtime to form Showtime/The Movie Channel, Inc.; WASEC, however, had no operational involvement in the joint venture.
On June 25, 1984, Warner Communications made the decision to divest Nickelodeon, MTV, and VH-1 (launched in 1985 over the channel space of Turner's Cable Music Channel) into a new public corporation called MTV Networks. [2] [4] A year later, Warner would acquire the 50% stake from American Express. [5]
On August 27, 1985, Warner sold 31% of MTV Networks to Viacom, with Warner also selling 19% of its Showtime/The Movie Channel, Inc. joint to Viacom as well. [6] [7]
In November 1985, Viacom announced that it had plans to buy the remaining 69% of MTV Networks from Warner for $326 million, [8] and the acquisition was completed on May 20, 1986. [9]
In 1988, the company partnered with fellow Viacom subsidiary Viacom Enterprises to handle advertising sales of Superboy , a syndicated television series. [10] The division was later evolved into One World Entertainment in the early 1990s, who partnered to launch a VH1 syndicated series. [11]
In 2003, MTV Networks assumed full ownership of Comedy Central from AOL Time Warner.
On December 31, 2005, the remnants of MTV Networks and Showtime Networks were separated following Viacom's split into two entities: CBS Corporation, which retained CBS, UPN, Simon & Schuster and Showtime Networks (Showtime, The Movie Channel, and Flix), and a spun-off company under the Viacom name, which took ownership of Paramount Pictures, BET Networks and MTV Networks (Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH1). MTV Networks was renamed Viacom Media Networks in 2011.
In the fall of 2012, media analysts began to report that ratings among some of Viacom's leading brands in the U.S. were experiencing declines in viewership. [12] [13] MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon were of most concern to investors as the three account for roughly 50% of Viacom's operating profit, estimated David Bank of RBC Capital Markets.
In 2017, Viacom announced a five-point restructuring plan, in which the company would pour most of its resources behind six "flagship brands". These were MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. Channel, BET, and Paramount Pictures. [14] [15] [16] [17] In February 2017, cable channels CMT and TV Land were moved from the Kids and Family Group to the Global Entertainment Group under Kevin Kay, joining up with Spike TV. [18] During the same month, it was announced that Spike would be relaunched as Paramount Network in 2018, aligning with the namesake film studio and being positioned as Viacom's main general entertainment outlet. [19] [20]
In October 2018, Kevin Kay was announced to be leaving his position as head of the Entertainment Group. CMT was transferred from the Entertainment Group to the Music Group under president Chris McCarthy, with his exit. Executive Kent Alterman would take charge of Paramount Network and TV Land to go with his current leadership of Comedy Central and Bellator MMA. [21]
In 2019, after acquiring the free streaming service Pluto TV, Viacom would launch several channels on the service branded after its Media Networks and company–owned IP. [22] [23] [24] [25]
In August 2019, Viacom announced that it would merge with CBS Corporation, reuniting the two entities under the ViacomCBS name. [26] [27] The merger closed on December 4, 2019. [28] [29] Announced on November 11, 2019, as part of the re–merger, the Media Networks division was renamed ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, and reorganized.
MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo were reorganized into the "Entertainment & Youth Group", [30] with the addition of Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, and TV Land. BET Networks was merged with Showtime Networks under CEO David Nevins, who also temporarily gained oversight of Pop TV (formerly co-owned with Lionsgate); [31] Pop TV was transferred to the Entertainment & Youth Group on January 15, 2020. [32]
On February 16, 2022, ViacomCBS was renamed as Paramount Global, and ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks was renamed Paramount Media Networks. [33] On May 9, 2023, Paramount announced that it would restructure its U.S. domestic network business. [34]
In 2022, MTV Entertainment Group partnered with Second Chance Studios to help formerly incarcerated individuals launch media careers. [35]
Category | Name | Notes | Launch |
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MTV Entertainment Group | |||
MTV Branded Networks | MTV | 1 | August 1, 1981 |
MTV2 | August 1, 1996 | ||
MTV Classic | 19 | August 1, 1998 | |
MTV Live | 20 | January 16, 2006 | |
MTV Tres | August 1, 1998 | ||
MTVU | 22 | January 20, 2004 | |
Entertainment & Youth Group | CMT | 5 | March 5, 1983 |
Comedy Central | 2 | June 1, 1991 | |
Logo TV | 4 | June 30, 2005 | |
Paramount Network | 3, 5 | March 7, 1983 | |
Pop | 15 | 1981 | |
Smithsonian Channel | 13 | September 26, 2007 | |
TV Land | 14 | April 29, 1996 | |
Premium Networks Group (Showtime Networks) | |||
Showtime Networks | Paramount+ with Showtime
| 12 | May 9, 1976 (Showtime) October 1, 1991 (Showtime 2) September 1999 (SHO×BET) 1996 (Showcase) March 10, 1998 (Showtime Extreme) March 2001 (Showtime Family Zone, Next and Women) |
The Movie Channel
| December 1, 1979 October 1, 1997 | ||
Flix | 16 | August 1, 1992 | |
Kids & Family Entertainment (Nickelodeon Group) | |||
Nickelodeon Networks | Nickelodeon | 7 | April 1, 1979 |
Nick Jr. | 8 | September 28, 2009 | |
Nick at Nite | July 1, 1985 | ||
NickMusic | 9 | May 1, 2002 | |
Nicktoons | 10 | ||
TeenNick | 11 | September 28, 2009 |
1Channel was originally launched under Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment and tested as Sight on Sound until 1981, when it officially launched as MTV.
2Channel started as Ha!, merged with HBO's The Comedy Channel the following year, became entirely owned by Viacom in 2003.
3Originally TNN from 1983 to 2003 (as The Nashville Network until 1997; as The National Network until 2003) and as Spike until January 2018.
4Channel was originally known as VH1 MegaHits before being discontinued in July 2005 to facilitate Logo launch.
5Channel was previously owned by Gaylord Entertainment Company, acquired in 1997 by the CBS Cable division of CBS Corporation, and became part of MTV Networks when CBS merged with Viacom.
6Channel created as VH1 Country before Viacom/CBS merger.
7Channel was originally launched under Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment and tested as Pinwheel until 1979, then was officially launched as Nickelodeon.
8Channel space was previously held by Noggin (a joint venture with Sesame Workshop) before being replaced with the Nick Jr. Channel in 2009.
9Channel was originally known as MTV Hits before being rebranded as NickMusic on September 9, 2016.
10Channel was originally known as Nicktoons TV until 2003 when it was rebranded as Nicktoons which was rebranded again as Nicktoons Network in 2005 and finally rebranded yet again as Nicktoons (styled as "nicktoons") once more in 2009.
11Channel space was previously held by Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids from 1999 to 2007, and a 24-hour version of Noggin's The N brand from 2007 to 2009.
12Channel originally owned by the first incarnation of Viacom, and earlier with former partner Warner-Amex, and later became part of CBS Corporation following Viacom's split in 2006. Showtime was established in 1976, and The Movie Channel was established in 1973 as Star Channel and relaunched under its current name in 1979.
13Channel was originally co-owned by CBS Corporation through Showtime Networks and the Smithsonian Institution until November 7, 2019, when the Institution sold its equity interest to Showtime. [36]
14Channel was originally a block on Nick at Nite.
15Previously owned by CBS Corporation, and before 2019, half of the share was owned by Lionsgate. Formerly known as TVGN, TV Guide Network, and TV Guide Channel.
16Established by Viacom's Showtime Networks in 1992 and later became part of CBS Corporation following Viacom's split in 2006.
17Channel was formerly Showtime Beyond from 1999 and was discontinued on July 15, 2020.
19Channel was originally known as VH1 Smooth before being relaunched as VH1 Classic Rock on August 1, 1999. The channel was renamed VH1 Classic in 2000 and was later rebranded as MTV Classic on August 1, 2016.
20Channel was originally known as Music: High Definition (MHD) before being rebranded as Palladia on September 1, 2008. On February 1, 2016, the channel was rebranded as MTV Live.
21Channel was originally a division of Warner Communications and the original owner of MTV, and launched on January 1, 1985, in the former space of Turner's short-lived Cable Music Channel.
22Channel slot was originally VH1 Uno, until MTV Networks on Campus replaced VH1 Uno with a televised simulcast of MTVU. The college campus feed of MTVU no longer exists but the public feed is still on a limited amount of MSOs.
Company type | Division |
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Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Chris McCarthy (president and CEO) |
Brands | |
Parent | Paramount Media Networks |
Subsidiaries | |
Website | mtv |
MTV Entertainment Group serves as the holdings company for Paramount's mature-oriented, general entertainment brands; such as its namesake flagship MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount Network. [37]
Showtime Networks oversees Paramount's premium cable television channels, including the namesake Showtime service.
Nickelodeon Group (also known as "Nickelodeon Networks Inc."; and as its family distribution name "Paramount Kids and Family Group") is an American entertainment company that oversees Paramount's children's entertainment assets, including its namesake cable network.
Through its Networks division, Paramount also owns internet properties, such as MTV News and AwesomenessTV.
Paramount ran a virtual world system, Virtual MTV, in the late 2000s. [41]
The company has owned various other internet properties including virtual pets website Neopets; Flash game websites AddictingGames.com and Shockwave.com; online content production company Atom Entertainment; along with RateMyProfessors.com, GameTrailers, and iFilm, all of which have been shut down or sold off during 2000s and 2010s.
During the first quarter of 2008, iFilm was merged into Spike with its website re–branded and re–purposed as Spike.com. [42]
In 2014, Viacom purchased a stake in multi-channel network Defy Media, while offloading GameTrailers, Addicting Games, and Shockwave to Defy. [43]
In 2006, Viacom acquired Harmonix, a video game studio oriented towards music video games and the original developer of the Guitar Hero franchise, for $175 million. [44] The two subsequently collaborated on the creation of Rock Band . [45] That year, Viacom also acquired the gaming–oriented communications platform Xfire. [46]
In 2010, Harmonix was divested to an investment firm to become an independent studio, [47] [48] and Xfire was sold. [49]
In 2011, Viacom established a short–lived, in–house development studio known as 345 Games, which was dedicated primarily to developing games based on Comedy Central, MTV and Spike properties. [50]
Nickelodeon is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through Paramount Media Networks' subdivision, Nickelodeon Group. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children, the channel is primarily aimed at children and adolescents aged 2 to 17, along with a broader family audience through its program blocks.
VH1 is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the BET Media Group subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group based in New York City. The network was originally owned by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment; a division of Warner Communications, and the original owner of then-sister channel MTV at the time. It was launched in the channel space of Turner Broadcasting System's short-lived Cable Music Channel.
Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles.
Flix is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Showtime Networks, a subsidiary of Paramount Global operated through its Paramount Media Networks division. Its programming consists solely of theatrically released motion pictures released from the 1970s to the present day, interspersed with some films from the 1950s and 1960s.
Thomas E. Freston is an American media proprietor, businessman, and financier.
TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and classic television series, original scripted series and limited theatrically released movies. The network is headquartered at One Astor Plaza in New York City.
CMT is an American pay TV network that launched on March 5, 1983. It is currently owned by Paramount Global through its MTV Entertainment Group division.
Paramount Networks Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA) is a division of Paramount International Networks which is fully owned by Paramount Global. The unit's headquarters are in Madrid, with additional offices in Berlin, Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, Dubai, Johannesburg, Lagos, Budapest, Warsaw, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo, Beijing, Manila, Copenhagen, Prague, Helsinki, and Hong Kong. The company was originally founded under the name MTV Networks Europe in 1987.
Paramount Networks Americas (PNA) is a subsidiary of Paramount Global. PNA's operational headquarters is located in Miami, Florida.
Nickelodeon is a German free-to-air television channel for children, part of the international. based on the U.S. counterpart brand originally launched in 1995, and relaunched in 2005, Nickelodeon is based in Berlin. The channel is available on subscription services and as an unscrambled, free-to-air (FTA) satellite signal. On 31 March 2010, the channel re-adopted the name Nickelodeon on air and online, in addition to the new Nickelodeon logo and graphical package being rolled out internationally at the time. The "Nickelodeon" name was re-adopted once again when it rebranded on 1 August 2023, nearly 5 months after its rebrand in the U.S. Since then, the channel is also broadcast in English in addition to German on a secondary audio track. It is aimed at kids between the ages of 6 and 13.
Viacom International Inc. is the international division of the Paramount Media Networks subsidiary of Paramount Global that oversees the production, broadcasting and promotion of its brands outside of the United States. These brands include Paramount Network, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and BET, as well as CBS-branded channels co-owned with AMC Networks International. PIN also owned a 30% stake in the Rainbow S.p.A. animation studio in Italy from 2011 to 2023 and a stake in Viacom18, an Indian joint venture with domestic partner TV18, from 2007 to 2024.
Nickelodeon is an American basic cable and satellite television network that is part of the Nickelodeon Group, a unit of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, which focuses on programs for children and teenagers ages 2 to 17 years old.
The original phase of Viacom Inc. was an American mass media and entertainment conglomerate based in New York City. It began as CBS Television Film Sales, the broadcast syndication division of the CBS television network in 1952; it was renamed CBS Films in 1958, renamed CBS Enterprises in 1968, renamed Viacom in 1970, and spun off into its own company in 1971. Viacom was a distributor of CBS television series throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and also distributed syndicated television programs. The company went under Sumner Redstone's control in 1987 through his cinema chain company National Amusements.
The Nick Jr. Channel, sometimes shortened to Nick Jr., is an American pay television channel spun off from Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. programming block and owned and operated by the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on September 28, 2009 in the channel space previously held by Noggin, the channel primarily targets preschoolers and toddlers ages 2 to 6 years old. Its lineup features a mix of original programming, along with series from the Nick Jr. block; to avoid confusion between the two different entities, the separate channel has been identified on-air as the "Nick Jr. Channel" since March 2018 to the present day for promos and until September 2023 for the on-screen graphic.
Robert Marc Bakish is an American business executive. He became the president and CEO of Paramount Global on December 4, 2019, formerly holding the same position at Viacom before the merger with CBS Corporation. He resigned on April 29, 2024 when Paramount was considering a major merger after a poor performance in the stock market.
Nickelodeon Group, also known as Nickelodeon Networks Inc., is an American children's entertainment company owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks division that oversees cable television channels, its in-house animation studio, and Paws, Inc.
On December 31, 2005, American mass media company Viacom split into two companies: the second CBS Corporation, its successor which held the namesake flagship channel CBS, CBS News, CBS Sports, Showtime Networks, UPN, Smithsonian Channel, Channel 10, PopTV, Simon and Schuster, Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, Viacom Outdoor, and Paramount Television, and an entirely new Viacom which held Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Noggin, Nicktoons, TEENick, Music Television, Black Entertainment Television, Video Hits One, Country Music Television, and later DreamWorks, respectively. It was first announced in March 2005. The companies were controlled under National Amusements' control because of a stagnating stock price.
In November 1985, Viacom acquired MTV Networks for $326 million in cash and warrants. One-third of MTV was publicly owned; the rest was owned by Warner Communications and the American Express Company. At the same time, Viacom bought 50 percent of Showtime, the pay television service, that it did not already own for $184 million.