 | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Division |
| Industry | |
| Founded | December 1, 1977; 47 years ago (1977-12-01) |
| Founder | Robert Pittman |
| Headquarters | 1515 Broadway,, U.S. |
Key people | Laurel Weir (president and CEO) |
| Brands | |
| Owner | Paramount Skydance Corporation |
| Parent | Paramount Skydance TV Media |
| Divisions | |
Paramount Media Networks is the division ofParamount Skydance Corporation that oversees the operations of itstelevision channels and online brands. The division was originally founded asMTV Networks in 1984, named afterMTV.[1] It would be known under this name until 2011; when it would be thereafter known asViacom Media Networks until 2019; andViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks until 2022.
The division's television assets are managed through four units:MTV Entertainment Group,Showtime Networks,BET Media Group, andNickelodeon Group. Paramount's international/foreign assets are overseen byParamount International Networks.
Warner Cable Communications was founded on December 1, 1977, byWarner Cable, itself a division ofWarner Communications (predecessor to Warner Bros. Discovery (which was at the time WarnerMedia, Time Warner, and AOL Time Warner)), to launchQUBE, an interactive cable television system that mainly served in the Midwest state. Seeing the potential in the creation of new cable networks, Warner Cable divested QUBE's biggest brands: Star Channel (film), Pinwheel (youths) and Sight on Sound (music), into nationwide outlets. Star Channel began by satellite in January 1979 and was renamed asThe Movie Channel by the end of the year. The original channel "C-3", by then known as Pinwheel, becameNickelodeon in April 1979. As a result of these actions, Warner Cable Communications would then be rebranded asWarner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, becoming ajoint venture between Warner Cable andAmerican Express.
In 1980, Warner-Amex formed a joint venture with the now-defunctCablevision's Rainbow Media (now asAMC Networks) division to launchBravo, a cable network dedicated to arts and films, on December 1, 1980. Because of the 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 byComcast'sNBCUniversal.[2]
On August 1, 1981, all-video channelMTV first introduced. In 1983, concerned by the strategic and financial failure of its pay-TV venture The Movie Channel (began to reap the benefits when Time Inc. was having withHBO andCinemax), WASEC established a joint venture withViacom, merging TMC with their premium movie network Showtime to formShowtime/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 its assets to Warner-Amex Cable Entertainment and rebrand it as "MTV Networks".[1][3] A year later, Warner would acquire the 50% stake from American Express.[4]
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.[5][6]
In November 1985, Viacom announced that it had plans to buy the remaining 69% of MTV Networks from Warner for $326 million,[7] and the acquisition was completed on May 20, 1986.[8]
In 1988, the company partnered with fellow Viacom subsidiaryViacom Enterprises to handle advertising sales ofSuperboy, a syndicated television series.[9] The division was later evolved into One World Entertainment in the early 1990s, who partnered to launch aVH1-syndicated series.[10] In 2003, MTV Networks assumed full ownership ofComedy Central fromAOL 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 retainedCBS,UPN,Simon & Schuster and Showtime Networks (Showtime, The Movie Channel, andFlix), and a spun-off company under theViacom name, which took ownership ofParamount Pictures,BET Networks and MTV Networks (Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH1).
MTV Networks was renamedViacom Media Networks in 2011. In Fall 2012, media analysts began to report that ratings among some of Viacom's leading brands in the U.S. were experiencing declines in viewership.[11][12] 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 film studio Paramount Pictures.[13][14][15][16] In February 2017, cable channelsCMT andTV Land were moved from the Kids and Family Group to the Global Entertainment Group under Kevin Kay, joining up with Spike TV.[17] During the same month, it was announced that Spike would be relaunched asParamount Network in 2018, aligning with the namesake film studio and being positioned as Viacom's main general entertainment outlet.[18][19] BET Networks launchedBET+ in September 2017.
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 andBellator MMA.[20]
In 2019, after acquiring the free streaming servicePluto TV, Viacom would launch several channels on the service branded after its Media Networks and company–ownedIP.[21][22][23][24]
In August 2019, Viacom announced that it wouldmerge with CBS Corporation, reuniting the two entities under theViacomCBS name.[25][26] The merger closed on December 4, 2019.[27][28] Announced on November 11, 2019, as part of the re–merger, the Media Networks division was renamedViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, and re-organized.
MTV, VH1, CMT andLogo were re-organized into the "Entertainment & Youth Group",[29] with the addition of Comedy Central, Paramount Network,Smithsonian Channel, and TV Land. BET Networks was merged with Showtime Networks under CEODavid Nevins, who also temporarily gained oversight ofPop TV (formerly co-owned withLionsgate);[30] Pop TV was transferred to the Entertainment & Youth Group on January 15, 2020.[31]
On February 16, 2022, ViacomCBS was renamed as Paramount Global, and ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks was renamedParamount Media Networks.[32] In 2022, MTV Entertainment Group partnered with Second Chance Studios to help formerly incarcerated individuals launch media careers.[33] On May 9, 2023, Paramount restructured its U.S. domestic network business.[34]
Near the end of 2023, Paramount announced that the mobile apps for Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, and Showtime would cease operations at on January 31, 2024. The reason was to encourage users to sign up forParamount+. The Nickelodeon Group shut downNoggin on July 2 of that same year for the same reason.
On April 29, 2024, President and CEOBob Bakish was replaced byBrian Robbins, George Cheeks, andChris McCarthy.[35] This action was the result of Bakish's reported opposition of the Skydance deal.[36] McCarthy was legally designated the company's "interim principal executive officer" in order to comply withSEC regulations stipulating that one person must conduct "the normal course of business".[37]
By July 2, 2024, Skydance renegotiated the deal and reached a preliminary agreement to acquire National Amusements and merge with Paramount.[38] The deal was referred by National Amusements to Paramount's special committee.[39] Also, Paramount reportedly entered talks for a sale of theBET Media Group to buyers led by BET CEOScott Mills for $1.6-$1.7 billion.[40]
On August 13, 2025, it was confirmed thatBET Media Group is no longer up for sale and it was transferred from CBS Entertainment Group back to Paramount Media Networks.
| Category | Name | Launch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Networks Group | |||
| Showtime Networks | Showtime | July 1, 1976 | |
| Showtime 2 | October 1, 1991 | ||
| Showtime Showcase | 1996 | ||
| SHO×BET | September 1999 | ||
| Showtime Extreme | March 10, 1998 | ||
| Showtime Family Zone | March 2001 | ||
| Showtime Next | March 2001 | ||
| Showtime Women | March 2001 | ||
| The Movie Channel | April 1, 1973 | ||
| The Movie Channel Xtra | October 1, 1997 | ||
| Flix | August 1, 1992 | ||
| BET Media Group | BET | July 1, 1983 | |
| BET Her | January 15, 1996 | ||
| BET Gospel | July 1, 2002 | ||
| BET Jams | May 1, 2002 | ||
| BET Soul | August 1, 1998 | ||
| MTV Entertainment Group | |||
| MTV Branded Television | MTV | August 1, 1981 | |
| MTV2 | August 1, 1996 | ||
| MTV Classic | August 1, 1998 | ||
| MTV Tres | August 1, 1998 | ||
| MTVU | January 20, 2004 | ||
| MTV Live | January 16, 2006 | ||
| General Entertainment Content | CMT | March 5, 1983 | |
| CMT Music | August 1, 1998 | ||
| Comedy Central | April 1, 1991 | ||
| Logo TV | June 30, 2005 | ||
| Paramount Network | March 7, 1983 | ||
| Pop TV | 1981 | ||
| Smithsonian Channel | September 26, 2007 | ||
| TV Land | April 29, 1996 | ||
| VH1 | January 1, 1985 | ||
| Nickelodeon Group | |||
| Kids and Family Group | Nickelodeon | April 1, 1979 | |
| Nick at Nite | July 1, 1985 | ||
| Nick Jr. | January 4, 1988 | ||
| Nick Jr. Channel | September 28, 2009 | ||
| TeenNick | |||
| NickMusic | May 1, 2002 | ||
| Nicktoons | |||
 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Laurel Weir (president and CEO) |
| Brands | |
| Parent | Paramount Media Networks |
| Divisions |
|
| Website | mtv |
MTV Entertainment Group serves as the holdings company for Paramount's mature-oriented, general entertainment brands; such as its namesake flagshipMTV,Comedy Central, andParamount Network.[41] It operates two divisions: MTV Branded Television (MTV-related channels) & General Entertainment Content (non-MTV-related channels).
Showtime Networks oversees the company's premium networks, which include itsflagship service,The Movie Channel, andFlix.
TheNickelodeon 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 itsnamesake cable network andNickelodeon Animation Studio.
BET Media Group owns networks aimed at African Americans, includingBET and their related sister channels.
The company has owned many other internet properties including virtual pets websiteNeopets;Flash game websites AddictingGames.com andShockwave.com; online content production companyAtom Entertainment; along withRateMyProfessors.com,GameTrailers, andiFilm, all of which have been shut down or sold off during 2000s and 2010s.
During the first quarter of 2008,iFilm was merged intoSpike with its website re–branded and re–purposed asSpike.com.[45]
In 2014,Viacom purchased a stake inmulti-channel networkDefy Media, while offloadingGameTrailers, Addicting Games, andShockwave to Defy.[46]
In 2006, Viacom acquiredHarmonix, a video game studio oriented towardsmusic video games and the original developer of theGuitar Hero franchise, for $175 million.[47] The two subsequently collaborated on the creation ofRock Band.[48] That year, Viacom also acquired the gaming–oriented communications platformXfire.[49]
In 2010, Harmonix was divested to an investment firm to become an independent studio,[50][51] and Xfire was sold.[52]
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.[53]
Viacom International Inc. was established in 1971, just a year afterViacom spun out from theCBS TV network and became Viacom's parent company. The company is responsible for copyrights and trademarks associated with Paramount Media Networks. The division alsolicenses the product rights for their various properties and the dissemination of visual and textual television programs on a subscription/fee basis. The company jointly ownsComedy Partners with Viacom Hearty Ha! Ha! LLC, who owned theHa! network as well as a stake in Comedy Central prior toHBO's departure.[54]
Viacom International also served as the licensee name and division forits group of television stations for FCC purposes before the 1995 Westinghouse/CBS merger. Former Viacom stationWVIT inNew Britain, Connecticut (servingHartford andNew Haven), which it owned from 1978 until 1997, took its call letters from the initials of Viacom International, and retains them to the present day underNBC ownership.
In 2006, Viacom International was renamed to CBS Operations, Inc. by CBS Corporation, and its copyrights related to Viacom's cable networks were transferred to a subsidiary of the new Viacom also named Viacom International Inc. The new subsidiary remains active after theParamount Skydancemerger. ViacomCBS International Inc. was used as an alternate trade name for the company during the 2020–21 television season, when the company was under ViacomCBS.
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-TV service, that it did not already own for $184 million.