Jo Ann Ross, whose lengthy run as the head of ad sales at CBS represented a breakthrough for a woman in the traditionally male-dominated field, is formally winding down her tenure at Paramount Global.
In September 2022, Ross segued to an advisory role, becoming Chairman of Paramount Advertising as John Halley was elevated to President, overseeing day-to-day ad sales. On Tuesday, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish informed employees in a memo that Ross would officially exit the company next week after “having helped prime our sales team for another strong upfront season.”
Ross had been one of the few division heads from CBS Corp. to remain in charge after the company’s merger with Viacom closed in December 2019. Along with the merger integration, the next two years would present Ross and her industry colleagues with Biblical challenges in coping with Covid, which wiped out sports and production for months, not to mention wining-and-dining.
In September 2022, Ross segued to an advisory role, becoming Chairman of Paramount Advertising as John Halley was elevated to President, overseeing day-to-day ad sales. On Tuesday, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish informed employees in a memo that Ross would officially exit the company next week after “having helped prime our sales team for another strong upfront season.”
Ross had been one of the few division heads from CBS Corp. to remain in charge after the company’s merger with Viacom closed in December 2019. Along with the merger integration, the next two years would present Ross and her industry colleagues with Biblical challenges in coping with Covid, which wiped out sports and production for months, not to mention wining-and-dining.
- 4/23/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Jo Ann Ross, the first woman to run a broadcast TV network’s ad-sales efforts and one of the last senior ad-sales executives in the TV industry to hold direct relationships with advertisers when primetime broadcast programs were seen as the primary venue for Madison Avenue’s dollars, is leaving the industry, stepping down from her role as chairman of Paramount Global’s ad sales division at the end of April.
Ross had already stepped back from day to day duties, ceding that role to John Halley, who was named president of ad sales for the company in 2022. But her relationships with key sponsors were seen as valuable, as were the ties many of her senior executives had with media agencies and marketing executives. She has stayed on at Paramount in a key advisory role.
“Jo Ann has steered our advertising business from one milestone to the next. She oversaw...
Ross had already stepped back from day to day duties, ceding that role to John Halley, who was named president of ad sales for the company in 2022. But her relationships with key sponsors were seen as valuable, as were the ties many of her senior executives had with media agencies and marketing executives. She has stayed on at Paramount in a key advisory role.
“Jo Ann has steered our advertising business from one milestone to the next. She oversaw...
- 4/23/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
After decades of working to interest advertisers in the Masters, NCAA March Madness, Sunday NFL games and, most recently, Super Bowl Lviii, John Bogusz has thrown his last pass to Madison Avenue,
The CBS Sports ad-sales chief, who has been at the Paramount Global-backed network for more than 26 years, is expected to leave his role as executive vice president of sports sales following one more NCAA tournament and Masters golf competition, according to an internal memo reviewed by Variety. “Bogie,” as he is commonly known among staffers, buyers and clients, departs at a moment of transition for the sports operations at CBS. Sean McManus, the long-serving chairman of the sports business is also stepping away.
Bogusz’ exit comes after CBS orchestrated a record-setting ad haul for Super Bowl Lviii — more than $600 million, goosed in part by the match between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs going into overtime.
The CBS Sports ad-sales chief, who has been at the Paramount Global-backed network for more than 26 years, is expected to leave his role as executive vice president of sports sales following one more NCAA tournament and Masters golf competition, according to an internal memo reviewed by Variety. “Bogie,” as he is commonly known among staffers, buyers and clients, departs at a moment of transition for the sports operations at CBS. Sean McManus, the long-serving chairman of the sports business is also stepping away.
Bogusz’ exit comes after CBS orchestrated a record-setting ad haul for Super Bowl Lviii — more than $600 million, goosed in part by the match between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs going into overtime.
- 3/13/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Jack Sussman is leaving CBS after 25 years.
Sussman, EVP, Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming, CBS Entertainment, is stepping down but will remain in business with the network as an exec producer of both The Tony Awards and The Kennedy Center Honors.
He informed colleagues of his departure moments ago in an internal memo (which you can read below). George Cheeks, President and CEO, CBS and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports, Paramount+, called Sussman a “legendary” exec in his note to staff (which you can also see below).
Sussman has overseen CBS specials since 1998, when he joined the company as VP from Lat Am movie channel Cinecanal. He was promoted to SVP, Specials in 2000.
He was subsequently promoted to EVP, Specials, Music and Live Events in 2006 before adding responsibility for alternative programming in 2020 as part of a restructure following the departure of Sharon Vuong. He reported to Amy Reisenbach,...
Sussman, EVP, Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming, CBS Entertainment, is stepping down but will remain in business with the network as an exec producer of both The Tony Awards and The Kennedy Center Honors.
He informed colleagues of his departure moments ago in an internal memo (which you can read below). George Cheeks, President and CEO, CBS and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports, Paramount+, called Sussman a “legendary” exec in his note to staff (which you can also see below).
Sussman has overseen CBS specials since 1998, when he joined the company as VP from Lat Am movie channel Cinecanal. He was promoted to SVP, Specials in 2000.
He was subsequently promoted to EVP, Specials, Music and Live Events in 2006 before adding responsibility for alternative programming in 2020 as part of a restructure following the departure of Sharon Vuong. He reported to Amy Reisenbach,...
- 1/10/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Linda Rene once proved instrumental in weaving blue-chip advertisers like Anheuser-Busch and General Motors into a fledgling CBS reality competition called “Survivor.” Two decades later, she is planning to get off the island.
Rene, an advertising-sales veteran who has worked at CBS for more than four decades, helped expand an industry practice known as product placement and was pivotal in crafting new deals that not only had advertisers providing vehicles and beverages as set dressing, but weaving their products into a show in ways that made them as prominent as some of the cast members. Marketers were able to cut deals with CBS that guaranteed them a notable presence in programs such as “The Amazing Race” or “NCIS,” while agreeing to buy up traditional commercials in the series that bolstered their in-show appearances.
Now, after working at CBS and its successor company, Paramount Global, as the head of primetime ad...
Rene, an advertising-sales veteran who has worked at CBS for more than four decades, helped expand an industry practice known as product placement and was pivotal in crafting new deals that not only had advertisers providing vehicles and beverages as set dressing, but weaving their products into a show in ways that made them as prominent as some of the cast members. Marketers were able to cut deals with CBS that guaranteed them a notable presence in programs such as “The Amazing Race” or “NCIS,” while agreeing to buy up traditional commercials in the series that bolstered their in-show appearances.
Now, after working at CBS and its successor company, Paramount Global, as the head of primetime ad...
- 12/1/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Getting to Carnegie Hall requires, as the old joke goes, practice, practice practice. Walking away, it would seem, is significantly easier.
Paramount Global, a media company that has over the past decades come to emblematize the entertainment industry’s annual “upfront” sales session in no small part because of its presentations at the New York landmark, this year surprised many by walking away from holding one. Chances are the company won’t be returning in the near future.
“We are not going to go back to the old way of doing things,” says John Halley, Paramount’s president of advertising, in an interview.
Halley is presiding over his first upfront — a weeks-long haggle over ad inventory for the networks’ next cycle of programming — after having succeeded longtime executive Jo Ann Ross. He has generated chatter across the industry by leaving behind the glitzy Wednesday-afternoon showcase started years ago by Paramount’s CBS.
Paramount Global, a media company that has over the past decades come to emblematize the entertainment industry’s annual “upfront” sales session in no small part because of its presentations at the New York landmark, this year surprised many by walking away from holding one. Chances are the company won’t be returning in the near future.
“We are not going to go back to the old way of doing things,” says John Halley, Paramount’s president of advertising, in an interview.
Halley is presiding over his first upfront — a weeks-long haggle over ad inventory for the networks’ next cycle of programming — after having succeeded longtime executive Jo Ann Ross. He has generated chatter across the industry by leaving behind the glitzy Wednesday-afternoon showcase started years ago by Paramount’s CBS.
- 5/8/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Laura Molen, a senior ad-sales executive at NBCUniversal who was often viewed as a potential successor to the company’s chairman of advertising and partnerships, Linda Yaccarino, will leave the company early next year.
“These past few years have been full of enormous changes for all of us, both personally and professionally,” said Molen, a president in NBCU’s ad-sales division, in a statement to staffers. “While I love NBCUniversal and this team, it is time for me to re-prioritize my focus, have more family time and fully explore my numerous passions. I’m particularly interested in utilizing my expertise to partner with others and help companies succeed, including taking on more Board advisory roles, like so many leaders I admire.”
NBCUniversal has been seeking buyouts from a group of older executives, but the decision to leave is Molen’s, according to a person familiar with the matter. She is...
“These past few years have been full of enormous changes for all of us, both personally and professionally,” said Molen, a president in NBCU’s ad-sales division, in a statement to staffers. “While I love NBCUniversal and this team, it is time for me to re-prioritize my focus, have more family time and fully explore my numerous passions. I’m particularly interested in utilizing my expertise to partner with others and help companies succeed, including taking on more Board advisory roles, like so many leaders I admire.”
NBCUniversal has been seeking buyouts from a group of older executives, but the decision to leave is Molen’s, according to a person familiar with the matter. She is...
- 12/16/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Laura Molen, the president of advertising sales at NBCUniversal, has decided to leave the company.
Molen shared her decision in a memo to staff Friday morning.
“This was not an easy decision for me to make – yet, once decided, one I am extremely confident (and excited) about,” Molen wrote. “These past few years have been full of enormous changes for all of us, both personally and professionally. While I love NBCUniversal and this team, it is time for me to re-prioritize my focus, have more family time and fully explore my numerous passions. I’m particularly interested in utilizing my expertise to partner with others and help companies succeed, including taking on more Board advisory roles, like so many leaders I admire.”
Molen has agreed to stay with the company through the end of Q1 2023, per a note from NBCUniversal ad sales chair Linda Yaccarino,...
Laura Molen, the president of advertising sales at NBCUniversal, has decided to leave the company.
Molen shared her decision in a memo to staff Friday morning.
“This was not an easy decision for me to make – yet, once decided, one I am extremely confident (and excited) about,” Molen wrote. “These past few years have been full of enormous changes for all of us, both personally and professionally. While I love NBCUniversal and this team, it is time for me to re-prioritize my focus, have more family time and fully explore my numerous passions. I’m particularly interested in utilizing my expertise to partner with others and help companies succeed, including taking on more Board advisory roles, like so many leaders I admire.”
Molen has agreed to stay with the company through the end of Q1 2023, per a note from NBCUniversal ad sales chair Linda Yaccarino,...
- 12/16/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
SeeHer, an organization focused on accurate portrayals of women and girls in media and advertising, has released a new guide on how to write Asian Pacific Islander women authentically.
First announced in May at the Gold Gala, the lavish fete thrown by Gold House, which partnered with SeeHer to develop the Api resource, the guide offers detailed lists of questions and points to consider, designed to get creatives to consider the diversity within Api womanhood as well as overplayed tropes (i.e. model minorities, tiger moms, dragon ladies, perpetual foreigners), covering subject areas including language, family, religion, career paths, skin tone and intersectionality.
“I work to ensure that the women I play are not just relegated to stereotypes,” said Michelle Yeoh, who received the SeeHer Award at the Gold Gala.
For example, the guide notes that colorism and oversexualization or exoticization are both...
SeeHer, an organization focused on accurate portrayals of women and girls in media and advertising, has released a new guide on how to write Asian Pacific Islander women authentically.
First announced in May at the Gold Gala, the lavish fete thrown by Gold House, which partnered with SeeHer to develop the Api resource, the guide offers detailed lists of questions and points to consider, designed to get creatives to consider the diversity within Api womanhood as well as overplayed tropes (i.e. model minorities, tiger moms, dragon ladies, perpetual foreigners), covering subject areas including language, family, religion, career paths, skin tone and intersectionality.
“I work to ensure that the women I play are not just relegated to stereotypes,” said Michelle Yeoh, who received the SeeHer Award at the Gold Gala.
For example, the guide notes that colorism and oversexualization or exoticization are both...
- 12/9/2022
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The recent leadership shakeup at CBS — with network entertainment president Kelly Kahl exiting after 26 years and programming head Thom Sherman shifting to a producing deal — has placed a new focus on Paramount Global’s cost-cutting efforts.
The thinning of the executive ranks was accompanied by another round of layoffs — about 100 employees across Los Angeles and New York, with employees in the ad sales, CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios divisions most affected. And last week’s C-suite changes follow the recent exit of Showtime chairman and CEO David Nevins and transition of Paramount advertising president Jo Ann Ross into an advisory role.
The moves are the latest sign of Paramount CEO Bob Bakish’s attempts to put his own stamp on the company that he’s led for three years. All four executives were holdovers from when Les Moonves ran CBS, and according to former NBC network executive Tom Nunan,...
The thinning of the executive ranks was accompanied by another round of layoffs — about 100 employees across Los Angeles and New York, with employees in the ad sales, CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios divisions most affected. And last week’s C-suite changes follow the recent exit of Showtime chairman and CEO David Nevins and transition of Paramount advertising president Jo Ann Ross into an advisory role.
The moves are the latest sign of Paramount CEO Bob Bakish’s attempts to put his own stamp on the company that he’s led for three years. All four executives were holdovers from when Les Moonves ran CBS, and according to former NBC network executive Tom Nunan,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Restructuring, streamlining and realignment. We’ve been hearing that phrasing quite a bit over the past few months as media congloms have been thinning out their top executive ranks and targeting efficiencies to improve their balance sheets in a time when the effects from the pandemic are being exacerbated by the impact of the economic slowdown, high inflation and a looming recession.
Related Story CBS Shakeup: Thom Sherman Steps Down & Segues To Producing Deal, Amy Reisenbach Upped To President Of Entertainment Related Story The TV Network Slot Machines Built? Nexstar Says Its Investment In The CW To Be Mostly Funded By Proceeds From Sale Of Chicago Property To Casino Developer Related Story Kelly Kahl To Depart As CBS Entertainment President After 26 Years At Broadcast Network
CBS president and CEO George Cheeks used the “restructuring and streamlining” language in his memos yesterday announcing the exits of Kelly Kahl, a 26-year CBS veteran,...
Related Story CBS Shakeup: Thom Sherman Steps Down & Segues To Producing Deal, Amy Reisenbach Upped To President Of Entertainment Related Story The TV Network Slot Machines Built? Nexstar Says Its Investment In The CW To Be Mostly Funded By Proceeds From Sale Of Chicago Property To Casino Developer Related Story Kelly Kahl To Depart As CBS Entertainment President After 26 Years At Broadcast Network
CBS president and CEO George Cheeks used the “restructuring and streamlining” language in his memos yesterday announcing the exits of Kelly Kahl, a 26-year CBS veteran,...
- 11/17/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Layoffs are under way at Paramount Global, with several dozen employees expected to formalize their departures today, insiders have confirmed to Deadline.
The cuts, which are expected to affect fewer than 100 workers in both New York and Los Angeles, are concentrated largely in the ad sales group. CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios employees are also affected, sources added.
Related Story Paramount Global CFO Says Ad Market Soft But Not "Anything Close To” Covid Days Related Story Paramount Global Stock Flies As Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Boosts Stake Related Story The CW To Shed Wbd, Paramount Content In 2023-24 Season; Former Owners "Not Precluded From Selling Us Programming" If It's "A Deal We Like," Says Nexstar CEO
A number of business areas had been publicly targeted for streamlining in recent weeks, among them international operations, marketing and ad sales. The sales group has been undergoing a transformation in recent weeks,...
The cuts, which are expected to affect fewer than 100 workers in both New York and Los Angeles, are concentrated largely in the ad sales group. CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios employees are also affected, sources added.
Related Story Paramount Global CFO Says Ad Market Soft But Not "Anything Close To” Covid Days Related Story Paramount Global Stock Flies As Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Boosts Stake Related Story The CW To Shed Wbd, Paramount Content In 2023-24 Season; Former Owners "Not Precluded From Selling Us Programming" If It's "A Deal We Like," Says Nexstar CEO
A number of business areas had been publicly targeted for streamlining in recent weeks, among them international operations, marketing and ad sales. The sales group has been undergoing a transformation in recent weeks,...
- 11/16/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Global is making moves in its advertising division.
Jo Ann Ross, a 30 year veteran of the company, has been named chairman of Paramount advertising – an advisory role, with John Halley assuming her previous role as President in the division. As part of Halley’s new role, he will report to Bob Bakish, president and chief executive officer of Paramount.
“Jo Ann is a true trailblazer in our industry and a dominant force behind the success of CBS, ViacomCBS, and now Paramount Global,” Bakish said in a statement. “As the world of entertainment has evolved, Jo Ann has been on the forefront of advertising innovations that have been instrumental to establishing Paramount as a trusted partner and must-buy for advertisers everywhere. Her talent and passion for this business is only matched by her exceptional ability to lead through change, building talented teams and enduring client relationships throughout her illustrious career.
Jo Ann Ross, a 30 year veteran of the company, has been named chairman of Paramount advertising – an advisory role, with John Halley assuming her previous role as President in the division. As part of Halley’s new role, he will report to Bob Bakish, president and chief executive officer of Paramount.
“Jo Ann is a true trailblazer in our industry and a dominant force behind the success of CBS, ViacomCBS, and now Paramount Global,” Bakish said in a statement. “As the world of entertainment has evolved, Jo Ann has been on the forefront of advertising innovations that have been instrumental to establishing Paramount as a trusted partner and must-buy for advertisers everywhere. Her talent and passion for this business is only matched by her exceptional ability to lead through change, building talented teams and enduring client relationships throughout her illustrious career.
- 9/13/2022
- by Jolie Lash
- The Wrap
Amid CBS executive suite changes over the past couple of decades, there has been one thing advertisers could always count on – an upfront presentation at Carnegie Hall and Jo Ann Ross putting on a show — often dressing like a character from a popular series — to make the network’s sales pitch.
Now the 30-year company veteran is stepping down and moving to an advisory role as Chairman, Paramount Advertising. John Halley, who previously served as EVP and Chief Operating Officer, Advertising, will succeed her as President, Paramount Advertising, overseeing the company’s domestic multiplatform sales efforts across its portfolio of broadcast, cable, digital and streaming assets. He will report to Bob Bakish, President and CEO of Paramount, effective immediately.
In her new position, Ross will help to ensure a smooth transition. A shrewd dealmaker and corporate survivor, she was one of very few top executives on the CBS side of...
Now the 30-year company veteran is stepping down and moving to an advisory role as Chairman, Paramount Advertising. John Halley, who previously served as EVP and Chief Operating Officer, Advertising, will succeed her as President, Paramount Advertising, overseeing the company’s domestic multiplatform sales efforts across its portfolio of broadcast, cable, digital and streaming assets. He will report to Bob Bakish, President and CEO of Paramount, effective immediately.
In her new position, Ross will help to ensure a smooth transition. A shrewd dealmaker and corporate survivor, she was one of very few top executives on the CBS side of...
- 9/13/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Jo Ann Ross, the TV industry’s first female ad-sales chief, will take a new chairman role at Paramount Global, while John Halley will take on the position of president, overseeing U.S. sales — a major transition at the media company that aims to merge Ross’ close contact with clients with Halley’s expertise in new forms of digital advertising.
Halley will report directly to Paramount Global’s CEO, Bob Bakish, while Ross will “provide her expertise and experience in a strategic advisory role to ensure a smooth transition,” the company said in a statement.
Ross has been a trailblazer in the TV industry, taking over ad sales for the former CBS Corp. after the departure of Joe Abruzzese in 2002, when he exited to join Discovery Communications. Since that time, Ross has formed one of the most durable ad-sales teams in TV, with executives like Chris Simon, John Bogusz, Linda...
Halley will report directly to Paramount Global’s CEO, Bob Bakish, while Ross will “provide her expertise and experience in a strategic advisory role to ensure a smooth transition,” the company said in a statement.
Ross has been a trailblazer in the TV industry, taking over ad sales for the former CBS Corp. after the departure of Joe Abruzzese in 2002, when he exited to join Discovery Communications. Since that time, Ross has formed one of the most durable ad-sales teams in TV, with executives like Chris Simon, John Bogusz, Linda...
- 9/13/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Paramount Global is shaking up its global advertising and partnerships team, with Jo Ann Ross stepping aside as the company’s ad sales chief after 30 years with the company.
Ross will shift to a role as chairman of Paramount advertising, an advisory role where she will “provide her expertise and experience in a strategic advisory role to ensure a smooth transition.”
Paramount has named John Halley as its new president of advertising, reporting to CEO Bob Bakish. Halley, who had been executive vp and COO of advertising, will now oversee the company’s global TV and streaming ads business.
“I feel very lucky to have made my career in this business,” Ross said in a memo to staff Tuesday. “It feels like just yesterday that I joined CBS. I look back fondly and take stock of how much has changed since then. I...
Paramount Global is shaking up its global advertising and partnerships team, with Jo Ann Ross stepping aside as the company’s ad sales chief after 30 years with the company.
Ross will shift to a role as chairman of Paramount advertising, an advisory role where she will “provide her expertise and experience in a strategic advisory role to ensure a smooth transition.”
Paramount has named John Halley as its new president of advertising, reporting to CEO Bob Bakish. Halley, who had been executive vp and COO of advertising, will now oversee the company’s global TV and streaming ads business.
“I feel very lucky to have made my career in this business,” Ross said in a memo to staff Tuesday. “It feels like just yesterday that I joined CBS. I look back fondly and take stock of how much has changed since then. I...
- 9/13/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The venue was the same, but Paramount Global’s inaugural upfront presentation at Carnegie Hall took a very different approach compared to the CBS presentations of old.
Jo Ann Ross, longtime CBS ad sales chief, still opened the show without pomp and circumstance, introducing an event that was designed to run an hour playing off the them of CBS’ signature newsmagazine “60 Minutes.” In reality, it ran about an hour and 20 minutes.
In what has become a theme of the upfronts this year, media buyers spent much of the hour watching pre-taped pieces, sprinkled with in-person pitches from talent and executives. Rather than focusing on new series clips, it was “60 Minutes” anchors producing and hosting what were in essence branded custom content videos for their corporate parent.
(“The Late Late Show” host James Corden came out at 5:09 p.m. Et noting how, well, the “60 Minutes” idea didn’t quite work as planned.
Jo Ann Ross, longtime CBS ad sales chief, still opened the show without pomp and circumstance, introducing an event that was designed to run an hour playing off the them of CBS’ signature newsmagazine “60 Minutes.” In reality, it ran about an hour and 20 minutes.
In what has become a theme of the upfronts this year, media buyers spent much of the hour watching pre-taped pieces, sprinkled with in-person pitches from talent and executives. Rather than focusing on new series clips, it was “60 Minutes” anchors producing and hosting what were in essence branded custom content videos for their corporate parent.
(“The Late Late Show” host James Corden came out at 5:09 p.m. Et noting how, well, the “60 Minutes” idea didn’t quite work as planned.
- 5/18/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
James Corden took to the stage at Carnegie Hall for his final Upfronts as he prepares to exit from The Late Late Show.
He kicked off by joking that Paramount ad sales boss Jo Ann Ross promise to keep it to an hour “worked out well” as it overran. “Thank god, this isn’t a place that has to stick by a schedule,” he laughed.
He pointed out all of the historic performances that had taken place at the venue, including The Beatles and Judy Garland as well as Paramount promotional gameshow Climb That Mountain.
“What are they going to do? Fire me?,” he chuckled.
It appeared that he was going to get serious for a minute highlighting a quote. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile… because you won’t have to cover another Presidential Election.”
“I love being part of the CBS family, the Viacom family, the...
He kicked off by joking that Paramount ad sales boss Jo Ann Ross promise to keep it to an hour “worked out well” as it overran. “Thank god, this isn’t a place that has to stick by a schedule,” he laughed.
He pointed out all of the historic performances that had taken place at the venue, including The Beatles and Judy Garland as well as Paramount promotional gameshow Climb That Mountain.
“What are they going to do? Fire me?,” he chuckled.
It appeared that he was going to get serious for a minute highlighting a quote. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile… because you won’t have to cover another Presidential Election.”
“I love being part of the CBS family, the Viacom family, the...
- 5/18/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Jo Ann Ross has long recognized when to go for the hard- sell and when to soften things up.
The Paramount Global U.S. ad sales chief is, like other executives in her position, is seizing this week to pitch big advertisers as part of the media industry’s annual “upfront,” when U.S. TV companies seek to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory. But the event’s glitzy presentations and parties are taking place amid concerns about the effects of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine and amid ongoing concerns about how supply-chain issues might affect specific ad categories. The week takes place just after a significant drop in the stock market has sparked chatter about the state of the nation’s economy.
“I think that everybody in the industry understands what the whole country is going through in terms of the visibility toward next year, in terms of...
The Paramount Global U.S. ad sales chief is, like other executives in her position, is seizing this week to pitch big advertisers as part of the media industry’s annual “upfront,” when U.S. TV companies seek to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory. But the event’s glitzy presentations and parties are taking place amid concerns about the effects of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine and amid ongoing concerns about how supply-chain issues might affect specific ad categories. The week takes place just after a significant drop in the stock market has sparked chatter about the state of the nation’s economy.
“I think that everybody in the industry understands what the whole country is going through in terms of the visibility toward next year, in terms of...
- 5/18/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount Global’s head of U.S. ad sales Jo Ann Ross is in a good place, and we don’t just mean New York City’s Carnegie Hall, the site of her annual upfront. With the ad-supported Paramount+ tier and frontrunner in the Fast Pluto TV under her purview, Ross has a pair of reasons to pop champagne at the party immediately following Wednesday’s slate presentation to advertisers. And those are just her streaming reasons.
“We were the first mover, and I think we have an advantage as the leader in that space,” Ross said of the company’s 2019 Pluto acquisition and the maturation of CBS All Access into Paramount+. We think so, too.
While Pluto’s standing as the leader in Fast is not really debatable, the same designation for Paramount+ in AVOD is about to get complicated as the space gets even more crowded. On Tuesday,...
“We were the first mover, and I think we have an advantage as the leader in that space,” Ross said of the company’s 2019 Pluto acquisition and the maturation of CBS All Access into Paramount+. We think so, too.
While Pluto’s standing as the leader in Fast is not really debatable, the same designation for Paramount+ in AVOD is about to get complicated as the space gets even more crowded. On Tuesday,...
- 5/18/2022
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
There are far weightier consequences of the Omicron variant’s holiday-season surge than New York media types having to puzzle out the fate of red-carpet events.
And yet, that visible subset of the city has been tantalized by visions of a genuine spring awakening — assuming the fresh foot of snow ever melts. Covid numbers are continuing to improve by the day, and waves of industry events from February through May have returned to in-person plans after a prolonged period of limbo. Overall, the city still faces myriad challenges, among them an unemployment rate more than twice the national average and deep uncertainty about the return of tourism, office workers and international business travelers. Despite that backdrop — and, of course, the possibility of more Covid curveballs — the early months of 2022 are heading in an encouraging direction.
Movie awards season will get a jolt of energy as Oscar campaigning gradually resumes and...
And yet, that visible subset of the city has been tantalized by visions of a genuine spring awakening — assuming the fresh foot of snow ever melts. Covid numbers are continuing to improve by the day, and waves of industry events from February through May have returned to in-person plans after a prolonged period of limbo. Overall, the city still faces myriad challenges, among them an unemployment rate more than twice the national average and deep uncertainty about the return of tourism, office workers and international business travelers. Despite that backdrop — and, of course, the possibility of more Covid curveballs — the early months of 2022 are heading in an encouraging direction.
Movie awards season will get a jolt of energy as Oscar campaigning gradually resumes and...
- 1/30/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Some things just don’t change. CBS and Carnegie Hall go together during TV’s upfront week like Roger Daltrey singing the refrain to a Who song, which he once performed at one of CBS’ glitzy events.
While some media companies are shaking up the way they approach the kickoff to TV’s annual ad-sales market, ViacomCBS is not. The company intends to hold its presentation at the storied New York venue on May 18, charting a return to some semblance of TV operations as they were conducted before the advance of the coronavirus pandemic. NBCUniversal also intends to tread familiar terrain by holding its upfront event at its longtime perch at Radio City Music Hall. Disney and Fox, meanwhile are moving to new venues in hopes of conducting a presentation with a more intimate feel.
All the TV companies are navigating a return to in-person meetings after two years of...
While some media companies are shaking up the way they approach the kickoff to TV’s annual ad-sales market, ViacomCBS is not. The company intends to hold its presentation at the storied New York venue on May 18, charting a return to some semblance of TV operations as they were conducted before the advance of the coronavirus pandemic. NBCUniversal also intends to tread familiar terrain by holding its upfront event at its longtime perch at Radio City Music Hall. Disney and Fox, meanwhile are moving to new venues in hopes of conducting a presentation with a more intimate feel.
All the TV companies are navigating a return to in-person meetings after two years of...
- 1/26/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
The CBS upfront, now under the umbrella of ViacomCBS, will return to its longtime home at New York’s Carnegie Hall on May 18.
The news follows commitments from rivals Fox and NBCUniversal in recent days, both of which have slated multiple in-person upfront events. Disney has indicated it is taking a fresh look at the approach to its upfront, which has long been held at Lincoln Center.
The last year for the annual upfront extravaganza, which typically stretches for several weeks in the spring when cable and streaming are combined with broadcast TV, was 2019. Covid neutralized the live upfronts in 2020 and last year, forcing everything online. As media companies look to shore up advertising in a landscape upended by streaming, the idea of pressing the flesh in person has proven appealing.
Jo Ann Ross, president and chief advertising revenue officer of domestic ad sales for ViacomCBS, has been a longtime fixture at the upfront event.
The news follows commitments from rivals Fox and NBCUniversal in recent days, both of which have slated multiple in-person upfront events. Disney has indicated it is taking a fresh look at the approach to its upfront, which has long been held at Lincoln Center.
The last year for the annual upfront extravaganza, which typically stretches for several weeks in the spring when cable and streaming are combined with broadcast TV, was 2019. Covid neutralized the live upfronts in 2020 and last year, forcing everything online. As media companies look to shore up advertising in a landscape upended by streaming, the idea of pressing the flesh in person has proven appealing.
Jo Ann Ross, president and chief advertising revenue officer of domestic ad sales for ViacomCBS, has been a longtime fixture at the upfront event.
- 1/26/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The onset of Covid-19 in March 2020, at the traditional leading edge of TV upfront season, forced an epic scramble for TV networks and advertisers.
The upfronts ended up happening, but in fractured, virtual form. ViacomCBS, just months after merging, decided to stage a two-part pitch, showcasing Viacom’s networks and CBS on different days.
This time around, as sales chief Jo Ann Ross has prepared for today’s virtual event, the reunification of Viacom and CBS has seemed much more complete. “We have a very full portfolio approach, across the entire ecosystem in one presentation,” she told Deadline in an interview.
The marketplace, too, has calmed in some respects. The dire effects of the pandemic on production, live sports and normal consumer habits has eased significantly. While the complexity of shifting viewing patterns remains a challenge, Ross sees a brighter picture overall. “Last year, we weren’t sure when the season would start,...
The upfronts ended up happening, but in fractured, virtual form. ViacomCBS, just months after merging, decided to stage a two-part pitch, showcasing Viacom’s networks and CBS on different days.
This time around, as sales chief Jo Ann Ross has prepared for today’s virtual event, the reunification of Viacom and CBS has seemed much more complete. “We have a very full portfolio approach, across the entire ecosystem in one presentation,” she told Deadline in an interview.
The marketplace, too, has calmed in some respects. The dire effects of the pandemic on production, live sports and normal consumer habits has eased significantly. While the complexity of shifting viewing patterns remains a challenge, Ross sees a brighter picture overall. “Last year, we weren’t sure when the season would start,...
- 5/19/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
To hear ViacomCBS president and chief advertising revenue officer Jo Ann Ross tell it, the 2020 upfront “really has to have an asterisk.”
With almost all film and TV production shut down, there was enormous uncertainty when original shows would return, and what shows would even be able to film. Many major advertisers pulled out of the market completely, while others held back temporarily.
For ViacomCBS, it was supposed to be a unifying event, its first upfront since Viacom and CBS re-merged into one entity. Instead, it was a two-day virtual affair, with the company’s media assets split between the two presentations....
With almost all film and TV production shut down, there was enormous uncertainty when original shows would return, and what shows would even be able to film. Many major advertisers pulled out of the market completely, while others held back temporarily.
For ViacomCBS, it was supposed to be a unifying event, its first upfront since Viacom and CBS re-merged into one entity. Instead, it was a two-day virtual affair, with the company’s media assets split between the two presentations....
- 5/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
To hear ViacomCBS president and chief advertising revenue officer Jo Ann Ross tell it, the 2020 upfront “really has to have an asterisk.”
With almost all film and TV production shut down, there was enormous uncertainty when original shows would return, and what shows would even be able to film. Many major advertisers pulled out of the market completely, while others held back temporarily.
For ViacomCBS, it was supposed to be a unifying event, its first upfront since Viacom and CBS re-merged into one entity. Instead, it was a two-day virtual affair, with the company’s media assets split between the two presentations....
With almost all film and TV production shut down, there was enormous uncertainty when original shows would return, and what shows would even be able to film. Many major advertisers pulled out of the market completely, while others held back temporarily.
For ViacomCBS, it was supposed to be a unifying event, its first upfront since Viacom and CBS re-merged into one entity. Instead, it was a two-day virtual affair, with the company’s media assets split between the two presentations....
- 5/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TV usually belongs to the celebrities who play the nation’s favorite characters — people such as Ellen Pompeo, the star of ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” or Milo Ventimiglia from NBC’s “This Is Us.” During the industry’s upfront market, however, many eyes move instead to the network ad-sales chiefs.
These execs will be out in full force over the next several weeks, eager to keep the tens of billions of advertising dollars flowing into their companies’ corporate coffers. But the task won’t be easy.
The nation’s big media agencies are projecting increases in ad spending for 2021, citing a nation eager to move on from the pandemic — and hikes in activity from some of the businesses most affected by it, including movie studios and tourism. Interpublic Group’s Magna, a large media-buying unit, recently projected that overall U.S. ad sales would rise 6.4% to $240 billion in 2021, with national...
These execs will be out in full force over the next several weeks, eager to keep the tens of billions of advertising dollars flowing into their companies’ corporate coffers. But the task won’t be easy.
The nation’s big media agencies are projecting increases in ad spending for 2021, citing a nation eager to move on from the pandemic — and hikes in activity from some of the businesses most affected by it, including movie studios and tourism. Interpublic Group’s Magna, a large media-buying unit, recently projected that overall U.S. ad sales would rise 6.4% to $240 billion in 2021, with national...
- 5/12/2021
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
They may be young, but the young animated characters who make up the Rugrats are not to be dismissed.
Nickelodeon stopped making original episodes of the iconic series in 2004, but will re-launch the program in 2021, reuniting many of the actors who gave the toddlers at the center of the series voice and adding a wide array of new actors to many of their parents. “It’s an enormous responsibility. It’s such a beloved franchise,” says Brian Robbins, president of ViacomCBS’ Nickelodeon, in an interview. “We have a lot of the original creative team back including the voice cast of all the babies. That’s exciting and that’s a giant stamp of approval.”
The kids-media giant is betting on a wide range of new animation projects — it has hired more than 500 people in the past year at its animation studio and put more than 50 projects into development — to attract...
Nickelodeon stopped making original episodes of the iconic series in 2004, but will re-launch the program in 2021, reuniting many of the actors who gave the toddlers at the center of the series voice and adding a wide array of new actors to many of their parents. “It’s an enormous responsibility. It’s such a beloved franchise,” says Brian Robbins, president of ViacomCBS’ Nickelodeon, in an interview. “We have a lot of the original creative team back including the voice cast of all the babies. That’s exciting and that’s a giant stamp of approval.”
The kids-media giant is betting on a wide range of new animation projects — it has hired more than 500 people in the past year at its animation studio and put more than 50 projects into development — to attract...
- 3/18/2021
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
ViacomCBS is joining the parade of media companies trying to simplify their increasingly dizzying array of video offerings to advertisers.
The company, created from the merger of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. late last year, will this fall launch a new product called ViacomCBS EyeQ, a system that allows advertisers to purchase commercial inventory from across the company’s various digital-video offerings, which include ad-supported video hub Pluto; the many CBS digital holdings; and Viacom’s digital assets.
“When you are in the market with six or seven different products, it becomes incumbent on you as a seller to make it easier for your clients to understand what they are spending and how it is working,” says John Halley, chief operating officer of advertising revenue at ViacomCBS, in an interview.
Madison Avenue has a surfeit of video opportunities, and the task of placing commercials alongside all of them can be daunting.
The company, created from the merger of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. late last year, will this fall launch a new product called ViacomCBS EyeQ, a system that allows advertisers to purchase commercial inventory from across the company’s various digital-video offerings, which include ad-supported video hub Pluto; the many CBS digital holdings; and Viacom’s digital assets.
“When you are in the market with six or seven different products, it becomes incumbent on you as a seller to make it easier for your clients to understand what they are spending and how it is working,” says John Halley, chief operating officer of advertising revenue at ViacomCBS, in an interview.
Madison Avenue has a surfeit of video opportunities, and the task of placing commercials alongside all of them can be daunting.
- 8/4/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Aiming to further streamline its offerings for advertisers across its portfolio, ViacomCBS has set the launch of ViacomCBS EyeQ a platform billed as a “single transactional point of entry” to its digital video content.
Advertising reach across broadcast and cable television, streaming and digital video was a big part of why Viacom and CBS merged last December. ViacomCBS EyeQ, due to roll out this fall, unites assets like BET, CBS, CBS All Access, Cbsn, CBS Sports HQ, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pluto TV and VH1. It lets buyers access a total viewing audience of 50 million full-episode monthly unique viewers in the U.S., and 150 million across all content and devices.
“The launch of EyeQ marks the arrival of one of the biggest premium video platforms in digital media,” ViacomCBS COO of Ad Revenue John Halley said in a press release. “We have consolidated a massive audience footprint that will deliver quality,...
Advertising reach across broadcast and cable television, streaming and digital video was a big part of why Viacom and CBS merged last December. ViacomCBS EyeQ, due to roll out this fall, unites assets like BET, CBS, CBS All Access, Cbsn, CBS Sports HQ, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pluto TV and VH1. It lets buyers access a total viewing audience of 50 million full-episode monthly unique viewers in the U.S., and 150 million across all content and devices.
“The launch of EyeQ marks the arrival of one of the biggest premium video platforms in digital media,” ViacomCBS COO of Ad Revenue John Halley said in a press release. “We have consolidated a massive audience footprint that will deliver quality,...
- 8/4/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
With the coronavirus pandemic spurring chaos across the U.S. economy, some of the TV networks’ best-known ambassadors to the advertising industry were called upon in recent weeks to speak with members of the Association of National Advertisers, an influential industry group representing 1600 companies that spend more than $400 billion each year on advertising and marketing. The big question: Can you help us?
At individual meetings, executives like Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal’s chairman of ad sales and partnerships; Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising Sales; and Jo Ann Ross, ViacomCBS’s chief advertising revenue officer attended video conferences with top marketing executives from around the nation, according to four people familiar with the matter. The TV executives assured the advertisers that even though big contracts for TV ads are typically devised in spring and summer, the networks would do business with advertisers affected by the difficult era at times of their own choosing.
At individual meetings, executives like Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal’s chairman of ad sales and partnerships; Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising Sales; and Jo Ann Ross, ViacomCBS’s chief advertising revenue officer attended video conferences with top marketing executives from around the nation, according to four people familiar with the matter. The TV executives assured the advertisers that even though big contracts for TV ads are typically devised in spring and summer, the networks would do business with advertisers affected by the difficult era at times of their own choosing.
- 6/13/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
The myriad complications and stresses of the Covid-19 pandemic have created a television upfront season unlike any in memory.
In a typical spring and early summer, deals close for about one-third of the annual $70 billion in total TV ads. This year, most bets are off, at least for the near term. Ad spending is in free fall across the TV landscape and the U.S. economy continues to struggle, with Great Depression levels of unemployment and sharp declines in consumer spending.
The TV upfront ritual, which initially coalesced around the introduction of new car models and the corresponding premiere of fall programming, helps buyers lock in discounts. The alternative to ads bought “up front” are higher-priced, “scatter” spots landed closer to airtime. Selling in advance also gives sellers a firm foundation of revenue heading into the traditional September-to-May season. This year, without live sports or production of new series, the environment is riddled with uncertainty.
In a typical spring and early summer, deals close for about one-third of the annual $70 billion in total TV ads. This year, most bets are off, at least for the near term. Ad spending is in free fall across the TV landscape and the U.S. economy continues to struggle, with Great Depression levels of unemployment and sharp declines in consumer spending.
The TV upfront ritual, which initially coalesced around the introduction of new car models and the corresponding premiere of fall programming, helps buyers lock in discounts. The alternative to ads bought “up front” are higher-priced, “scatter” spots landed closer to airtime. Selling in advance also gives sellers a firm foundation of revenue heading into the traditional September-to-May season. This year, without live sports or production of new series, the environment is riddled with uncertainty.
- 5/25/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Like its big-media peers, ViacomCBS is coping with myriad questions about the road to recovery through Covid-19, but its message to advertisers this week included a particularly bullish statement from CBS Sports.
“The absence of sports is something we certainly miss dearly,” James Brown, host of studio show The NFL Today, presiding over a video segment in Tuesday’s CBS-centric portion of the company’s online upfront. “That’s why we’re pleased to welcome you back to live programming on CBS Sports.”
Production across the board has been almost completely frozen by the pandemic, throwing major wrenches into broadcast schedules and jeopardizing billions in ad revenue. Even before the drought could be felt in the scripted or unscripted lineups, sports became an immediate wasteland. National advertising for all broadcast networks declined 19% in March compared with the same period in 2019, according to the Standard Media Index. CBS saw its...
“The absence of sports is something we certainly miss dearly,” James Brown, host of studio show The NFL Today, presiding over a video segment in Tuesday’s CBS-centric portion of the company’s online upfront. “That’s why we’re pleased to welcome you back to live programming on CBS Sports.”
Production across the board has been almost completely frozen by the pandemic, throwing major wrenches into broadcast schedules and jeopardizing billions in ad revenue. Even before the drought could be felt in the scripted or unscripted lineups, sports became an immediate wasteland. National advertising for all broadcast networks declined 19% in March compared with the same period in 2019, according to the Standard Media Index. CBS saw its...
- 5/19/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2020 TV upfront season was already going to be a different one for ViacomCBS given the company has recently merged. Then came Covid-19.
“The one and only time we were together was last December when we rang the bell” at the stock exchange, ad sales chief Jo Ann Ross tells Deadline. As soon as the pandemic started forcing the cancellation of events in March and April, Ross said, “We quickly got the troops together and said, ‘Ok, we still need to stick a flag in the ground.'”
The result is a two-day set of online presentations, which will be made available on demand on Monday and Tuesday. The digital offerings are a “consumable,” “snackable” version of the Viacom client dinners hosted by CEO Bob Bakish and the long-established CBS extravaganza at Carnegie Hall, Ross said. While some media rivals have ditched the upfront ritual altogether, that option was never seriously considered.
“The one and only time we were together was last December when we rang the bell” at the stock exchange, ad sales chief Jo Ann Ross tells Deadline. As soon as the pandemic started forcing the cancellation of events in March and April, Ross said, “We quickly got the troops together and said, ‘Ok, we still need to stick a flag in the ground.'”
The result is a two-day set of online presentations, which will be made available on demand on Monday and Tuesday. The digital offerings are a “consumable,” “snackable” version of the Viacom client dinners hosted by CEO Bob Bakish and the long-established CBS extravaganza at Carnegie Hall, Ross said. While some media rivals have ditched the upfront ritual altogether, that option was never seriously considered.
- 5/18/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
In the early moments of the annual game to lure advertisers to the Super Bowl, ViacomCBS is first and long.
Signing 60 to 70 automakers, snack manufacturers and tech marketers to sponsor the biggest TV event of the year is never an easy task. But doing so will be tougher for the newly-merged media conglomerate, owing to a coronavirus pandemic that has thrown the sports business into disarray and forced advertisers to tighten their purse strings. ViacomCBS, which has the rights to broadcast the extravaganza in 2021, will have to reassure would-be Big Game sponsors about the NFL’s ability to mount a new season even as it tries to get the best prices possible.
“We are not going to be silly about it,” says Jo Ann Ross, president and chief U.S. advertising revenue officer of ViacomCBS, in an interview. She says the company recognizes that clients will want contingency plans in...
Signing 60 to 70 automakers, snack manufacturers and tech marketers to sponsor the biggest TV event of the year is never an easy task. But doing so will be tougher for the newly-merged media conglomerate, owing to a coronavirus pandemic that has thrown the sports business into disarray and forced advertisers to tighten their purse strings. ViacomCBS, which has the rights to broadcast the extravaganza in 2021, will have to reassure would-be Big Game sponsors about the NFL’s ability to mount a new season even as it tries to get the best prices possible.
“We are not going to be silly about it,” says Jo Ann Ross, president and chief U.S. advertising revenue officer of ViacomCBS, in an interview. She says the company recognizes that clients will want contingency plans in...
- 5/18/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
ViacomCBS, on the hunt for advertising dollars in a difficult economic moment, plans to take two shots at its target.
The recently-merged company later today will offer a look at its various cable properties to media buyers and advertisers, and on Tuesday will debut the fall schedule for its CBS broadcast network. The two video presentations will be sent via email to clients and are designed to whet appetites on Madison Avenue, says Jo Ann Ross, the company’s president and chief U.S. advertising revenue officer, in an interview. The pitch holds that with the company’s reach, which extends from Trevor Noah to “NCIS,” ViacomCBS offerings can’t be ignored.
The media conglomerate, which owns CBS, Showtime and Nickelodeon, among other media outlets, is testing a different tactic than others approaching advertisers during a fraught season for the industry’s annual “upfront” market. NBCUniversal and Univision asked clients...
The recently-merged company later today will offer a look at its various cable properties to media buyers and advertisers, and on Tuesday will debut the fall schedule for its CBS broadcast network. The two video presentations will be sent via email to clients and are designed to whet appetites on Madison Avenue, says Jo Ann Ross, the company’s president and chief U.S. advertising revenue officer, in an interview. The pitch holds that with the company’s reach, which extends from Trevor Noah to “NCIS,” ViacomCBS offerings can’t be ignored.
The media conglomerate, which owns CBS, Showtime and Nickelodeon, among other media outlets, is testing a different tactic than others approaching advertisers during a fraught season for the industry’s annual “upfront” market. NBCUniversal and Univision asked clients...
- 5/18/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
ViacomCBS has scheduled a virtual upfront event for later in the month. The news marks the latest in a string of companies which have made headlines for announcing remote upfront events to keep in touch with advertisers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
ViacomCBS’ two-day upfront event will take place on May 18 and May 19. The company will promote its digital offerings and brands such as Entertainment & Youth and Kids & Family brands, Bet, Pluto TV, per a note to advertisers obtained by Deadline. The second day will be focused on ViacomCBS’ fall programming lineup and original CBS All Access programming. The company will also preview advertising opportunities on CBS Sports and highlight the work being done at CBS News.
“I planned to be — and frankly, I’d rather be — writing to you this time of year to invite you to one of our intimate upfront dinners or our annual celebration at Carnegie Hall,...
ViacomCBS’ two-day upfront event will take place on May 18 and May 19. The company will promote its digital offerings and brands such as Entertainment & Youth and Kids & Family brands, Bet, Pluto TV, per a note to advertisers obtained by Deadline. The second day will be focused on ViacomCBS’ fall programming lineup and original CBS All Access programming. The company will also preview advertising opportunities on CBS Sports and highlight the work being done at CBS News.
“I planned to be — and frankly, I’d rather be — writing to you this time of year to invite you to one of our intimate upfront dinners or our annual celebration at Carnegie Hall,...
- 5/6/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
The sprawling ViacomCBS network portfolio will have a two-day virtual upfront for advertisers on May 18 and May 19, shifting to the week after the traditional CBS upfront had been scheduled before Covid-19 struck.
Viacom’s brands across its Entertainment & Youth and Kids & Family units, plus Bet and Pluto TV, will present on May 18. CBS, including streaming service CBS All Access, will have its turn on May 19 and plans to unveil “the fall programming lineup” for the broadcast network, though the grid has been a work in progress given the pandemic’s disruptions.
“I planned to be – and frankly, I’d rather be – writing to you this time of year to invite you to one of our intimate upfront dinners or our annual celebration at Carnegie Hall,” ViacomCBS sales chief Jo Ann Ross wrote in a note to advertisers. “Clearly, the current climate is different, but as they say at Carnegie, the show must go on!
Viacom’s brands across its Entertainment & Youth and Kids & Family units, plus Bet and Pluto TV, will present on May 18. CBS, including streaming service CBS All Access, will have its turn on May 19 and plans to unveil “the fall programming lineup” for the broadcast network, though the grid has been a work in progress given the pandemic’s disruptions.
“I planned to be – and frankly, I’d rather be – writing to you this time of year to invite you to one of our intimate upfront dinners or our annual celebration at Carnegie Hall,” ViacomCBS sales chief Jo Ann Ross wrote in a note to advertisers. “Clearly, the current climate is different, but as they say at Carnegie, the show must go on!
- 5/5/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
At a time when many TV companies have appeared wary of talking to advertisers, ViacomCBS believes it will have plenty to discuss.
The newly merged company, which encompasses the CBS broadcast network as well as cable outlets like Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV, plans to hold two different streaming-video presentations for advertisers – one for its cable and streaming operations on Monday, May 18 and one for the CBS network as well as the subscription-video “CBS All Access” hub on Tuesday, May 19. The details were unveiled in a letter to advertisers and media-buying executives sent by Jo Ann Ross, president and chief advertising revenue officer at ViacomCBS.
“I planned to be – and frankly, I’d rather be – writing to you this time of year to invite you to one of our intimate upfront dinners or our annual celebration at Carnegie Hall,” said Ross, making a reference to CBS annual tradition of unveiling...
The newly merged company, which encompasses the CBS broadcast network as well as cable outlets like Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV, plans to hold two different streaming-video presentations for advertisers – one for its cable and streaming operations on Monday, May 18 and one for the CBS network as well as the subscription-video “CBS All Access” hub on Tuesday, May 19. The details were unveiled in a letter to advertisers and media-buying executives sent by Jo Ann Ross, president and chief advertising revenue officer at ViacomCBS.
“I planned to be – and frankly, I’d rather be – writing to you this time of year to invite you to one of our intimate upfront dinners or our annual celebration at Carnegie Hall,” said Ross, making a reference to CBS annual tradition of unveiling...
- 5/5/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
ViacomCBS on Tuesday announced plans for a virtual upfront, becoming the first media conglomerate to go ahead with something resembling a full-fledged presentation to advertisers.
In a memo to clients and partners, chief advertising revenue officer Jo Ann Ross detailed plans for "a series of short virtual presentations" showcasing the company's assets on May 18 and 19. The "ViacomCBS Upfront @ Home" will take place a few days later than what would have been CBS' traditional upfront on May 13. That show at New York's Carnegie Hall, along with all other traditional, in-person gatherings for upfronts ...
In a memo to clients and partners, chief advertising revenue officer Jo Ann Ross detailed plans for "a series of short virtual presentations" showcasing the company's assets on May 18 and 19. The "ViacomCBS Upfront @ Home" will take place a few days later than what would have been CBS' traditional upfront on May 13. That show at New York's Carnegie Hall, along with all other traditional, in-person gatherings for upfronts ...
Each year the nation’s largest TV networks try to sell billions of dollars in advertising time in the sales blitz known as the upfront. In 2020, the process is fast becoming an “un-front.”
Advertisers and their media agencies in a normal cycle negotiate a dizzying array of deals, schedules and audience guarantees with the big media conglomerates over a period of about two months, usually starting a few weeks after the end of the traditional broadcast TV season in late May. But the effects of the coronavirus pandemic – which has halted production on most scripted TV programs while scuttling live TV sports – is sure to slow the pace of advertising deals this year. A significant number of them may get pushed into 2021.
Many advertisers are pressing for negotiations to take place in September and October, according to eight executives with knowledge of recent discussions, when the networks will have a...
Advertisers and their media agencies in a normal cycle negotiate a dizzying array of deals, schedules and audience guarantees with the big media conglomerates over a period of about two months, usually starting a few weeks after the end of the traditional broadcast TV season in late May. But the effects of the coronavirus pandemic – which has halted production on most scripted TV programs while scuttling live TV sports – is sure to slow the pace of advertising deals this year. A significant number of them may get pushed into 2021.
Many advertisers are pressing for negotiations to take place in September and October, according to eight executives with knowledge of recent discussions, when the networks will have a...
- 4/21/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
A slew of networks canceled their upfront presentations that were set for May’s “Upfront Week” amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. CBS, NBCUniversal, The CW, Fox, WarnerMedia, Disney and Discovery all scrapped their in-person events on Thursday.
The companies will now present their upcoming slates to ad buyers digitally. NBCU’s and Fox’s upfront were scheduled for May 11, while Disney and Discovery’s were supposed to be held on May 12. CBS and WarnerMedia were each set to go two days later on May 1, with The CW’s upfront slatted to close out the week on May 14.
Upfronts are a critical event on the industry calendar, when top advertisers get to see the upcoming fall television slates ahead of placing large advertising buys. The group on Thursday join A+E Networks, AMC Networks and Fox News in canceling its annual presentation to advertisers.
Also Read: All the TV Productions...
The companies will now present their upcoming slates to ad buyers digitally. NBCU’s and Fox’s upfront were scheduled for May 11, while Disney and Discovery’s were supposed to be held on May 12. CBS and WarnerMedia were each set to go two days later on May 1, with The CW’s upfront slatted to close out the week on May 14.
Upfronts are a critical event on the industry calendar, when top advertisers get to see the upcoming fall television slates ahead of placing large advertising buys. The group on Thursday join A+E Networks, AMC Networks and Fox News in canceling its annual presentation to advertisers.
Also Read: All the TV Productions...
- 3/12/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
(Updated with WarnerMedia statement) Rapidly after NBC and CBS pulled the plug on their New York City Upfronts presentations, WarnerMedia has done the same.
“The health and safety of the advertising community, our employees and production partners is our absolute priority, so we will alter our plans for this year’s Upfront presentation,” said Gerhard Zeiler, Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia and Kirk McDonald, Chief Business Officer, Xandr. “We have the technological and creative means to showcase our unified WarnerMedia/Xandr message through a unique video experience and will do just that on May 13.”
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This comes as Broadway begins to shut down and Gov. Andrew Cuomo today banned all gatherings of...
“The health and safety of the advertising community, our employees and production partners is our absolute priority, so we will alter our plans for this year’s Upfront presentation,” said Gerhard Zeiler, Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia and Kirk McDonald, Chief Business Officer, Xandr. “We have the technological and creative means to showcase our unified WarnerMedia/Xandr message through a unique video experience and will do just that on May 13.”
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This comes as Broadway begins to shut down and Gov. Andrew Cuomo today banned all gatherings of...
- 3/12/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
ViacomCBS and NBCUniversal said they would cancel their glitzy “upfront” sales events they hold each year to convince advertisers to commit billions of dollars to its programming, the latest sign of how the spreading coronavirus crisis is affecting the dynamics of the media industry.
Both companies said they would stream presentations instead, vowing to offer an entertaining showcase to Madison Avenue in alternate fashion.
“At this moment in time, we can embrace a new future that puts our audiences and our partners first. This year’s Upfront Presentation will ensure everyone’s safety, while allowing us to give fans and marketers a preview of the upcoming season,” said Linda Yaccarino, Chairman of Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal, in a statement.
“The health and safety of our clients and the ViacomCBS team comes first,” said Jo Ann Ross, President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales, in a statement. “Our team...
Both companies said they would stream presentations instead, vowing to offer an entertaining showcase to Madison Avenue in alternate fashion.
“At this moment in time, we can embrace a new future that puts our audiences and our partners first. This year’s Upfront Presentation will ensure everyone’s safety, while allowing us to give fans and marketers a preview of the upcoming season,” said Linda Yaccarino, Chairman of Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal, in a statement.
“The health and safety of our clients and the ViacomCBS team comes first,” said Jo Ann Ross, President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales, in a statement. “Our team...
- 3/12/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Marg Helgenberger, Norah O’Donnell, Jessica Camacho and Carrie Ann Inaba will be among those taking part in a continuing effort by ViacomCBS to press for more accurate portrayals of women and girls in advertising, marketing, media, and entertainment, an initiative led by the Association of National Advertisers’ “See Her” initiative.
“We have more than a handful of clients who are wrapping themselves around it,” says Jo Ann Ross, president and chief advertising revenue officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales.
CBS will pay tribute to trailblazing women who are prime examples of what it means to challenge and overcome stereotypes and biases in their industries in a series of public service announcements in primetime throughout March. O’Donnell, anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News,” will honor Cheryl Crazy Bull. Jessica Camacho and Lindsay Mendez of “All Rise” will point to Alejandra Y. Castillo. Carrie Ann Inaba of “The Talk” will discuss Senator Tammy Duckworth.
“We have more than a handful of clients who are wrapping themselves around it,” says Jo Ann Ross, president and chief advertising revenue officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales.
CBS will pay tribute to trailblazing women who are prime examples of what it means to challenge and overcome stereotypes and biases in their industries in a series of public service announcements in primetime throughout March. O’Donnell, anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News,” will honor Cheryl Crazy Bull. Jessica Camacho and Lindsay Mendez of “All Rise” will point to Alejandra Y. Castillo. Carrie Ann Inaba of “The Talk” will discuss Senator Tammy Duckworth.
- 3/2/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
ViacomCBS unveiled a new ad-sales team that relies heavily on senior executives who were already reporting to Jo Ann Ross, the newly merged company’s ad-sales chief, when she was leading them at the former CBS Corp.
ViacomCBS said longtime Ross lieutenants John Bogusz, Linda Rene, Chris Simon, Dave Morris and David Lawenda will all remain part of the ad-sales team. Bogusz will continue to lead sports ad-sales; Rene will oversee primetime ad sales and advertising integrations; Simon will serve as executive vice president of network sales; Morris will take on a new role as chief client officer of ViacomCBS, focusing on the company’s overall portfolio and working to develop a unified ad strategy for the company’s top clients; and Lawenda will take on a new role overseeing ad-sales related to digital video and branded content across all ViacomCBS platforms as well as social influencer sales. He will...
ViacomCBS said longtime Ross lieutenants John Bogusz, Linda Rene, Chris Simon, Dave Morris and David Lawenda will all remain part of the ad-sales team. Bogusz will continue to lead sports ad-sales; Rene will oversee primetime ad sales and advertising integrations; Simon will serve as executive vice president of network sales; Morris will take on a new role as chief client officer of ViacomCBS, focusing on the company’s overall portfolio and working to develop a unified ad strategy for the company’s top clients; and Lawenda will take on a new role overseeing ad-sales related to digital video and branded content across all ViacomCBS platforms as well as social influencer sales. He will...
- 1/16/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
About a month and a half after the close of the Viacom-CBS merger, the combined company has finalized the roster of advertising sales executives reporting up to Jo Ann Ross.
Last October, Ross was confirmed as the head of sales for the combined company, following a 27-year stretch at CBS, the latter half of which coincided with the flagship broadcast network’s rise to dominance.
While the announcement last fall about her promotion meant longtime Viacom sales chief Sean Moran was among the executives to depart, six additional departures have been revealed. Several of those remaining in the fold also have new titles and roles.
What follows is an overview of the newly configured ranks, according to insiders at ViacomCBS, who conveyed the news to employees on Wednesday afternoon.
John Bogusz will remain Evp of Sports Sales and Marketing, CBS Network Sales, overseeing sales for sports across the...
Last October, Ross was confirmed as the head of sales for the combined company, following a 27-year stretch at CBS, the latter half of which coincided with the flagship broadcast network’s rise to dominance.
While the announcement last fall about her promotion meant longtime Viacom sales chief Sean Moran was among the executives to depart, six additional departures have been revealed. Several of those remaining in the fold also have new titles and roles.
What follows is an overview of the newly configured ranks, according to insiders at ViacomCBS, who conveyed the news to employees on Wednesday afternoon.
John Bogusz will remain Evp of Sports Sales and Marketing, CBS Network Sales, overseeing sales for sports across the...
- 1/15/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
ViacomCBS has shuffled oversight of its cable network Pop TV and Mma outfit, Bellator. Pop TV will move under Chris McCarthy, while Bellator — which produces Mma events and manages a roster of fighters — will now be under President of Showtime Sports Stephen Espinoza.
In November, McCarthy gained oversight of TV Land, Paramount Network and Smithsonian Channel and was named president of entertainment and youth brands. McCarthy also oversees MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo. Brad Schwartz will remain as Pop TV president.
The news comes one day TheWrap reported that ViacomCBS was in “advanced talks” with George Cheeks for a senior role at CBS, potentially to succeed Joe Ianniello as the head of all CBS assets. Cheeks recently stepped down as vice chairman of NBCUniversal Content Studios.
Also Read: George Cheeks Leaves NBCUniversal Content Studios, Is in 'Advanced Talks' for Senior CBS Role
Viacom and CBS completed their merger last December.
In November, McCarthy gained oversight of TV Land, Paramount Network and Smithsonian Channel and was named president of entertainment and youth brands. McCarthy also oversees MTV, VH1, Cmt and Logo. Brad Schwartz will remain as Pop TV president.
The news comes one day TheWrap reported that ViacomCBS was in “advanced talks” with George Cheeks for a senior role at CBS, potentially to succeed Joe Ianniello as the head of all CBS assets. Cheeks recently stepped down as vice chairman of NBCUniversal Content Studios.
Also Read: George Cheeks Leaves NBCUniversal Content Studios, Is in 'Advanced Talks' for Senior CBS Role
Viacom and CBS completed their merger last December.
- 1/15/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Nobody in the vast media universe is more excited to see the new year dawn than Bob Bakish.
The president-ceo of ViacomCBS is eager to get moving on growth initiatives that have been on the drawing board for months.
The biggest change to come from the reunion of Viacom and CBS Corp. – two halves of the Redstone family empire that formally merged on Dec. 4 – is that the company is streamlining all advertising sales, content licensing and distribution activities under three key revenue-generating leaders.
“It gives us a strong hand to play and will make it easier to do business with us,” Bakish told Variety. “We have an extraordinary collection of assets that are irreplaceable by any other company.”
Bakish remembers the last time that Viacom and CBS were under the same roof – from 2000 through 2005 – and back then there was definitely no effort to approach the market in a cohesive way.
The president-ceo of ViacomCBS is eager to get moving on growth initiatives that have been on the drawing board for months.
The biggest change to come from the reunion of Viacom and CBS Corp. – two halves of the Redstone family empire that formally merged on Dec. 4 – is that the company is streamlining all advertising sales, content licensing and distribution activities under three key revenue-generating leaders.
“It gives us a strong hand to play and will make it easier to do business with us,” Bakish told Variety. “We have an extraordinary collection of assets that are irreplaceable by any other company.”
Bakish remembers the last time that Viacom and CBS were under the same roof – from 2000 through 2005 – and back then there was definitely no effort to approach the market in a cohesive way.
- 12/17/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
CBS is joining OpenAP, an advertising consortium that launched in 2017 as an effort to provide more data and insights to those selling ads across linear and digital platforms.
Viacom, which last week closed its merger with CBS, had been a founding member of OpenAP, which also counts Fox, NBCUniversal and Univision as members. In October, OpenAP launched what it says is the only platform delivering cross-publisher, cross-platform campaigns for both linear TV and long-form digital video across the largest collection of premium U.S. ad inventory.
The addition of CBS, OpenAP says, makes it the largest player in “advanced advertising,” the burgeoning field of using data science and analytics to serve marketing messages to viewers. WarnerMedia, whose Turner networks had been a launch member of OpenAP, bowed out of the entity a few months ago as it looks to optimize the ad-targeting capabilities of Xandr, its sister business unit at...
Viacom, which last week closed its merger with CBS, had been a founding member of OpenAP, which also counts Fox, NBCUniversal and Univision as members. In October, OpenAP launched what it says is the only platform delivering cross-publisher, cross-platform campaigns for both linear TV and long-form digital video across the largest collection of premium U.S. ad inventory.
The addition of CBS, OpenAP says, makes it the largest player in “advanced advertising,” the burgeoning field of using data science and analytics to serve marketing messages to viewers. WarnerMedia, whose Turner networks had been a launch member of OpenAP, bowed out of the entity a few months ago as it looks to optimize the ad-targeting capabilities of Xandr, its sister business unit at...
- 12/9/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
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