A+E Networks said that two senior finance execs, Christopher Barry and Cliff Ejikeme, have been given expanded roles at the company.

Barry, who has been executive VP of finance was named head of financial planning and analysis. 

Ejikeme, who has been executive VP, controller & treasurer, will add A+E’s tax unit to his responsibilities.

Both execs report to David Bank, who was named CFO last month. 

“Christopher Barry and Cliff Ejikeme are consummate finance executives whose extensive experience and proven leadership in the finance sector will be instrumental in the continued fiscal success of A+E across all divisions,” said Bank. “We look forward to even greater achievements under their stewardship.”

Barry joined A+E in 2012 as senior VP of international strategy and digital media. Before that he was senior VP of digital media & business strategy at SundanceTV.

Ejikeme has been with A_E for 14 years. He’d previously been VP of financial planning and analysis at Lifetime Entertainment Services and director of financial planning and analysis at Viacom.

A+E Networks said Domino’s will be the marquee sponsor of The History Channel’s original documentary about Jesse Owens that will appear Wednesday on Juneteenth.

The documentary, Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics, is executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted and Cinemation Studios in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment.

The sponsorship was arranged through GroupM Motion Entertainment's Diverse Voices Accelerator.

Actor Don Cheadle narrates the doc, which tells the story of Jesse Owens’s legendary triumph at the 1936 Olympics, which were hosted by Adoph Hitler’s Germany.

Before the Olympics, Owens broke four world records within 45 minutes at a Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Domino’s is based.

“The History Channel is proud to amplify the remarkable story of Jesse Owens with the powerful upcoming documentary and this incredible partnership with Domino’s and GroupM Motion Entertainment,” Peter Olsen, president of ad sales for A+E Networks, said. “Celebrating diverse stories and voices in front of and behind the camera remains a priority across all our platforms and this sponsorship reflects that.”

This project is the second between A+E Networks and GroupM Motion Entertainment as part of the DVA, with Domino’s support. Last year, they teamed up on 761st Tank Battalion: the Original Black Panthers. 

“The commitment to diversity and uplifting underrepresented voices is a priority for GroupM and our clients,” Chet Fenster, chief content officer for GroupM Motion Entertainment, said. “We are proud to continue to work with brands to find solutions that support equity in entertainment.” 

A+E Networks said it promoted David Bank to chief financial officer. Bank has been executive VP, chief strategy & corporate development officer. 

He will succeed Art Vomvas, who has been serving as interim CFO. Vomvas is retiring after three decades as part of A+E’s financial and business planning group.

Bank will report to Paul Buccieri, president and chairman, A+E Networks Group.

“Since joining A+E Networks, David Bank has been a key leader, elevating our profile as a global media company through strategic investments and new revenue initiatives,“ Buccieri said. “With extensive leadership experience in media and finance, I am confident that in his new role as CFO, David will continue to help us effectively navigate the business landscape and position us to align and meet our goals in this rapidly changing environment. 

“I also want to thank Art Vomvas for nearly three decades of dedication to A+E Networks and congratulate him on his extraordinary career,” Buccieri added. “Art has made incredible contributions to our company. We are grateful for his leadership and wish him the best for his retirement.“

Bank was hired by A&E Networks in 2019 as executive VP. He had been executive VP and head of investor relations at CBS, which he joined after a 16-year career as an equity research analyst covering the media business at RBC.

“For the past five years, I have been proud to call A+E Networks my home and be part of one of the best content companies in the business,” Bank said. “In taking on the role of CFO, I am thrilled to collaborate further with Paul and the executive team to help the company continue to excel and evolve during this time of transformation in our industry.” 

Opening up this year’s upfront season, A+E Networks is telling advertisers that it will continue to put out original content created by high-profile talent and that it has developed a new measurement system to assure brands their campaigns will get results.

In a quick 30-minute virtual presentation, A+E said that as many media companies are cutting back on content to reduce costs, it will be producing 2,500 hours of new multiplatform content, about the same as last year.

This year’s A+E talent roster includes Tom Hanks, Derek Jeter, Dan Aykroyd, Reese Witherspoon, Danny Trejoy, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Don Cheadle, Alice Cooper, Kevin Costner, Bethenny Frankel, Gloria Gaynor, Sammy Hagar, Delilah Hamlin, Melissa Joan Hart, Michael Imperioli, Janet Jackson, Chloe Lukasiak, Peyton Manning, Terry McMillan, Bret Michaels, President Barack Obama, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Rachael Ray, Lisa Rinna, Robin Roberts, Elisabeth Röhm, JoJo Siwa, Savannah Lee Smith, Dee Snider, Buddy Valastro, Kendall Vertes, Brian White, Reese Witherspoon and Billy Zane.

“A+E continues to move forward with intention and pace in the ever-evolving media landscape, bringing forth premium quality content for viewers and innovative solutions for advertising partners,” A+E president and chairman Paul Buccieri said.

“Behind the scenes, we partner with the best talent in the business — in front of and behind the camera — resulting in a diverse roster that resonates emotionally with all audiences everywhere,” Buccieri said. “We are creators of content that inspires, captivates, delights and informs, and it is the power of imagination and storytelling that binds us all, no matter how or where we choose to watch.”

A+E is putting original content on cable, where fresh programming is increasingly rare. It is also offsetting the loss of reach due to cord-cutting by distributing its programming on streaming platforms.

“This whole approach of pushing our content out into all the windows is to build back as much reach as possible,” A+E president of ad sales Peter Olsen told Broadcasting+Cable about the company’s multi-platform approach. 

“We’re still reaching two-thirds of the country,“ Olsen said. ”We know television works. We’ve known that for five decades. This multiplatform approach gives us so much confidence that its going to work because it always worked and it still does.” 

A+E isn’t the biggest programmer, so it has to be more nimble and willing to do things to help advertisers others aren’t willing to do, said former Fox ad sales president Toby Byrne, who joined A+E as executive VP in January.  

“We made different decisions about how we’re going to distribute our content, as opposed to our own streamer,” Byrne said.  “That’s helped us build reach. It’s helped us build our digital audience. Our product now is our total audience.”

Byrne said A+E is making a case to be looked at differently by ad buyers than other traditional cable programmers.

“We want to be the partner that they choose to work with because we do so many things so well,” he said.

A+E is looking to assure advertisers that multiplatform campaigns will work with a new metric it calls InterAction. 

“We’ve realized that to compete in this marketplace, we need additional ways to prove our value,” Olsen said.

InterAction uses three key metrics: attention data from TVision, recall measurement from Brand Effect and search results from EDO.

 “We know how complex the marketplace is and we wanted to get beyond counting impressions,” said Rosanne Montenes, senior VP of ad sales-audience solutions. “It’s really shorthand for how A+E takes consumers further down that purchase journey from actually seeing an ad to then taking an action.”

InterAction is used to plan a campaign on the front end, while A+E’s Performax tool is used to execute it and guarantee it will work.

A+E has been offering clients guarantees campaigns will perform for a few years. 

The TV advertising market was weak last year and on earnings calls this quarter media company executive have said the see signs demand is improving.

“We feel cautiously optimistic about the market,” said Olsen. 

“As a company and a sales force, we are upbeat, optimistic and energized. There's a lot of challenges but there's no reason to wallow in all the problems. We just focus on what we can do, how we can solve problems and go out and do it,” he said.

“I think clients are recognizing once again the value of a full-funnel approach. We are seeing more activity in traditional scatter,” Olsen added. “I think the desire to work with publishers versus aggregators is a legitimate debate that’s happening because of all the things we bring to the table.”

Olsen said that A+E has been pleased with its early, on-video upfront presentation strategy.

“We always say we’ll do it in 30 minutes or less,“ he said. “That’s a big promise we make to people.

“We love going early because it gives us top-of-mind awareness during what we think of as the most important six week of actual dealmaking,” Olsen said, adding that A+E is also making personalized visits to media buyers and marketers.

With a video presentation, “we reach 3,000 plus people in the first month, more than we could host at the Armory like the old days, and we can do it in a more cost-efficient, effective manner,” he said. “And we get home for dinner instead of being out spending all of our T&E money.”

A+E’S UPFRONT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Here are some of the programs A+E Networks will be announcing during its upfront presentation:

History Channel

• Tom Hanks World War II Documentary Series (Untitled): Hosted and narrated by Tom Hanks, the new 20-part untitled documentary series offers a comprehensive view of World War II.
• Reconstruction Podcast With President Barack Obama (Untitled): Produced by President Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Audio, Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries and Audible, the eight-part untitled podcast explores the history and legacy of America’s Reconstruction Era.
• History’s Greatest Warriors: Produced by Derek Jeter’s production company CAP 2 Productions and Citizen Jones, the new series explores the step-by-step process to produce some of history’s most infamous and lethal warriors — Samurai, Spartans, Delta Force, Navy SEALS and Vikings. 
• The Icons that Built America: Produced by Jeter’s CAP 2 Productions and Blackfin, a division of Lionsgate’s Alternative Television group, the series celebrates the innovators, trailblazers, and risk-takers who pushed boundaries and redefined what it means to be a performer. The seven-episode series explores the lives and careers of such individuals as daredevil Evel Knievel, martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, comedian Richard Pryor, radio host Howard Stern and hip-hop group N.W.A.
• The UnXplored with Danny Trejo (working title): Shedding a light on the mysteries of the past and present, the new series examines the fascinating stories surrounding buried artifacts and lost civilizations. Hosted and narrated by Trejo, the eight-part series seeks to unearth what the human eye cannot easily detect.
• History 250: The History Channel is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States with History 250, an initiative highlighting long-form content on-air, multiplatform short-form content and premium events reflecting the power and legacy of American history and stories. This initiative will run across all platforms and highlight many lives and experiences from 250 voices across 50 states to honor, acknowledge and reflect different perspectives from our past and present.

Lifetime

• Gloria Gaynor Biopic/Robin Roberts Presents: Two-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and music legend Gloria Gaynor is set to have her extraordinary journey brought to life in a new Lifetime biopic which marks the network’s third film project with journalist Robin Roberts under her “Robin Roberts Presents” banner.
• Dance Moms: The Reunion: The two-hour special event — produced by the A+E Factual Studios Group — is set to premiere in May featuring Dance Moms fan favorites JoJo Siwa, Chloe Lukasiak, Brooke Hyland, Paige Hyland, Kendall Vertes and Kalani Hilliker looking back at the show that became a worldwide pop-culture sensation.
• Untitled Larry Ray/Sarah Lawrence Cult Movie: Executive produced and directed by Elisabeth Röhm, Billy Zane will star in the yet-to-be-titled movie based on the true story of Larry Ray, an ex-con who moved in with his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College and created a cult-like influence over her friends.

A&E Network

• Secrets of the Hells Angels: Under former leader Sonny Barger, the Hells Angels expanded across the United States. The series examines the history of the group of outlaws to uncover the organization’s darkest secrets.
• Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life: The series exposes the dark side of fraternities and sororities and its impact on some of the young men and women who participate.

Home.Made.Nation

• Hello Sunshine Development Deal: Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine will develop premium lifestyle content for A+E’s Home.Made.Nation multiplatform content hub. The first series to launch is Country House Hunters, which will follow couples as they search for the perfect country home.
• Property Virgins: Hosted by celebrated radio and TV personality and one of Toronto’s top realtors, Wendy Wolfe, this update of the classic series portrays the experiences of first-time home buyers looking for their dream homes.
• 24 Hours To Buy: Series profiles couples who are in a housing pressure cooker - whether they're relocating unexpectedly for work, or compelled by a personal situation, their relocation is coming up and they need to find a house fast.

Lifetime tomorrow (February 24) will go ahead with its premiere of the Where is Wendy Williams?” documentary series after a New York Appeals Court Friday ruled against a lawsuit filed by Williams’ guardian attempting to stop the show from airing, according to published reports. 

“Lifetime appeared in court today, and the documentary Where is Wendy Williams? will air this weekend as planned,” the network said in a statement.

The legal guardian for Williams Thursday filed suit against A+E Networks, the parent company of Lifetime, in New York State court asking for a temporary restraining order stopping Lifetime from airing the documentary. The documents revolving around the lawsuit were under seal and did not reveal further details, according to reports. 

The lawsuit was filed hours after Williams' medical team announced in a press release that Williams was diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, which affects her language, communication abilities and cognitive functions. 

The two-night documentary series, executive produced by Williams, follows the former talk show host over the past two years as she sought to reclaim her life and legacy despite facing health issues and personal turbulence, according to the network. The Wendy Williams talk show ended in 2022.

Impact Network said it signed a multiyear content licensing deal with A+E Media Group that will give Impact Network access to A+E’s Black Excellence collection.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Impact applauds A+E Networks for stepping up to their commitment in the diversity space in media through its partnership with Impact,” said Impact CEO Wayne T. Jackson.

Some of the A+E titles that could appear on the Impact Network include The History Channel’s Roots; Lifetime’s unscripted series Bring It, Lifetime’s movie The Clark Sisters: First Lady of Gospel; and Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution hosted by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“A+E Networks is thrilled to be in business with Impact TV, enabling our diverse slate of programming to reach a new and dynamic audience,” Ellen Lovejoy senior VP, global content sales at A+E Networks, said. “We share a goal to reach a broader audience aimed at the elevated stories around the black community and its culture.”

Impact Network was started in 2010 by Jackson and Beverly Y. Jackson with a mission to enrich, educate and entertain multicultural audiences.

“Impact feels like A+E Media Group has done an integral job in presenting African-American voices, imagery and narratives with dignity and care,” said Impact executive VP Royal Jackson. “In addition, A+E Media Group has a diverse library of the Black experience, where content showcasing African-American life reaches beyond a monolithic ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that fits perfectly with the Impact Network’s core mission of entertainment.”

A+E Networks said it acquired a 50% interest in Rachael Ray’s Free Food Studios and has ordered 278 new episodes of shows that will feature the TV cook and other talent.

The new shows will appear as part of A+E’s Home.Made.Nation lifestyle programming block on A&E, FYI and other platforms.

A+E Networks will distribute the shows globally.

Financial details about A+E’s investment were not disclosed. Ray started Free Food Studios after her syndicated show ended its run.

“Today, I just finished writing over 80 pages of recipes and production notes for my groundbreaking new partnership with A+E Networks,“ Ray said. “I am so excited for this new chapter of my life to open. Viewers can expect to see me cooking in both of my homes, in upstate New York and Tuscany, Italy, and creating new shows that will feature an amazing group of diverse and unique culinary talents. We have been working on this partnership for some time and this is just the beginning, so stay tuned.”

The first shows to be produced under the deal are Rachael Ray’s Meals in Minutes and Rachael Ray’s Tuscany.

All projects produced by Free Food Studios will be executive produced by Rachael Ray in addition to Brian Flanagan, Anthony Amoia and Sean Lee. 

A+E Networks said it hired former Fox Networks Group ad sales president Toby Byrne as it restructures its sales team to strengthen its multiplatform and data-driven capabilities.

Byrne joins A+E as executive VP, national ad sales, reporting to Peter Olsen, the company’s president for ad sales.

A+E said it also hired three execs with digital and streaming backgrounds as VPs. They are: April Denn, formerly head of partnership solutions at Samsung Ads; Jeff Gocel, previously senior streaming TV agency development manager at Amazon; and Rob Duke, formerly VP of sales, beauty, fashion, health & wellness at Firework.

In addition, the company promoted Robin Duke to VP from director, ad sales.

A+E said it will make its upfront presentation virtually on March 6. A+E has done its presentation online the past few years.

“A+E Networks has been proud to be on the cutting edge of an evolving marketplace, especially in terms of our customer service and practical innovation,“ Olsen said. ”With these great additions to our team, we are once again adjusting our company to meet industry trends. We are delighted to add layers of expertise and diverse skill sets to help us achieve our goals and better align with the priorities of the new marketplace.”

After heading ad sales at Fox, Byrne was president of Zefr, a technology company that provides brand suitability, targeting and measurement services for advertisers on YouTube, Meta and TikTok.

“I’m so pleased to bring to bear all the experiences I've had at both Zefr and Fox broadcasting to A+E Networks,” Byrne said. “Under Peter’s leadership, A+E Networks has always enjoyed the reputation as being the best, most data and ad tech-forward — and highest-level white-glove client service — in the entire media landscape. I’m especially excited to work with Peter and contribute to the great efforts and results of this team.”

A+E Networks said it expanded and extended its relationship with Germany’s Seven.One Entertainment Group.

Under the multiyear agreement, Seven.One, a subsidiary of ProSiebenSat.1 Media, will get access to additional programming from A+E’s networks, including A+E, Lifetime, FYI and History Channel, and broadcast the shows on its portfolio of platforms.

Titles included in the deal include Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, Forged in Fire and Curse of Oak Island.

Seven. One Entertainment will also have first free-to-air access to all new History Channel IP.

“The combined leadership of A+E’s Kerstin Gühne and her team in collaboration with our friends at Seven.One Entertainment Group has secured a long-term and promising partnership in Germany for both companies, said Patrick Vien, group managing director, international, A+E Networks. “Our unparalleled library with its rich pipeline of factual series, global formats, and co-productions is a remarkable match for Seven.One Entertainment Group, with its wide-ranging audiences across their many market-leading platforms.“

A+E Networks said it has named Mark Garner to the new role of executive VP, head of global FAST Channels, effective immediately.

A+E, known for cable networks including A&E, History and Lifetime, launched its first free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel, History Shorts, in 2018. It now has 20 free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels in the lifestyle, competition, true crime and movie genres.

“As FAST continues to be a critical area for growth around the world, we are thrilled to announce the expansion of Mark’s role at A+E Networks,” Steven MacDonald, president, global licensing & international at A+E, said. “Under his leadership, A+E was an early entrant to the space, helping to monetize our vast library of owned and original content across an emerging fleet of digital and streaming platforms. With Mark at the helm, we will continue to build on our pioneering global position in FAST.”

Also Read: At Upfront, A+E Promises Advertisers It Will Deliver Peak Content

Garner, who has been with A+E for 23 years, most recently served as executive VP, global content partnerships and business development.

In his new post, Garner will concentrate his efforts on accelerating the growth of A+E’s FAST business internationally while continuing to build U.S. reach and performance.

Before joining A+E, Garner worked as an executive at several startup ventures including a satellite broadcast network based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He also held posts at MTV Networks and AT&T.

A+E Networks is looking to liven up its traditional cable TV channels with live cut-ins during primetime.

Last month, A+E’s A&E Network started airing live Thursday night cut-ins during Crack the Case featuring Tony Harris, the journalist and host of History’s The Proof Is Out There. The segments are designed to appeal to fans of A&E’s crime and investigative programming.

This week, Harris will also begin appearing in UnXplained Now segments on Fridays that tie into History Channel’s programming about paranormal phenomena.

Starting October 4, Keshia Knight Pulliam will appear in special segments with live polling Wednesday nights tied to Lifetime’s Married at First Sight, a show with a devoted following. Knight Pulliam has already been appearing in Married at First Sight: After Party, which recaps the series and returns next month (October 18) after the season premiere of Married at First Sight on October 11.

“We really value the linear platform and we want to keep it as fresh and healthy as possible,” Rob Sharenow, president of programming at A+E Networks, told Broadcasting+Cable.

“We were looking for creative ways to engage the audience,” Sharenow said. “We all kind of fell in love with this as a way to super-serve fans and really differentiate us in the marketplace by doing something that others aren’t.”

 The segments are shot at A+E’s studios by its production unit, which enabled the company to get the segments up and running quickly. Most are televised live, but some of Knight Pulliam’s segments are recorded when she has other commitments.

The segments air live to give viewers a reason to tune in real time rather than watching on-demand or playing the show back on a DVR, creating an experience that you’ll have to be there for or you’ll miss it.

“That’s one of the things that has been challenging for all broadcast platforms and this is one of the ways we’re sweetening the pot for our core fans,” he said.

The segments are also designed to boost length of tune, keep viewers during commercial breaks and build community among A+E audiences.

“People have responded to it right out of the gate,” Sharehow said. “We’ve seen great retention and growth out of the segments on A&E, something we weren’t expecting to see so quickly.”

Tailored for Each Network

Each network has its own unique approach to the live cut-in idea, tailored to genres in which their viewers are already interested.

“It’s making our linear unique and fresh,“ Sharenow said. ”It’s also a great fan engagement tool.” 

The segments can be interactive. They have polls, ask viewers to help solve cases and urge them to send in evidence of supernatural activity to UnXplained Now.

“The timing couldn’t be better because there are so many stories breaking about UFO investigations,” Sharenow said. “The segments keep the viewer and lover of that content current while they’re consumer the shows they love in and around that subject.”

The timing also couldn’t be better for A+E’s distributor partners, who have watched most programmers remove their best content from their linear channels in order to grow their direct-to-consumer streaming services.

“We’re very careful about making sure that our premier content is first and foremost for our linear audiences,” Sharenow said. ”That’s where we are all very aligned with our affiliate and advertising partners in this mission.

“Making this kind of effort harmonizes with what they want to see,” he said. “We want to make sure they’re valuing our platform and this is viewed a positive, something that is really unique to their environment.”

Eventually, the live segments could be sponsored, but A+E hasn’t gone down that road yet. “We see this as content and I wouldn't shut the door on them becoming their own pieces of content,” Sharenow said.

TVision said A+E Networks signed an agreement giving the programmer access to TVision’s Total View, which measures and analyzes person-level viewing of content and ads on linear and connected TV.

Total View provides A+E’s ad sales team with multiple dashboards that help understand ad performance, improve engagement and maximize the value of impressions, TVision said. TVision's data includes attention-based metrics and program-level competitive intelligence.

“To effectively position our premium content delivered across all platforms, we require a solution for apples-to-apples measurement and analysis of content performance and advertising value,” said Suzanne Persechino, senior VP, ad sales research at A+E Networks. “TVision’s Total View gives us the data we need to get a holistic view of our premium content within the industry.”

Also Read: TVision, DoubleVerify Team Up To Bring Attention Metrics to CTV

One of Total View’s dashboards provides program analysis, letting users know how viewers engage with content, broken down by demographics.

Another extends brand and category analysis, with insight as to how brands and advertiser categories are performing within specific media properties and across competitive networks and apps.

“Across A&E, The History Channel, and Lifetime, A+E Networks produces some of the best content in the industry and so its inventory is a high-value investment for advertisers. A+E’s team is adept at using innovation and the latest metrics to position that premium content,” TVision CEO Yan Liu said. “Total View delivers unparalleled insights into co-viewing, attention, and engagement across networks and apps in a single platform, giving A+E’s team easy access to run deep analysis of performance across properties. As a result, their team can maximize investments, and drive demand.”

A+E Networks said programming executives Elaine Frontain Bryant and Eli Lehrer are getting expanded roles as Amy Winter and Tanya Lopez leave the company.

Winter was head of programming for Lifetime. In a memo to staff, Winter said that after taking “some time to think about my personal goals,” she decided to look for other opportunities to build businesses and develop content.

Lopez was head of scripted programming for Lifetime. She is getting a production deal with A+E and will continue to package and produce Lifetime Original Movies.

Frontain Bryant, who had been in charge of programming at A&E Network, becomes executive VP and head of programming genres for A&E, Lifetime and LMN. 

Lehrer becomes executive VP and head of The History Channel programming genres and music services.

“Elaine and Eli are proven leaders with unparalleled track records of developing hit franchises and first-in-class content that resonates with viewers and drives the success of our industry-leading brands,” Rob Sharenow, president of programming for A+E Networks, said. “Both executives possess a unique mix of creative prowess, deep relationships in the creative community and an exceptional understanding of the type of content viewers crave. 

“I’m confident Elaine and Eli will continue to elevate these storied brands and drive our future success,“ he added. “Lifetime is fortunate to have Tanya continuing to produce original movies for the brand that she has been instrumental in building through the years.”

Frontain Bryant and Lehrer will report to Sharenow.

“Lifetime has an enviable legacy of powerful storytelling for women and I’m honored to be trusted with spearheading content for one of the most iconic brands in entertainment,” Frontain Bryant said. “I look forward to working with the incredibly talented Lifetime and LMN programming teams to create new, buzz-worthy programming that resonates with our passionate fan base and brings in new audiences.” 

“I look forward to continuing to grow the premium History brand while working to streamline A+E’s music services businesses to better position the company for future growth,” Lehrer said. “I continue to be proud of the success of the History team and look forward to working across the company to drive our music services division.”

A+E Networks announced a change in its management structure in Asia, promoting Yongsun Soh to senior VP and managing director of A+E Korea and John Flanagan to senior VP and managing director of A+E Japan and Southeast Asia.

The changes come with A+E saying that Saugato “Shoggy” Banerjee, managing director of A+E Asia, will be leaving the company effective Sept. 30.

“We are extremely grateful for Shoggy’s entrepreneurial efforts over the years, which helped create so many achievements in our linear businesses in Southeast Asia,” Steve McDonald, president of global licensing & international for A+E, said. “He was integral to the launch of our multifaceted media business in Korea and the re-invention of our business in Japan. His many accomplishments at A+E leave us in great stead to pursue our vision to expand A+E Networks’ footprint even further throughout the region.”

Soh has been general manager of A+E Korea. She led the launch of the History and Lifetime channels in Korea. She joined A+E from Twitter Korea and had earlier worked at BBC Worldwide Channels Asia.

“Youngsun Soh is an exceptional leader at A+E Networks in Korea, driving our growth and success in this dynamic and competitive marketplace,” A+E International group managing director Patrick Vien, to whom Soh will report, said. “Her vision and expertise have been instrumental in expanding our presence throughout the region and we are thrilled to see her continue to lead our business in Korea to even greater heights.” 

Flanagan, also reporting to Vien, Flanagan will continue to head A+E’s business in Japan. He joined the company as GM of A+E in Japan and as overseen the launch of streaming History, Lifetime and Crime+Investigation channels in Japan. He has also overseen its documentary production uint.

In his new position, Flanagan adds oversight of A+E Southeast Asia. Reporting to him will be Salawati (Wati) Mohammed, head of distribution & partnership development, A+E SEA. Pamela Tan, regional head of finance, A+E SEA.

Flanagan joined A+E in 2017 from Blackhawk Network Japan & Korea. He also held positions with Amazon, Dyson, Apple, 20th Century Fox, Mediatti Communications and Liberty Media.

“John Flanagan has been an invaluable member of our team since joining A+E Networks,” said Vien. “His deep understanding of the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets, combined with his expertise in programming and marketing, make him the ideal leader to guide our continued growth in these regions. We are confident that under John’s leadership, A+E will continue to deliver exceptional content and experiences to audiences across Japan and Southeast Asia.”

A+E Networks has worked with GSK to produce a short film aimed at generating awareness for meningitis B.

The film is called I Never Thought to Ask: A Mom’s Quest for Answers, and features Soleil Moon Frye and Melissa Joan Hart as well as medical experts and people impacted by the condition.

Frye, a mother of four children, is passionate about the topic and is advocating to empower parents to talk with their teen’s doctor about meningitis B and vaccination, A+E said.

The film has its premiere on Lifetime’s digital platforms on Tuesday. After that, it will appear on the Lifetime cable network starting June 25.

The film, I Never Thought to Ask: A Mom’s Quest for Answers, is sponsored by GSK as part of the Ask2BSure campaign.

The Elton John AIDS Foundation announced that Paul Buccieri, president and chairman of the A+E Networks Group, was named to its board of directors.

The foundation noted that under Buccieri, A+E has been recognized for its philanthropic commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and its supports for causes including heart health awareness, veterans and military families, education and mentorship.

Last year, A+E Networks organized an event for Elton John to perform at the White House.   Buccieri formed a relationship with the foundation at that time.

“Raising awareness of the ongoing global AIDS epidemic, and the means to protect yourself, as well as the barriers to ending the disease are absolutely critical to our work at the Elton John AIDS Foundation,” said David Furnish, Chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. “Paul’s deep experience and understanding of messaging and the global media ecosystem at the highest level is a tremendous asset to our Board.  Elton and my fellow board members are delighted he has joined us at such a critical time for the Foundation. We deeply value both his professional expertise and longtime understanding of, and compassion for, those who are vulnerable and in need of support.” 

Buccieri joined A+E in 2015 as president of A&E and History Channel. Before that he was chairman of ITV Studios U.S. Group & ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

“I have long admired Elton's unparalleled dedication to equality and human dignity, and I am honored to join Elton, David, Anne and the entire Board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation to help further their life-saving work," said Buccieri. “The Foundation has an unwavering commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic and supporting communities in need, and I look forward to contributing to their vital mission."

The A+E Networks will team with a bevy of top celebrities including Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Janet Jackson and Anthony Anderson for major television projects, the company announced Wednesday during its upfront presentation.

History Channel will partner with Costner on a new eight-episode series The West, which will capture the diverse, complex character and untold stories that defined the “Wild West” and that continue to shape our country today, according to the network.

Also: A+E Promises Advertisers at Upfront It Will Deliver Peak Content 

Freeman will helm the upcoming documentary Black Patriots: The 761st Battalion, which will tell the true story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first Black tank unit to serve in combat during WWII. Bradley Cooper will executive produce FDR, a three-night documentary debuting on Memorial Day that will provide a portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The network is also developing projects with Dan Aykroyd and Michael Imperioli.

Lifetime will again partner with Janet Jackson on a new documentary airing on both Lifetime and A&E that focus on her new concert tour and reunion with the Jacksons, said the network. Also simulcasting on both networks is TLC Forever, a documentary celebrating one of the top-selling female groups of all time. 

A&E will follow actors Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer on a new 10-episode documentary series, Kings of BBQ, in which the two actors will work together to build their own barbeque product empire.

"Our goal within this media evolution is to meet audiences wherever and however  they consumer content, by working with great worldwide storytellers to develop and execute their vision," A+E Networks Group President and Chairman Paul Buccieri said in a statement. "Over the last four years, we have been on a journey to expand our production capabilities in both scripted and factual, and we've established key relationships in the talent management space as well as continued creating compelling content across our brands to further meet the needs of our valued partners and viewers." ■ 

At a time when many larger programmers are cutting back, A+E Networks is telling advertisers it will deliver a slate of more than 2,500 hours of new multiplatform content in 2023-24, up from the 2,000 hours it promised last year.

In a virtual upfront presentation Wednesday, A+E put a spotlight on projects backed by big names, including Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Bradley Cooper, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland, Keyshia Cole, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Austin, Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer.

Also: AEN Taps Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Janet Jackson in New Slate 

“Our goal within this media evolution is to meet audiences wherever and however they consume content, by working with great worldwide storytellers to develop and execute their vision,” Paul Buccieri, A+E Networks Group chairman, said. “Over the last four years, we have been on a journey to expand our production capabilities in both scripted and factual, and we’ve established key relationships in the talent management space as well as continued creating compelling content across our brands to further meet the needs of our valued partners and viewers.”

Buccieri singled out a project from A+E’s History Channel to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. “This initiative will be across all platforms and will highlight many lives and experiences — 250 voices across 50 states — to honor, acknowledge and reflect perspectives from our past and present, while giving our partners unique, premium opportunities to join us in this effort.”

At a time when cord-cutting is eroding linear viewerships, A+E has been expanding distribution of its content beyond cable. A+E didn’t start its own subscription streaming service. Instead, it launched a series of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, ad sales president Peter Olsen told Broadcasting+Cable. 

“We took a more measured approach to where the viewership was gong and it has paid off,” Olsen said. He said consumption of A+E content across all platforms was 4% higher in 2022 than in 2019, the year before the pandemic started.

“At a time when linear ratings are down and distribution is changing, people are finding it, and we think that’s the right approach until the industry finds its future,” he said.

The approach works with advertisers, who are shifting different fractions of their media budgets from linear TV to streaming. A+E will let clients take the lead. “Just tell us what your objectives are, what your challenges are, and we’ll do our best to solve your problems,” Olsen said. “Each client is learning different things about what’s actually driving their business. I don’t think there is a one-size-fits-all in the streaming space, so you’re seeing a pretty wide variety on price points.”

Similarly, when it comes to measurement and currency, A&E is flexible. “We’re open to partnering with virtually any player if the deal makes sense,” he said. “Individual clients want things on different terms and we do it in that form. It’s not going to be a whole new currency in two months.”

Olsen said it was too soon to debate if this would be a buyer’s or a seller’s market. “We’re not going to hide from the fast that right now, short-term economics are weak,” he said. “But the upfront is a futures market, and most likely we will be recovering, and potentially rapidly recovering, when we turn the corner.”

Olsen said that A+E opted to again have a virtual presentation because it reaches more people. “Then we do a bunch of in-person stuff as needed,” he said. “We thought it was prudent and it’s been effective.”

Among the tentpole projects A+E shared with media buyers and clients was Kevin Costner’s The West for the History Channel, with the Oscar-winning actor and star of the Paramount Network hit Yellowstone teaming up with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and Radical Media.

History also has FDR, executive produced by Goodwin and Bradley Cooper (see trailer below); Black Patriots: the 761st Battalion, executive-produced by Morgan Freeman; Five Families, executive-produced by Michael Imperioli; and The Unbelievable, with Dan Aykroyd.

Lifetime projects include Janet Jackson: Family First; TLC Forever (which will be simulcast on A&E); and a biopic about Keyshia Cole starring Keyshia Cole.

A&E is cooking up Kings of BBQ with Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer. 

A+E’s Home.Made.Nation lifestyle brand has Legends of the Fork; Cake Dynasty and Cake Toppers with Buddy Valastro; and Rachael Ray Meals in Minutes. ■

Boxer Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali, is hosting a branded content series created by A+E Networks for Ancestry that is airing on History Channel.

The series is profiling women who have made an impact on history. It makes its debut February 6, adjacent to the premiere of History’s Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning.

“Our collaboration with Ancestry is especially fulfilling because it seamlessly marries each partners’ efforts to illuminate lesser-known history,” Niki Mandell, VP, ad sales marketing partnerships at A+E Networks, said. “We’re honored to again deliver well-known talent, along with the trusted, custom, creative environment for this important partner to reach audiences with stories of diversity and family exploration.”

The series features Madam C.J. Walker who became a self-made millionaire with hair-care products; Susan La Flesche Picotte, one of the first Native American women to earn a medical degree; and Mary Spencer, who launched America’s oldest candy company.

Ancestry is also sponsoring three vignettes to be featured on the History Channel’s social platforms and featured within a playlist on History.com. Campaign promotion includes mentions in newsletters, in-program messaging and tagged tune-ins. ■

A+E Networks said it hired Deborah K. Bradley as executive VP of global content sales, a new position at the company.

Bradley most recently had been president of the retail division of The Amherst Group as well as head of corporate marketing and brand reputation.

In her new post, Bradley will be responsible for expanding A+E’s presence across multi-media third party platforms and growing distribution of A+E portfolio of free, ad-supported television (FAST) channels.

Also: Frndly TV Adds More VOD Programming From A+E

Based in Atlanta, Bradley will report to Mark Garner, executive VP of content sales and business development at A+E Networks.

“Throughout her career, Deb has demonstrated deep knowledge of growing platform businesses, brokered industry-leading content sharing and licensing deals between networks, studios and streaming platforms, is passionate about the consumer experience on digital platforms, and possesses an innate ability to best serve audiences,” said Garner. “We look forward to her stewardship as A+E Networks further expands its premium global content offerings.”

Before Amherst, Bradley was executive VP, networks optimization, content strategy and commercialization at Turner Entertainment. Earlier she held posts at CBS Television Distribution, Paramount Domestic Television and Magid. ■

Frndly TV, the low-price streaming TV service aimed at the whole family, said it made a deal to expand the library of shows from A+E Networks that are available to subscribers on demand.

Before the end of the year, subscribers will be able to watch series including The Curse of Oak Island, The First 48, Storage Wars, American Pickers, Pawn Stars and Married at First Sight. 

The new content will be available free on Frndly, which has raised its price only once since it was launched.

Frndly TV originally added networks from A+E to its service in November 2021.

“A+E Networks has been a great partner with Frndly TV since its channels launched on our service,” said Michael McKenna, Frndly TV chief programming officer. “The additional collection of shows from the A+E Networks library extends that relationship and is a nice holiday gift to our subscribers. We are excited to make available both current and past seasons of a wide variety of shows and movies to our customers at no additional cost to them.”

Frndly TV recently disclosed that it had more than 700,000 subscribers, up 40% year-over-year.

Frndly TV offers consumers three packages. The Basic plan provides a single SD stream for $6.99 per month. The Classic tier for $8.99 per month allows users to stream two simultaneous HD streams and offers three months storage on a cloud DVR. At $10.99 per month, the Premium package supports four simultaneous HD streams and nine months DVR storage.

All three packages include a lineup of 40-plus channels and thousands of titles on VOD and a 72-hour lookback of TV shows and movies. ■

A+E Networks has filed suit in federal court against Big Fish Entertainment, Half Moon Pictures and ReelzChannel over the series On Patrol Live, charging a “brazen theft” of its rights to the TV series Live PD.

A+E took the high-rated series off the air after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. Live PD was one of many shows highlighting law enforcement officers that were cancelled at the time. 

In June, the Reelz cable channel said it would launch On Patrol: Live in July, produced by Big Fish with Live PD hosts Dan Abrams, Sean “Sticks” Larkin and Curtis Wilson reprising their roles and incorporating many other Live PD features.

The suit is seeking to recover actual damages, the profits generated by the new show, and punitive damages. It also wants the defendant enjoined from continuing to reproduce and distribute the show.

ReelzChannel said it "has not been served with nor had an opportunity to review the Complaint in detail, and thus has no comment at this time beyond denying liability and expressing its ongoing commitment to On Patrol: Live."

A spokespersons for Big Fish had not responded to requests for comment as of when this story was posted.

In its suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, A+E said it is the sole and exclusive owner of any and all rights to Live PD, which aired on A&E between 2015 and 2020.

“Without any authorization from AETN, Big Fish (the show’s former producer) created a clone of Live PD featuring the same primary hosts, content, format, segments, and more, and sold that virtually identical show to Reelz, a cable network seeking its first breakout hit, which then aired the show over AETN’s repeated and vociferous objections,” the suit said.

The suit also notes that when marketing the new series, the defendants said they were “bringing back” Live PD on a new network.

The suit includes a tweet from Abrams from June that says “the show will be back on Friday and Saturday nights sometime later this summer!”

“So far, defendants’ plan has worked as intended: the infringing series has single-handedly drawn millions of viewers to Reelz, which was the 89th ranked television network in total viewers in 2021,” the suit says. “Facing such a blatant rip-off, AETN brings this action against Defendants for copyright infringement under the Copyright Act and for trademark infringement and unfair competition under the Lanham Act and New York law.”

A+E Networks said in the suit that when production of the series — the highest-rated show on A&E — was suspended, it never “relinquished or assigned rights to create episodes of Live PD nor has it authorized anyone to prepare derivative programs based upon Live PD.”

A+E said it has sent cease-and-desist letter to the defendants warning them not to infringe on A+E’s intellectual property rights, but they went forward anyway with On Patrol: Live.

“On Patrol: Live copies nearly every aspect of Live PD: it covers the same, crime-related subject matter through the same format (i.e., a live series following police units around the country in real time, with hosts in studio curating and guiding the action, and pre-produced packages about cops/areas/hot cases during moments of quiet); it features the same primary studio host and co-host, who describe the unfolding action using the exact same catchphrases they used on Live PD while dressed as they often were dressed on Live PD; it has live feeds in multiple cities following several of the same police departments as Live PD and even some of the same individual officers; it utilizes similar percussive opening and closing music; it copies the same program segments (e.g., “Crime of the Week,” “Missing,” and “Wanted”); it displays the officers’ locations and their activity the same way; it transitions from scene to scene in the same way; episodes end in the same way, with footage of a police interaction continuing to play in the upper-middle part of a screen while credits flash underneath in white font, with police lights flashing in the background; and it even airs during the same time slots (Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m.-12 a.m.),” the suit claims.

A+E Networks is also seeking damages for the defendant using its trademarks. 

“As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ infringement of the Live PD series, including the Registered Episodes, AETN has been damaged by such infringement including, inter alia, through lost licensing revenue and other opportunities to exploit the Live PD series, and Defendants have profited and are continuing to profit from such infringement, all in an amount to be proven at trial,“ the suit said. “Accordingly, AETN is entitled to actual damages and any additional profits of Defendants.

“Because defendants are engaging in new acts of infringement on at least a weekly basis and such infringement is willful, AETN, at its election, as an alternative to an award of actual damages and Defendants’ profits, is entitled to recover the maximum amount of statutory damages available  … for each infringed work,” the suit said. “Because Defendants are engaging in new acts of infringement on at least a weekly basis, AETN is entitled to recover its costs, including its attorneys’ fees, in prosecuting this action,” the lawsuit said. ■

A+E Networks and its History Channel have forged a partnership with the Roybal Film and Television Production Magnet Fund, which was set up by George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of Creative Artists Agency, to help historically underrepresented students prepare to get into the film and TV industry.

Paul Buccieri, president and chairman of A+E Networks Group, has joined the Roybal advisory board. Other board members include Clooney, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria, Mindy Kaling, Don Cheadle, Nicole Avant, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Jim Gianopulos.

“One of the most powerful ways to diversify the entertainment industry is to provide a new generation with practical hands-on skills and connections, which is why I am honored to serve as a founding member of the Roybal Film and Television Magnet School Advisory Board,” Buccieri said. 

“The History Channel is proud to be a founding partner at the school to help support educators, augment curriculum, provide opportunities that inspire curiosity and empower students to excel. The Roybal school will help infuse the media and entertainment industry with an incredible new pool of creatives, and I am thrilled to play a role in this important endeavor," Buccieri said.

The first class of Roybal’s academy will be seated in the fall, starting with students from the ninth and tenth grades. 

The History Channel and A+E Networks will provide classroom resources and an innovative curriculum developed to meet the standards prescribed by the state of California and the University of California system, plus offer students access to special screenings and guest speakers, including distinguished historians. 

A+E Networks creatives and company leaders with expertise in a range of behind-the-camera roles will develop and lead learning sessions designed to give students access to practical skill-based learning.

“We welcome Paul and his shared commitment to the board’s mission. With Paul and the support of The History Channel, we are able to accelerate our collective impact on Roybal’s students,” Lourd said. “We look forward to other individuals and companies joining our efforts.” ■

A+E Networks said it has cooked up a multi-platform programming deal with Buddy Valastro, the celebrity chef featured in TLC’s long-running series Cake Boss.

The deal calls for Valastro and his family to create multiple new series and holiday specials that will be produced by A+E’s Six West Media in association with Valastro’s Cakehouse Media. Valastro will also be featured in a Lifetime holiday movie.

In all, more than 60 hours of original content will be coming out of the oven.

“Buddy is not only a powerhouse in the culinary world, he is an incredible talent who shares our passion to create the type of quality content that has made A+E Networks a leader in factual entertainment,” Rob Sharenow, president of programming for A+E Networks, said. “Buddy will bolster A+E Networks’ industry-leading lifestyle genre catalogue as a bona fide star with a tremendous fanbase. The fact that he is a passionate creative partner is icing on the cake.”

Cake Boss started on TLC in 2009 on TLC, featuring Valastro and his family-owned business Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey. The show ran on TLC through 2017 and appeared on Discovery Family in 2019 and 2020.

Valastro also appeared in spinoffs, including The Next Great Baker, Kitchen Boss, Bake Your Rich and Bakery Boss. He injured his right hand in his home bowling alley in 2020 and needed two surgeries to repair it.

Valastro will serve as an executive producer on all projects. They will be produced for A+E Networks portfolio of networks and distributed worldwide by A+E.

“Our partnership with A+E is everything my family and I were looking for in a home on television — a media company with worldwide reach and distribution and thoughtful creative partners who can execute our shared vision from development to broadcast,” said Valastro. “I look forward to a long and successful collaboration with the incredible team at A+E and to bringing audiences the shows they crave, as we continue to grow as a business and a family.”  ■

A&E Networks said it named Juliana Stock chief marketing and brand officer, filling a vacant position.

Stock, who joined the company in 2013 and most recently had been executive VP of corporate brand strategy, will oversee A+E’s strategic, creative and corporate brand teams.

She will report to Paul Buccieri, president and chairman of A+E Networks Group. Elizabeth Luciano, Kevin Potis and Tim Nolan will report directly to Stock.

“Juliana has been integral in not only shaping the vision, values and culture of our organization, but also driving strategic business initiatives that helped A+E Networks innovate and grow at a pivotal time in the industry,” said Buccieri. “She has the well-earned respect of leadership, colleagues and teams across the business, and I am confident she will lead the marketing and brand division with purpose and yield even higher results.”

Before joining A+E, Stock spent a decade at Conde Nast.

“I’m extremely grateful to be at A+E Networks at this time, and under the extraordinary leadership of Paul. I’m honored and humbled to bring my expertise to a role that will significantly shape some of the most powerful brands in media,” Stock said. “I look forward to guiding these high-performing teams under one unified division, driving the portfolio and business forward, both across our platforms and in the industry.” ■

A+E Networks, Amazon Studios, Banijay Americas and Warner Bros. Discovery has signed up for Coded for Inclusion, an initiative aimed at using the hiring platform Staff Me Up to put more diverse job seekers into Hollywood production jobs.

The initiative was started by Color of Change, Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society Fellowship, Hue You Know, AMC Networks and Endeavor Content

“We’re thrilled to welcome A+E Networks, Amazon Studios, Banijay Americas, and Warner Bros. Discovery on board. It is our goal with these partnerships to increase the visibility of job opportunities in the industry while providing productions an easily adaptable infrastructure to diversify their talent pools and break down the barriers of entry into Hollywood,” said Daniel Rosenberg, VP of Business Development and Strategic Alliances, Staff Me Up.

“A+E Networks has long been committed to diverse representation in all roles - in front of and behind the camera – and we’re excited to uncover and be paired with underrepresented talent through Staff Me Up,” said Karen Gray, chief HR officer and Chief Diversity Officer, A+E Networks.  “Our content across all of our platforms will be enhanced by this innovative solution that is helping the industry move forward.”

“Our support of Coded For Inclusion is aligned with our commitment to a more inclusive Hollywood, one that reflects the diversity of our world today,” said Latasha Gillespie, head of global DEI at Amazon Studios, Prime Video and IMDb. “To foster high performing and inclusive sets, we need to attract and hire the best talent. We are thrilled to extend this resource to our creative partners so they have improved access to high caliber, talented individuals.” 

“At Banijay Americas, we are focused on building partnerships that translate into real jobs and meaningful change in the industry—those that help us deliver on our commitment to reflecting the rich diversity of our audiences both onscreen and behind the scenes on our sets,” said Karla Pita Loor, executive VPt, Enterprise Inclusion and Social Responsibility, Banijay Americas. “

“Warner Bros. Discovery is proud to partner with Staff Me Up and support the Coded for Inclusion project. We believe that every role on a set contributes to the product and it is why we are committed to diversifying the people powering our content behind the scenes in order to be the most representative of the audience,” said Samata Narra, senior VP, Equity and Inclusion, Content, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Staff Me Up currently has more than 380,000 crew profiles listed on its hiring platform, including over 100,000 people from historically underrepresented communities.

Since Coded for Inclusion’s launch last year, Staff Me Up expanded on its inclusive technology and infrastructure while tapping into the racial and social justice equity expertise of Hue You Know and Color of Change, to remove barriers to entry for job seekers from historically excluded groups such as BIPOC, Women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and active military/veterans, to ensure studios and production houses have a direct pipeline to candidates. ■

A+E Networks, owner of the History Channel, is launching History Travel, a service that will organize curated tours of domestic and international destinations where notable events took place.

A&E is working with Academic Travel Abroad on the project under a multi-year agreement.

The tours are designed and led by History Channel-approved historians and local experts, who bring context to the events and cultures and bring the History books to life.

The first trip will take visitors to New Orleans in November to experience the history of jazz. Other excursions will highlight the battlefields in Gettysburg and Antietam, Yellowstone National Park and Pearl Harbor. Other tours will take participants to historic sites in England, France, Greece and Italy.

“We’re all looking for more meaningful experiences, and History Travel will enable adventurers to connect more deeply to people and places,” said Lance Still, senior VP, consumer enterprises, A+E Networks. “Providing expert historical context to these curated destinations is a new way to engage our core audiences, and also expand the brand to curious history-buffs seeking a trusted source to help them make the most of their travel experience and connect to the larger historical picture.”

“As a company formed in the aftermath of World War II, we are delighted to work with such an iconic brand to bring history to life through one-of-a-kind travel experiences,” notes Kate Simpson, president of academic travel abroad.■

 A+E Networks has teamed with Bowie State University to provide students of the Historically Black College with real-world work experience through the company, both parties announced Monday.

the A+E Networks Apprenticeship Program, which starts in Fall 2022 and runs through the Spring 2023 semester, will match eligible Bowie State students with experienced A+E staffers through a remote work experience in graphic design, marketing, digital content distribution, social media creative and digital media production within various departments at A+E, the company said.

Bowie State students will also have the opportunity to learn from executives in the media industry through mentorship, special presentations and hands-on sessions to build professional skills while matriculating in their regular class schedule.

“We set out to design a program that would offer students from a range of academic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds an opportunity to gain real-world work experience and mentorship in creative fields while completing their degrees,” said Paul Buccieri, President and Chairman of A+E Networks Group in a statement.  “We wanted students to have a unique opportunity to learn, but also meaningfully contribute to A+E Networks and have a substantial impact on our communications, CSR and promotional campaigns.”

Added A+E Networks’ Chief Human Resources Officer & Chief Diversity Officer Karen Gray: “A+E Networks is passionately committed to building an inclusive and high-impact culture that inspires creativity, collaboration, coordination, accountability and trust.  The apprenticeship program is one of many steps our organization continues to take to reflect the communities we reach and to promote positive change. Our new flexible work policy has leveled the playing field for students in the apprenticeship program as they join the majority of the A+E workforce who have chosen to work remotely or in a hybrid situation. We look forward to welcoming these students to A+E this fall and to building a sustained partnership with Bowie State.” ■ 

A+E Networks, looking to expand its content creation capabilities, said it made a strategic equity investment in talent agency Range Media Partners.

The deal gives A+E Studios a first look at TV projects from Range clients. A+E Studios will also be co-production partners for Range’s scripted television projects. 

Range, formed in 2020 and headed by Peter Micelli, represents actors including Emilia Clarke, Bradley Cooper, Benicio Del Toro, Gabrielle Union, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, Vince Vaughn, Naomi Ackie, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Jerrod Carmichael, Stephan James, Anna Kendrick, Shailene Woodley, Danny McBride/Rough House Pictures, Michael Shannon, Ramy Youssef, Taron Egerton, Kiersey Clemons and Keira Knightley.

Also: A+E Pitches Content Genres in Upfront Presentation

Its stable also includes writers and filmmakers Amy Aniobi, Michael Bay, M. Night Shyamalan, Luca Guadagnino, Martin McDonagh, Damon Lindelof, Gareth Edwards, Tim Van Patten and Alma Har’el, and musical artists Jack Harlow, Justin Tranter, Midland, Wale, HARV, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Bazzi and MAX.

“We are thrilled to partner with Peter Micelli and Range Media Partner,” said Paul Buccieri, chairman of A+E Networks Group, owned by The Walt Disney Co. and Hearst. “We were drawn to their impressive team and roster of entrepreneurially-minded talent and believe this investment will create strategic opportunities to accelerate the growth of our scripted and nonfiction content creation unit on a global scale.”

Also: A&E, WWE To Make 130 More Hours of Content Under Expanded Deal

Buccieri said the investment “underscores both our confidence in the trajectory of the industry and more specifically, the role Range will play within it. This alignment will enable diversification of our storytelling and content, amplify our efforts to shift from curator to creator, and bolster our ultimate goal to become a global IP powerhouse.”

A+E Studios and Range already have one project, White House Doctor, in development at Fox.

“We have a large roster of projects ready for the marketplace, all of which perfectly fit the Range Media Partners/A+E Studios strategic alliance of bringing together high-end artists to create and produce in a talent-friendly environment to bring their visions to the screen," said Barry Jossen president and head of A+E Studios.

The companies see demand for music-related unscripted projects. Range Music will also be able to provide y music services for A+E Networks content and soundtrack needs.

The strategic investment from A+E Networks will fund further expansion of Range’s talent representation capabilities and the incubation of talent-affiliated consumer businesses, as well allow for other growth avenues, including a significant investment in the Web3 ecosystem, the companies said.

“We are humbled to partner with remarkable artists, who are driven by the need to know more and do more. We are privileged to be joined by the like-minded team at A+E Networks (some of whom we have worked with for decades), who share our passion for innovation, business strategy and compelling storytelling, as we enter this next chapter,” said Range CEO Peter Micelli.

A+E Networks Studios is the primary scripted programming supplier for A+E’s A&E Network, Lifetime and History Channel. It also produces scripted programming for other outlets including Netflix, ABC, Showtime, Peacock, HBO Max, AMC, Fox and NBC.

A+E Networks nonfiction content creation units - Category 6 Media and Six West Media – produce more than 400 hours of content annually, with a current slate of projects for external outlets including Disney Plus, HBO Max, PBS, WarnerMedia, Discovery, ID, and WE.

Range Media’s launch was bankrolled in part by Micelli who was with Entertainment One when it was sold to Hasbro for $3.8 billion.

Range was also backed by Steve Cohen’s Point72 Ventures, former New York Knicks coach David Fizdale, former Microsoft chief marketing officer Mich Mathews-Spradlin, and Grubhub founder and CEO Matt Maloney. ■

A+E Networks is presenting its original content by genre category in addition to the network brands they run on during its upfront presentation Wednesday evening.

The company is also doubling down on its total audience initiative, aiming to persuade media buyers to count all viewers rather than focusing on the traditional demos that exclude viewers above ages 49 and 54. 

In addition to the genres A+E has focused on in the past, it is launching a new lifestyle category it is calling Home.Made Nation, which will feature home improvement, food, and innovation content across linear and digital platforms. The other A+E genre groupings are Historical & Documentaries, Biographies & Pop Culture and Movies and Features.

In the Fall, A+E will also launch 4UV, or For Unheard Voices, which will feature content by and for diverse but unheard voices. In addition to running on A+E current portfolio, it will be the basis for a new standalone free, ad supported streaming channel. 

"It all comes down to great storytelling in collaboration with A-list storytellers in-front-of and behind-the-camera. A+E Networks is a premium home for talent to explore their passions and tell their narratives, and we are extremely proud to partner with such a diverse roster of creators across our portfolio of brands," said Paul Buccieri, president & chairman, A+E Networks Group.

"As our industry continues to evolve, we remain focused on premium, popular and relevant stories and storytellers and are expanding the ways our viewers can find our content - from the shows they know and love to bold new programming in the most in-demand genres,” Buccieri said. "In an ever-changing landscape, we are providing our advertisers more - more programming featuring the world's most beloved talent, more best-in-class opportunities to reach their targets, and more custom solutions to exceed their goals and deeply engage their audiences."

A+E says it is producing 2,000 hours of original content, the most ever in its history.

The talent involved in the content A+E is presenting to advertisers includes Mick Jagger, Questlove, Rachael Ray, LeBron James, Robin Roberts, Peyton Manning, Leonardo DiCaprio, Pierce Brosnan, Ray Liotta and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Also: A&E, WWE To Make 130 More Hours of Content Under Expanded Deal

A+E has also been one of the networks looking to get advertisers to change the way they buy commercials. With about half of traditional TV’s viewers over the age of 50, it doesn’t make sense to base deals on viewers in the 18 to 49 or even 25 to 54 demos.

Last year, A+E started to push advertisers to buy based on total viewers. 

In an interview with Broadcasting+Cable, A+E ad sales president Peter Olsen noted that TV viewing in the demo is down double digits over the past three years, but among viewers 50-plus, its down just 9%. “That’s just linear,” he said. “Total consumption across all touch points is just about flat from three years ago. That’s why we’re putting a swath of our content everywhere. Audiences are finding it.”

He said now the majority of clients are buying based on metrics beyond the legacy demos.. At the same time a growing share of A+E’s ad sales, as much as 30% are coming on its digital platforms.

Olsen said that this year, advertising clients will be able to buy A+E shows by network brand or by genre or by audience segments. “A one size fits all approach doesn’t work for this industry,” he said. "As good partners, we’ll do our best to partner in every way possible.”

For Olsen the bottom line is that his clients still drive value and build businesses through video.

“Great stories still work. If you put good stuff on, people still find it despite all of the chaos going on,” he said.

As part of its Every Person Count initiative A+E has been doing research into the way mature people are depicted in advertising and better ways for advertisers to engage them.

A+E’s upfront was conducted virtually with COVID still a concern. Other networks plan to start making their presentations in person in May. 

“I think the beauty of the virtual is you can make your presentation  clear, easy to ingest and be as brief as possible. You get more people to see it and understand what you’re doing. And I think there’s plenty of opportunities for us to do face-to-face meetings throughout the year,” Olsen said. “Let’s home in the second week of May, everything goes they way we hope, because that’s a good sign for us as human beings."■

A+E Networks has made a deal that will make its subscription streaming apps —History Vault, A&E Crime Central and Lifetime Movie Club — available via the Vizio SmartCast platform.

Vizio users can also access some A+E content for free via Vizio’s WatchFree Plus streaming service.

History Vault, at $4.99 a month, offers more than 3,500 hours of content from History Channel, including documentaries from the network‘s library and series including America’s Greatest Feud: The History of the Hatfields and the McCoys, as well as past seasons of popular series like American Restoration and Ice Road Truckers.

A&E Crime Central, for $4.99 per month, has 1,300 hours of content from A&E, History Channel, Lifetime and LMN, including The First 48: Missing Persons, Beyond Scared Straight and Cold Case Files.

Lifetime Movie Club, at $3.99 a month, has more than 300 Lifetime movies including Flowers in the Attic, Death of A Cheerleader and Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret.

“This integration with Vizio SmartCast TVs extends the reach of these popular streaming apps and greatly adds to our connected TV footprint, making it easier than ever for our engaged audiences to access their favorite content when, where, and how they want,” said Mark Garner, executive VP, global content sales and business development, A+E Networks. “We value our relationship with VIZIO and look forward to building new ways for viewers to tune into their favorite library content across our brands.“

Among the free content on Vizio WatchFree Plus are channels based on A+E series: Ax Men, Ice Road Truckers and Modern Marvels.

Additional WatchFree Plus channels based on A+E content include: 

Crime 360 — Step inside the investigation as theories and evidence are brought to life through fantastic CGI visualizations, state-of-the-art 3D laser scanning and 360-degree digital photography.

Lively Place — Programming for home improvement, dating and romance, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Skills + Thrills — The American spirit of grit and adventure with reality, nonfiction and competition programming.

Movie Favorites by Lifetime — Favorite Lifetime movie favorites.

Defy TV — Daring and bold reality TV shows.

TrueReal — Reality shows with big drama.

Tiny House Nation — The hit shows behind the Tiny Home movement all day, every day. Travel he globe in search of unique tiny homes of 500 square feet or less.

“Vizio’s commitment to offer viewers a wide breadth of compelling content and experiences makes expanding A+E on SmartCast a natural fit," said Katherine Pond, VP of business development for Vizio. "With A+E’s entertainment portfolio that tells amazing stories and spans multiple genres, we’re thrilled to be launching these additional A+E apps that are sure to keep the whole family entertained.”

Vizio also provides convenient access to apps like Apple TV Plus, BET Plus, Discovery Plus, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV. ■ 

After years of prioritizing younger consumers, the television business needs to take a new look at how mature viewers are depicted on TV, especially in advertising, according to research being conducted by A+E Networks.

Older consumers are the fastest growing segment of the market and yet very few mature people are shown in a positive light in advertising–and those mature viewers don’t like it.

That could turn out to be bad for business if it turns off some of linear TV’s most loyal viewers and prevents the consumers with the most spending power from engaging with new products.

Also: A+E Pitch to Upfront Buyers: Count Older Viewers Too

A+E Networks has been doing a multi-stage research project looking at the way mature adults are being depicted in advertising, how they are reacting to the current state of affairs and how they would prefer to be represented in the future. The research includes working with cultural anthropologists and sociologists who spent time with adults 40 plus, reviewing thousands of TV commercials, and doing quantitative studies to back up the findings

TV is reflecting and reinforcing an ageist culture at a time when diversity and inclusion is being encouraged for other segments of the population, said Marcella Tabares, senior VP, strategic & cultural insights, ad sales research at A+E Networks.

“Embedded in our understanding of aging in America is a deeply anti-aging narrative,” Tabares said. ”Our ageist culture has created this sense of disgust with the idea of showing aging skin and aging bodies. We’ve stood up this idea that youth is all things good, vitality, innovation, creativity, strength, vigor, and in opposition to all the things that are associated with aging. But that’s not the reality. This is a social construct. It’s essentially a social myth and it’s getting worn out.”

Chronological age doesn’t tell you everything about a person. They said ‘this is not who I am,” and 90% said they felt there is no shame in growing older. The want to be seen as enjoying life, healthy, sexy, relevant and competent, the research found.

Change is needed. “It’s not only a moral imperative, but it’s a social and business imperative to deconstruct that paradigm and really understand what aging in America looks like and to have a different perception of older adults,” she said.

From a business point of view there are over 100 million adults aged 50 and up in the U.S. That group grew by 24% from 2010 to 2020 and is expected to grow another 12% over the next decade, according to projections from the Census Bureau. In comparison the number of 18 to 49 year olds is expected to grow just 5% and the number of 18 to 24 year olds will barely increase 1%.

Those 50-plus mature adults watch TV–about 50 million of them any given night in prime, compared to only 6 million in the 18 to 34 year old bracket and 12 million 35 to 49 year olds. Erosion from cord cutting and streaming has been minimal among older viewers compared to younger ones.

“There’s this huge population and they love television and media, but what we’re finding in the data is that they are appallingly under-represented in advertising,” Tabares said. In the research only 5% said they regularly see people who look like them in TV spots, 

A+E worked with research company MarketCast, which used artificial intelligence to look at the faces in 20,000 commercials to see how visible 50-plus people are in advertising. It found that 90% of the faces were under 50 in the ads. Mature adults represented less than 10% of the faces in ads for cosmetics and hygiene, autos, food and beverage, retail, travel, restaurants, entertainment, electronics and technology.

A+E took 25 of the ads to see specifically how mature viewers reacted to them. In many of them, the older people were represented as stereotypes in ads for health, medicine in financial services. In other ads the older characters were so vigorous, it alienated mature viewers who felt what they were seeing was unattainable and that they’d somehow failed at aging, Tabares said.

Because they don’t see themselves, mature viewers said they feel that advertisers don’t care about them. "They also feel overlooked and undervalued,” she said. 

At the same time, according to a 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey, adults 50 plus control 52% of annual expenditures or about $4.2 trillion dollars. They account for more than half the consumer spending in categories including retail, home improvement, wireless, jewelry, health clubs, airlines and dining. “You never see them in ads for health clubs,” she said.

Also: A+E Seeks Ways to Connect With Older Consumers

Some of this is happening because marketers are operating under myths. One myth is that older consumers are set in their ways and are already brand loyal. A+E’s research found that mature consumers said they tried three new products in the last three months and said that felt exciting and adventurous. 

Another myth is that mature people want to see younger versions of themselves. But the research found that 73% of mature consumers said they want to see people who are aging and look their age, compared to 13% who said they preferred to see people younger than them in ads.

Linear television networks have been pushing to get advertisers to deemphasize buying commercials based on the 18 to 49 year old demographic, which renders half their audiences unsalable. Before the last upfront A+E, whose viewers’ media age is above 55. In last year’s upfront, A+E aimed to convince some of its advertisers to buy ads based on total audiences–including older viewers..

A+E will be presenting its research to the Association of National Advertisers in March and it will be hosting a Marketer Summit in Atlanta for advertising clients, where the research will be shared.

A+E’s branded content team will also be guided by the findings of the research as it creates integrations and other executions for clients.

“Media acts as a mirror and a projector of culture,” Tabares said. “We have powerful platforms. Media and advertising can play a very positive role in creating the more realistic, more inclusive picture of aging.”■ 

A+E Networks said it promoted Susan Tanamli to executive VP and head of global technology and media operations.

Tanamli had been chief technology officer and head of global technology and digital product technology. In her new role she will add oversight of the global engineering and broadcast operations group headed by Don Jarvis and global media and production operations, headed by Dana Massey and Ed Russo.

She will report to COO and CFO David “Digger” Granville-Smith and continue to as part of the company’s executive committee.

“Susan’s promotion marks the continued progression of A+E Networks’ efforts to remain at the forefront of an ever-evolving technological landscape, where the production, delivery and management of our content is paramount to our growth and success,” said Granville-Smith. “Her broad perspective of our operations and the content industry overall, together with a laser-focused attention to solving client challenges, has enabled us to grow our business in unique and innovative ways. We look forward to Susan taking us to the next level.”

Tanamli joined A+E in 2005 as a senior business analyst. Before that she had jobs at Sesame Workshop and Turner Broadcasting. ■

A+E Networks said that Top Dog, its competition format show, has been picked up for Season 2 by RTL in Germany.

Called Der Beste Hund Deutschlands locally, the series averaged 1.7 million viewers during its six-episode first season and a 12.2 share with adults 18 to 49. 

Season 2 will have seven two-hour episodes, including a celebrity special.

The third season of Top Dog in the U.S. -- America’s Top Dog -- on A+E’s A&E Network–aired in September hosted by sportscaster Curt Menafee.

“We are so happy that German audiences love this thrilling, feel-good series as much as we do,” said Robyn Hurd, VP of content sales, EMEA at A+E Networks.

“A+E Networks has a history of success creating regionally replicable formats that transcend cultures and borders, and Top Dog has proven itself as a prime time family entertainment show with fun and heart that celebrates everything that makes dogs so special and beloved across the globe,” Hurd said. “We’re excited to partner with RTL on a second season, and look forward to the continued international success of Top Dog.”

Top Dog was created by Big Fish Entertainment in the U.S. ■

Updated on 12/15/2021:

DirecTV has restored the History Channel and three other A+E Networks to the base tier bundles of legacy customers following a subscriber backlash on social media, an A+E rep told Next TV. 

DirecTV still hasn't responded to Next TV's email inquiry, but the A+E rep said legacy DirecTV "Entertainment" tier customers who had History Channel, A&E, Vice and Lifetime Movies removed from their programming grid over the weekend had it restored by Wednesday morning.

According to a source familiar with DirecTV's operations, the recently spun-off satellite TV company was "experimenting" with a new strategy intended to reduce its program licensing costs. 

On Sunday, DirecTV said it was trimming "select" networks, including the History Channel, from the programming bundles of subscribers who aren't watching them. 

"We recently informed customers who have not actively engaged in History and other select channels that the content will no longer appear in their lineup," DirecTV said in a statement. "Any interested customers who are not seeing it yet want to add it back at no additional cost can visit www.directv.com/channel-opt-in.”

DirecTV, which was recently spun off from AT&T and is now a joint venture between the telecom and private equity firm TPG, made the admission on Sunday, when Next TV asked the company about longtime History Channel critic Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) Twitter complaint about History suddenly being removed from his DirecTV channel lineup.  

Turns out, some DirecTV customers were notified in October that History Channel, A&E Network, Vice and Lifetime Movies would be removed on Dec. 8 unless they visited the opt-in page and asked to keep them on their grids. Hat tip to longtime satellite TV business tracker Phillip Swann for unearthing customer complaints about this on Satellite Guys message boards. 

According to our inside source, the A+E channels have long resided in DirecTV's Entertainment tier, where they have "over-indexed" in audience performance. However, since A+E is a "little guy" relative to today's consolidated media landscape on basic cable, and lacks news and sports. DirecTV might have felt A+E was a good test subject to try out a new scheme to cut down on the cost of paying for subscribers who weren't watching the channels.

"They were basically trying a la carte distribution," the source said.

We circled back with DirecTV Monday and find out more about the policy, but again, we didn't hear back. DirecTV is no longer offering the four A+E Networks in its $64.99-a-month base "Entertainment" bundle for new customers. But they are included in the $69.99 Choice packages, the $84.99 Ultimate and $134.99 Premier bundles. 

‘Tis the season for branded content, and A+E Networks has created a mini-movie for sponsor Olay that will have its debut Friday during A Christmas Dance Reunion, one of the holiday movies that will appear as part of Lifetime’s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime”  programming stunt.

The mini-movie, A Merry & Bright Makeover, stars Olay’s Vitamin C + Peptide Moisturizer. Featuring Monique Coleman of High School Musical, it tells the story of a scientist who accompanies her boyfriend home for the holiday’s and gets ready for an evening she’ll never forget, according to A+E.

The mini movie even has its own trailer (see below).

“You won’t find a more engaged audience than Lifetime viewers hunkering down for ‘It’s A Wonderful Lifetime’ holiday movies, and we leverage that passion to the advantage of our partners,” said David DeSocio, executive VP, ad sales & partnership marketing at A+E Networks. “Our custom mini-movies are a heartfelt and highly engaging way for clients to connect with consumers. Our co-production with Olay showcases themes of diversity and beauty, it allows the product to shine and personifies themes and values important to the brand. It’s the perfect holiday gift - for viewers and shoppers this season.”

Last year, A+E created a mini-movie for KFC starring Mario Lopez.

The mini-move is part of Olay’s cross-platform campaign for its moisturizer that also include tune-in ads, in program messages, social media and a digital giveaway, with weekly prize being “A Year’s Worth of Olay.” The prizes are part of Lifetime’s "30 Days of Merry Giveaways" holiday games feature.■

The Wounded Warrior Project is sponsoring special Veterans Day-related content on A+E Networks starting Thursday with the airing of the History Channel’s Hidden Heroes: The Nisei Soldiers of World War II.

History Channel will follow Hidden Heroes with a Salute to Service one-hour special highlighting extraordinary veterans. 

Hosted by Robin Roberts, the special shows how veterans make the transition from military to civilian life and use their skills and experiences to chart a new path when they are no longer in uniform.

“The History Channel is committed to supporting veterans and military families and this year we are honored to tell the relatively unknown but incredible story of the Japanese American WWII soldiers,” said Eli Lehrer, executive VP and head of programming for The History Channel. “These veterans and American barrier breakers have made significant contributions to the fabric of U.S. society and their inspiring, courageous stories deserve to be told.”

Hidden Heroes tells the little-known story of the Japanese American soldiers of WWII who fought for American democracy and became the most decorated military unit for its size and length of service In U.S. history.

The Nisei, a term describing second-generation Japanese Americans, made up the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service, a group of Nisei linguists and translators. They faced fierce racism and discrimination at home in the U.S. 

From the Category Six Media group and Will Packer Media, the show features sit-down interviews with experts and historians, and rarely seen first person interviews with the soldiers themselves.

The Wounded Warrior Project will also be sponsoring a World War II themed episode of the History This Week podcast. The episode had its premiere on Monday. Ads from The Wounded Warrior Project will run through Sunday.

Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers, helping them achieve their highest ambition.

Frndly TV has reached a deal with A+E Networks that will add seven more networks to the low-priced family-friendly streaming TV provider.

The channels include A&E Network, the History Channel and Lifetime, with its collection of holiday movies.

When  the A+E channels launch on Nov. 18, Frndly will be providing basic subscribers with 30 channels, up from 14 in February. For the first time, Friendly will be raising prices by $1 a month, bringing its lowest-priced tier up to $6.99 a month.

Also: Bill Abbott’s GAC Family, GAC Living Find a Family-Friendly Home on Frndly TV for the Holidays

“The addition of the seven A+E Networks’ channels is a seminal event in Frndly TV’s growth,” said Michael McKenna, chief programming officer of Frndly TV. “Our customers are both loyal and vocal -- and they have asked us about adding the great A+E Networks’ content. Working with the good folks at A+E, we are now able to add outstanding quality to our programming lineup with some of the most desired and loved channels in all TV.”

A+E Networks is a joint venture of The Walt Disney Co. and Hearst. Its networks feature popular programming, including The First 48, Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, Forged in Fire, Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman, Married at First Sight and My Killer Body with K Michelle.

“We are excited to partner with Frndly TV and to make our award-winning content available to their devoted subscriber base,” said David Zagin, president of distribution for A+E Networks. 

“Launching on November 18 means Frndly TV customers can enjoy the new slate of holiday movies premiering on Lifetime’s It’s A Wonderful Lifetime, as well as look forward to the highly anticipated premieres of Janet -- the fascinating untold story of Janet Jackson -- and Abraham Lincoln, on The History Channel in early 2022.”

Frndly TV ended 2020 with 440,000 paid subscribers. Launched in October 2019 by a group of former Dish Network executives, Frndly TV offers a bundle of wholesome and inspirational channels. It has managed to stay profitable as it has added programming while keeping its pricing low.

The formula makes Frndly TV an outlier in the virtual multichannel video programming distributor business, where high programming costs and pressure to keep prices below cable rates often means operating at a deficit.

QTT, a division of Viamedia, is launching a platform where buyers can access linear television advertising inventory for data-driven advertising.

A+E Networks, Fox and Reelz are the first TV network participants in the QTT Marketplace.

Magnite is the initial supply-side platform working with the QTT marketplace.

“The last mile to activate linear TV advertising through existing digital platforms is finally here,” said John Piccone, president of QTT. “Buyers and sellers can now take advantage of their investments in data-driven audience planning tools by activating at scale through QTT’s seamless translation platform. As a result, we now have an array of partners offering premium television inventory through demand- and sell-side platforms to connect them directly with traditional and new digital advertisers.”

The marketplace gives TV networks access to the growing volume of digital video ad add dollars.

"A+E Networks has been on the forefront in building scalable demand-side partnerships,” said Ethan Heftman, senior VP, advanced advertising and digital sales at A+E Networks. “QTT and its Marketplace are a one-two punch that automates access to new demand while ensuring control over our pricing and inventory.”

“At Fox, we continue to find ways to better serve our clients and look for solutions to drive incremental yield while reducing the workflow efforts to leverage our advanced TV technologies,” said Dan Callahan, senior VP, data strategy and sales innovation for Fox. “Earlier this year, we partnered with Operative to move all linear sales to a single cloud system and, in turn, this allowed a seamless partnership with QTT to connect specific cable network linear avails to digital ad platforms.”

“More and more digital advertisers are looking to linear TV to increase their reach efficiently,” said Bill Rosolie, senior VP, advertising sales at ReelzChannel. “We see QTT as a platform to unlock the value of target-rich audiences across our portfolio of independent networks.”

The QTT Marketplace is an extension of QTT software developed to allow agencies and media buyers to see the linear ads made available by MVPDs, broadcast television stations and broadcast and cable networks. The launch follows QTT getting patents for the process it uses to integrate digital and linear television ecosystems.

Magnite developed its own process that complement’s QTT’s technology and allows QTT inventory to be bought programmatically based on TV metrics. 

“Our clients have been asking for streamlined tools to enable programmatic monetization of their linear inventory and complement their CTV advertising efforts,“ said Todd Randak, senior VP, strategy and partnerships at Magnite. “With QTT we can now offer premium linear TV opportunities through the Magnite platform as if they were any other digital video ad.”

Nickolas Davatzes, a founder of A+E Networks, died Saturday at his home in Wilton, Connecticut. He was 79 years old. The cause of death was not disclosed.

A  U.S. Marine Corp. veteran, Davatzes became head of the company when it was formed in the merger of the Entertainment Network, owned by RCA and the Rockefeller family, and the Arts Network, owned by Hearst and ABC, in 1983.  

He developed the Arts & Entertainment Network, now A&E, and later launched the History Channel in 1994. Now A+E Networks has a portfolio of channels seen in 350 million households in 180 territories around the world.

“Nick was an incredible leader, innovator, mentor, and humanitarian,” said Abbe Raven, who succeeded Davatzes as CEO and is now chairman emeritus of A+E Networks Group. 

“As the first CEO of A+E Networks and a pioneer in the cable industry, he set the standard for excellence in television programming, integrity in business and extraordinary leadership," Raven said. "His drive and passion for quality programming led A&E and The History Channel to become leading brands, along with iconic programs such as Biography, in the U.S. and across the globe. Nick was responsible for creating and nurturing a culture of creativity and innovation. His commitment to education was at the center of our corporate and community service. His legacy lives on as A+E Networks continues to reflect his leadership, his values, his passion for entertainment, and his principles. He was my mentor, champion and dear friend and I, along with so many, will miss him dearly. He was deeply loved and admired by all who had the honor to know him.”    

“Nick Davatzes made an indispensable contribution to the growth and success of A+E,” said Frank A. Bennack Jr., executive vice chairman and former CEO of Hearst, co-owner of A+E Networks along with the Walt Disney Co. “Additionally, if any individual can be thought of as the father of The History Channel, the highly successful franchise born out of A+E, it was Nick. He was an incredibly talented and strongly committed head of both channels for decades when they grew to domestic and international prominence. He was, importantly, for me, for Steve Swartz and all of Nick’s friends at Hearst, a beloved colleague who will be deeply missed. Our condolences go to his wonderful family and all who loved him.”

“Nick was a towering figure in the early days of cable television, helping build some of the most iconic brands in the media landscape,” said Bob Iger, executive chairman of The Walt Disney Co. “An incredible leader, Nick was a person of true integrity and was always a wonderful partner to all of us at Disney. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and to all of our friends and colleagues at A+E Networks.”  

“Nick was an extraordinary person and leader, and one of the true giants of the cable industry,” said A+E Networks Group’s current president and chairman Paul Buccieri. “He leaves a tremendous legacy of support for education and the humanities. Nick is at the heart of everything that is A+E Networks and was the soul of our organization. All of us owe a great debt to Nick and he will be sorely missed.”   

Davatzes is survived by his wife Dorothea Hayes Davatzes; son George (Geody) Davatzes and his wife Jennifer Davatzes; son Dr. Nicholas Davatzes and his wife Dr. Alexandra Davatzes; and grandchildren Julia, Nicholas, Elias and Lilly. Davatzes is predeceased by his son Christopher Davatzes.

A+E Networks, making its upfront presentation Wednesday, is telling advertisers it will have lots of new content and that those new shows will be premiering on the linear networks on which they can buy commercials.

The pitch comes at a time when advertisers are finding it harder to find mass audiences as viewers cut the cord and turn to streaming. At the same time, most media companies are using their best content to attract subscribers to their streaming services, only some of which are ad supported.

A+E said it has more than 2,500 hours in new programming in its pipeline for the 2021-22 broadcast year, up 50% than this year, including 70 hours of documentaries and 221 movies, with many of the films ticketed for Lifetime.

Also Read: A+E Seeks Ways to Connect With Older Consumers

History Channel will have a series with President Bill Clinton in 2022 and A&E and Lifetime will have a cross-network limited series event on the life and career of Janet Jackson.

Other talent on the A+E roster include Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurence Fishburne, Robin Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Angela Basset, Tim Allen, Morgan Freeman, Russell Westbrook, Stanley Nelson, Rachael Ray, Lance Reddick, William Shatner, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Last year’s upfront was delayed because of COVID-19, but this year, A+E is making its virtual presentation earlier than ever.

“We want to make sure the marketplace knows our commitment to original content,” said Peter Olsen, president of ad sales at A+E, told B+C. “I think what will come across in the video is not only original content, but that we’re going to premiere it all on linear TV first. It won’t premiere on streamers. We still believe in that part of the ecosystem.”

The early pitch will also help A+E in its efforts to base its upfront deals on total viewers rather than the traditional age and sex based demographics that essentially don’t count viewers 55 and up at all.

A+E has been talking to clients and buyers about total audience and about its advanced targeting ad products.They’re not talking pricing yet but the “conversations are pretty real, around details, constructs and frameworks, way earlier than ever in the past.”

Olsen said A+E's focus on making programming its linear networks a priority should help it increase its share of linear impressions. And while ad budgets may be moving to streaming, “for the coming upfront cycle, we do think that the shift of dollars will happen, but probably at a slower pace than the headlines report.”

A+E does have arrangements to put its content on ad-supported and subscription streaming services, but it has a windowing philosophy that protects distributors and protects the core business, he said.

“Look, we believe in evolving, but we believe it has to be done at somewhat of a measured pace,” Olsen said. “I think that’s going to come across in the conversations we’re having.”

This year, A+E’s virtual upfront pitch is just 34 minutes long. “We have learned this year that brevity is a good thing in this world we’re living in,” Olsen said. “We’re making our point, we think, clearly and distinctly and relatively quickly.”

The presentation showcases the talent A+E is working with both in front of and behind the camera. “You’ll see a lot of diversity, which we are quite proud of," he said. "So, yeah, we’re excited.”

“Our brands have clear identities with a strong foundation of hit series. Across our entire portfolio and in a variety of genres, we continue to have an incredible roster of A-list, diverse talent in-front of and behind the camera,” said A+E Networks Group President Paul Buccieri. “Our ongoing efforts to launch and invest in best-in-class original programming for our linear properties, as well as further expanding our 360-experiences, demonstrates a deep commitment to being available wherever and however viewers want to be entertained, whether through high-performing podcasts, virtual experiences and digital multiplatform content.”

Among the projects highlighted during the upfront:

Lifetime has a two-picture deal with Reba McEntire to star in and produce two movies. The first project is Christmas in Tune (working title), which will be tentpole during the network’s holiday programming stunt It’s a Wonderful Lifetime. The second film won’t be a holiday movie and is in development for 2022.

History Channel will extend its “That Built” franchise with The Titans That Built America, with Leonardo DiCaprio among the executive producers. The Titans That Built America will appear as a three-night miniseries event, premiering May 31.

History Channel also greelit Fight The Power: The Protests that Changed America, a one-hour documentary from executive producers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Deborah Morales.

A&E Network is going forward with Right to Offend, a two-part event tracing the history of Black comedy as social commentary, and the eight part Secret Origins of Hip Hop, featuring Busta Rhymes, Eve, Fat Joe, Grandmaster Flash and Ice-T.

A+E Networks has research that shows people in the 55-plus age bracket buy lots of stuff and it plans to study how to help advertisers get them to buy even more.

In its upcoming pitch before the upfront, A+E is telling media buyers it wants to sell commercials based on total audience. That means instead of basing ad prices on the number of people in the young-skewing demographic groups of people 18 to 49 or 25 to 54, it wants to count its viewers who are 55 and older.

Also Read: A+E Pitch to Upfront Buyers: Count Older Viewers Too

Those more senior viewers watch TV, see commercials and buy the products advertised. But reaching those viewers is essential free when the ads are bought based on younger demographics.

The practice stems from the notion that younger viewers are more important to reach. They stay consumers longer, the theory went, and older customers are already too set in their ways to be influenced by a 30-second spot.

Also Read: A+E Networks Leans Into Linear

Poppycock, said research done by A+E to back up the upfront pitch. In many cases, the data shows, older consumers have more money to spend and are more likely to respond to commercials they’re exposed to by buying the product advertised. 

And that’s without a concerted effort to reach older viewers or created advertising designed to appeal to them.

Now that A+E wants advertisers to pay for those older viewers, it plans to help its clients better appeal to them.

“We want to start focusing on how we are going to partner with marketers so they can really maximize the potential of the total audience market,” said Marcela Tabares, senior VP ad sales research at A+E.

When we think about the 55-plus group, they have been under-represented, undervalued and not communicated to directing because we have had a cultural obsession with the youth market,” she said. 

Tabares said that age should be treated like race and gender when it comes to unlocking cultural insights that enable more resonant messaging. “We’ve had conversations around diversity and inclusion and I feel that largely age has been left out of that conversation.”

Wave 2 of A+E’s research will study adults forty and up to see what makes them tick culturally and what type of images and messages they engage with.

“We are about to partner with cultural anthropologists and sociologists to develop a very extensive body of research to really investigate and understand what does it mean to be seen in media for that 40 plus group,” she said.

“There is a way to create greater resonance relevance and maximize that potential ROI whether it's in terms of how you place your media and how you tell your creative story,” Tabares said.

In commercials it will take more than just showing older folks being able bodied and being able to use a smartphone without looking like a buffoon, she added.

In Wave 1, A+E documented that the viewing and consuming habits of older people make them valuable audiences to target with advertising.

“They love TV,” said Tara Lantieri, senior director, primary research, ad sales, strategic insights at A+E. “Those audiences have been very stable. They’re watching everything. This group is not a monolithic group. They are very diverse in their interests. Even if you look at the top rated shows among 18 to 34 year olds, you’ll find that the 55-plus audience is two times or three times larger than that younger demographic."

A+E studied ad receptivity working with Phoenix Marketing International, which looked at a year’s worth of category-level data with about 20,000 ads from 1,600 advertisers. 

“We saw that brand memorability actually grows as viewers aged overall. It’s actually twice as high for adults 55 plus versus 18 to 34 year old,” Lantieri said. That pattern held for 48 of the 57 product categories PMI on which PMI reports.

Some of the better performing ads were multigenerational showing older characters with younger ones, often family member

Lantieri pointed to a particular ad for Jergens that featured the actress Leslie Mann and her real-life daughter.

“We saw this beautiful ad with humor and this multi-generational dynamic really connect and perform very well with this group,” she said. "It’s actually performed well with the other groups as well.”

Another ad that performed well was for Consumer Cellular that not only showed older consumers but Asian older adults and Hispanic adults. “It reflected the diversity that exists within age,” Lantieri noted. “The characters in the spot, they know what they’re doing on their cell phones. They use video calls, they use social media. So it’s reflective of the reality that being over 50 does not make you a technophobe.”

A+E also did two attribution studies, looking at the auto and consumer packaged goods industry.

In the CPG study, conducted by NCSolutions, 16 brands were looked at. After being exposed to advertising, all demographic groups studied shows increased sales. There was a 14% increase for the 18 to 34 age bracket, a 6% gain for 35 to 54 year olds and 12% for 55-plus.

Because there are more viewers aged 55 and up and then have more money to spend, the advertising impact generated more revenue for marketers than the other two marketers involved, said Aliza Wechsler, director of digital research at A+E.

In the auto study, conducted by 605 Impact, the likelihood that someone in a household exposed to an ad increased with age, with the 55 plus audience dominating. 

And in a precision campaign A+E ran that was specifically aimed at people in the market for a new car--as opposed to targeting by demographics--55 year olds were included in the audience being bought.

“Rather than using demos to exclude a large group of people that have this tremendous buying power, we focus on people’s behavior,” said David Ernst, VP, ad sales research. “Not only is it the right thing to do, it’s the smartest thing to do for an advertiser.”

 A+E Networks wants to make demos history in this upfront. 

Noting the continued erosion of younger viewers from traditional TV, the programmer said it intends to transact on total audience as its currency for the 2021-22 broadcast year.

Like last year, when the coronavirus forced programmers to cancel their in-person upfront presentations. A+E said it will conduct its upfront presentation for media buyers and clients virtually on March 3. The presentation will highlight programming on A&E Network, History and Lifetime.

Also Read: A+E Networks Leans Into Linear

Most ad deals are now based on demographic groups, mainly people, men or women 18 to 49 years old or 25 to 54 years old. In that arrangement advertisers pay for--and are guaranteed to reach--viewers under 54.

Those advertisers’ commercials are also seen by a huge number of viewers 55 and older--the biggest group of traditional TV viewers--but the advertisers get those eyeballs for free.

What A+E wants is to charge advertisers for all viewers 18 years and older as their primary currency. The programmer will also provide clients with secondary assurances based on demographic or more specific behavioral targets that more closely match potential buyers for their products or services..

Peter Olsen, president for advertising at A+E Networks, noted that people using television PUTs in the 18 to 54 age bracket have been eroding 9% per year for the last four years. “If you look at 18 plus, there’s only 3% erosion. You do the math and you realize that a great number of the audience remaining is in that 55-plus range.”

That 55-plus audience is taken for granted, “Olsen said. “This is a call for marketers to look at age in a similar inclusive way they look at age and gender.”

The way ad buyers focus on young viewers versus who actually buys an advertiser process has long been an issue among the TV networks. Legendary CBS research chief David Poltrack presented many studies showing that the network reached many people that bought its clients products and that many of them were 55 and older.

Also Read: CBS Says It Leads Nets in Consumers

“One of every three adults is 55 plus and it’s the fastest-growing demographic group,” said David Ernst, VP advanced television & digital analytics at A+E. “The have the most money by for of any demographic group and when you put together the size of this audience, the disposable income they have and the fact that they do respond to advertising, we think it’s really an untapped marketplace.”

Olsen acknowledged that some advertisers won’t want to give up reaching older consumers for free, but after a year in which advertisers demanded--and got--additional flexibility from their media partners as they worked their way through the pandemic, he was hopeful buyers and clients would be flexible as well regarding a shift to basing deals on 18 plus.

More importantly, advertisers who insist on buying linear TV risk getting squeezed out of a medium that works by other clients willing to pay more for commercials because they acknowledge the real number of people they reach and how much they buy.

“We’ve seen this continued accelerated influx of dollars from the direct to consumer marketers, and they view all of this differently,” Olsen noted.

"The DTC marketers don’t care about traditional guarantees. They’re just going to build businesses and their seeing television as an opportunity and they’re starting to steal share from some legacy clients,” Olsen said. “What we’re proposing is the legacy folks need to learn some lessons here.”

The good news for buyers shifting to basing buys on 18 plus, is that ad prices would go up more slowly. Olsen estimates that based on audience erosion in the demo and a likely pickup in the economy once more people get vaccinated, prices could be up 15% to 20% on a CPM basis--a number that wouldn’t be acceptable to most clients.

During the last upfront, A+E clients were provided pricing as if they had bought on 18 plus, and on the basis of 18 plus, the price increase would be a third as large.

“That would be a sustainable framework,” Olsen said. “What we’re saying is traditional television should be seen as a total audience play with frankly a skew towards the older audience.”

To reach younger viewers Olsen said advertisers can buy A+E digital platforms or shift to ad-supported streaming services.

Advertisers are also slowly but surely shifting toward buying data driven targeted commercials and addressable advertising, which also do not hinge on broad age and sex demographics, but instead focus on people likely to buy a car in the next three months, or high-income people likely to need a broker.

“Let’s try to create a framework that works versus keeping our heads in the sand and pretend we can keep negotiation all 18-49 linear only and think that we’re not going to have problems,” Olsen said.

 A+E Networks says it continues to mine the traditional linear cable platform, bucking the trend of media companies diving into the emerging subscription video on demand (SVOD) pool.

With SVOD services such as Discovery Plus, Disney Plus, HBO Max and the soon to launch Paramount Plus (currently CBS All-Access) offering new, original programming in an effort to court a growing digital viewer base, A+E Networks is looking to super serve targeted cable viewers as well as to cultivate advertising revenue on the struggling but still formidable traditional linear cable platform, senior executives at the programmer say.

Also Read: Report: Pay-TV to Lose Most Subscribers Ever in 2020

“As more and more media companies put their resources behind their own streaming services, our number one priority is creating the best possible content pipeline and programming for consumers and partners across all platforms,” A+E Networks group president Paul Buccieri told Multichannel News. “This includes our linear networks which, of course, remain a huge priority.”

A+E Networks linear channels History, Lifetime and A&E in 2020 finished among the top 20 most-watched cable networks in primetime, propelled by several popular, unscripted series and scripted movies, including Lifetime's Married at First Sight and History’s The Curse of Oak Island, according to Nielsen.

On the scripted front, Lifetime continues to delve into original scripted fare with the rollout of new original movies, including bio films on the lives of television personality Wendy Williams and gospel legend Mahalia Jackson

“Every year, we create over 1,400 hours of fresh premium content for our portfolio and the ecosystem; and we remain laser-focused on adding more,” added Buccieri. “Our relationships with distribution partners are essential to us – and we are energized and inspired by the variety of ways we can collaborate to bring our shared consumers best-in-class content from the brands they love and trust.”

A+E Networks programming president Rob Sharenow spoke about the company’s linear business strategy to Multichannel News. An edited version of the interview appears below.

Why do you feel that the A+E Networks commitment to linear gives the company an advantage in reaching viewers?

I do think we distinguish ourselves as a portfolio because of our commitment to linear.  We have an incredible depth and breadth of upcoming stuff that is premiering on linear brands and have one of the most robust offerings of original content. We have 1,400 hours planned of original content between our brands that’s going to be premiering on linear, which is really something we take a lot of pride in.

Does it concern you that your networks' competitors are potentially reaching new viewers and cord cutters on the digital front with their respective SVOD services?

Clearly we're in a moment of disruption. For us, we really value our linear ecosystem -- that’s where a huge portion of our bread is buttered. We are really pleased with our linear audiences and our brands. As to what our competitors are doing in the streaming world, I do think there is obviously a shifting landscape, and clearly we have done library deals with some [streaming] companies. It really shows the strength of our content that it is so desired by a lot of our direct competitors and that they want to be in business with us in that way. 

Where do you see the upside in the linear business going forward?

I think broadcasting in general still works, and we have a big, ad-supported model that is very lucrative for us. A lot of our advertising clients like to have scale delivered at a certain time and in certain ways. That’s something that linear does do better than any other platform. Viewers binging content whenever they want doesn't serve the purposes of a lot of people in the advertising community. I also still believe there is incredible value in the communal experience for viewers. I think we have brands that feature must-watch shows that people like to watch live through a linear experience, like [History’s] The Curse of Oak Island and like [Lifetime’s] Married At First Sight. These are shows that are still getting big [ratings] numbers because there is something to the community of viewership that can't be replicated on another platform. There’s something very special about a show that everyone's watching at the same time.

How have you been able to maintain strong advertising revenue in a declining cable subscriber marketplace?

The market right now from what I hear is very good. I think COVID and the economy have affected everyone and everything including the ad market, but in general right now we're experiencing what I see to be a very strong market. I think there is something that linear provides advertisers that they really can't get anywhere else. It’s about audience scale and the sense of timing that’s really unique to the linear experience.

Would you consider a digital SVOD service in the future?

We have some really successful, direct to consumer products that are relatively new. We have Lifetime Movie Club (subscription price $3.99 per month), which super serves the Lifetime movie viewer. We have the History Vault ($4.99 per month), which has an incredible depth of the history library available, and we also have Crime Central ($4.99 per month.) So we do have products in that space that are doing very well and growing. I think we have to be very strategic and targeted about how we're approaching those businesses. Those are two examples of how we've managed to swim with the giants because those are the really targeted opportunities that are working for us.

Lifetime is sharing its formula for TV movies with sponsor KFC with a 15 minute mini movie starring Mario Lopez as Colonel Harland Sanders called A Recipe for Seduction.

The mini-movie will make its debut on Lifetime Sunday. 

Lopez plays Sanders as a chef with a secret recipe in a story with a beautiful heiress, a scorned suitor, a scheming mother, jealousy and a possible murder, all elements familiar to Lifetime movie viewers.

Lopez starred in the November Lifetime movie FelizNaviDAD, which will re-run after A Recipe for Seduction.

"We’re no stranger to heating things up for the holidays, just like our famous fried chicken scented Firelog. But let’s face it, we could all use a little distraction this holiday season, so why not fill some of your time at home with a suspenseful drama and the comfort of our world-famous fried chicken?” said Andrea Zahumensky, KFC U.S. CMO. “A Recipe for Seduction is a perfect excuse to curl up at home and escape to your own happily ever after.”

KFC is sweetening the bucket by offering consumers who make a purchase of $20 or more for delivery via Uber Eats six free extra crispy tenders. 

The collaboration marks the first time Lifetime and KFC have worked together on mid-form content and fit in with the network's “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime Movie" slate. After its premiere on the cable network, the mini-movie will be available on VOD, Lifetime apps and mylifetime.com/christmas-movies.

“Lifetime is the perfect holiday home to bring this spicy, unexpected tale to life,” said David DeSocio, executive VP, ad sales marketing & partnerships, A+E Networks. “Through a terrific cast, and with a wink to the unique sensibilities celebrated in Lifetime movies, this co-production spotlights each brand’s POV and marries them in a fun and authentic way. A+E Networks delivers custom creative that our audiences and clients love.”

AT&T’s Xandr advanced advertising unit said its Invest TV platform now has inventory from A+E Networks and Crown Media Family Networks available to brands looking to plan and execute audience-based campaigns.

A+E and Crown Media previously used Xandr’s Monetize supply-side platform to sell digital inventory.

Xandr, which earlier this year said that AMC Networks, the Walt Disney Co., and WarnerMedia were participating in automated audience-based selling through Invest TV, is reportedly among the assets AT&T is looking to divest in order to reduce debt.

In the meantime, Xandr said brands including AT&T are using its platform to mount campaigns that use multiple networks to reach target audiences.

“Xandr Invest offers the automation and data-driven approach that brands need to make a significant impact. Through unified reach forecasting and measurement in a systems-based process, it opens up a streamlined and flexible way of reserved advanced TV buying,” said Mike Welch, head of Xandr. “Xandr is moving the TV advertising industry forward, alongside top programmers like A+E Networks and Crown Media Family Networks.”

Programmers are increasingly making their inventory for sale on a variety of automated platforms.

“At A+E Networks, we continue our well-established leadership role in providing audience based automated solutions,” said Peter Olsen, president, ad sales, A+E Networks. “We are pleased to expand our A+E Precision & Performance offerings with the addition of Xandr Invest which complements our relentless focus on delivering on our marketing/advertising partners’ goals by providing access to our valuable audience and our premium content through solutions and platforms, whether direct or automated.”

“With the advent of innovative new technologies that yield key data-driven insights, our industry has reached an inflection point in the way advertisers reach their target audiences in the most impactful, efficient way possible,” added Ed Georger, executive VP, advertising sales and digital media, Crown Media Family Networks. “Our partnership with Xandr, a platform that is leading the charge in this space, allows us to more optimally serve our clients and help them meet their core business objectives.”

The greater availability of TV inventory on platforms like Xandr’s helps media buyers reach their client’s target audiences.

“We are thrilled to see more of our top media partners make Linear TV content available to book, measure and report through tech platforms like Invest TV. It’s clear that technology and automation can be our friend as the pandemic has further exposed the highly manual nature of legacy TV  business models, especially at a time when advertisers need speed and flexibility to optimize Linear TV for higher performance more than ever,” said Michael Piner, senior VP, Video & Data Driven Investment at Mediahub. “We believe adding technology and automation to the Linear TV business model going forward will enable the digital-like accountability, targetability and optimization capabilities that our advertisers desire at scale.”

“Here at Hearts & Science, delivering effective reach and optimal frequency is critical to our clients,” added Larry Hunt, senior director, Integrated Video Investment, Hearts & Science. “The ability to negotiate with multiple partners, utilizing one audience currency while garnering a holistic view of Reach and Frequency is a huge benefit to working in the Xandr Invest TV platform.”

A+E Networks is planning to hold a virtual event for media buyers showing off 1,500 hours of fresh original content that’s ready to go at a time when COVID-19 has curtailed TV production.

At its 30-minute upfront-like showcases running Oct. 27-29, talent including Tim Allen, Laurence Fishburne, Morgan Freeman, Salt-N-Pepa, Wendy Williams and Robin Roberts will tout series and movies coming to A&E Network, History and Lifetime.

The pandemic disrupted the spring upfronts, forcing most networks to pitch advertisers via Zoom. With new programming available now, A+E figures it might as well present it now.

“Our business is 52 weeks a year and that’s why it is critical for content providers to have an enormous cache of immediately available, premium content,” said Peter Olsen, president of ad sales at A+E Networks.

“We are so fortunate to have a programming team that delivers a continuous pipeline of exciting projects across our distinctive brands,” said Olsen. “We continue to provide brand clarity to our audiences and advertisers along with partnership opportunities and sales solutions that work. And we are truly seeing the fruits of our labor.”

In addition to programming, A+E will be talking about its corporate social responsibility efforts.

History Channel will continue to invest in its veterans initiative including Mission to Honor, its program to preserve community sites and landmarks called Save Our History and History at Home, which provides resources to schools.

Lifetime is expanding its Broader Focus initiative promoting women in creative jobs. It also supports Stop Violence Against Women and Stop Breast Cancer for Life initiative.

A&E highlights people impacting communities through its Voices Magnified campaign and works with organizations including National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

History channel said it gave a green light to a new non-fiction series with the working title Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman.

The show, to be hosted and executive produced by Freeman, who stared in classic prison film The Shawshank Redemption, will focus on prisoners who broke out of some of the world’s most notorious jails. 

“I’ve been inside the minds of prisoners in my acting career, and I’m looking forward to stepping inside the most notorious prisons in the world, like Alcatraz, Sing Sing, Riker’s Island and Leavenworth. Audiences will feel like they’re making the escapes themselves as I walk them into a virtual world and through the greatest escapes in history,” said Freeman.

Revelations Entertainment, Morgan’s production company, is making six one-hour episodes.

“The History channel is honored to partner with Morgan and his production team, Revelations Entertainment, to deliver context and backstory to some of history’s infamous prison escapes,” said Eli Lehrer, executive VP and general manager for History. “Morgan's gravitas will help ground this series and drive the drama in a way no other face or voice can.”

The show is part of History parent company A+E Networks’ Mipcom upfront which will also features Laurence Fishburne, host of the new programming franchise History’s Greatest Mysteries; Tim Allen, from the recently announced series Assembly Required; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of Black Patriots and William Shatner with The UnXplained. 

History’s sister networks will present Robin Givens, director of Lifetime’s Ann Rule movie adaptation A Murder to Remember; Wendy Williams, executive producer of Lifetime’s Wendy Williams: The Hot Topic biopic and its accompanying feature-length documentary on Williams, and Sharon Osbourne, executive producer of The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, part A&E Network’s Emmy Award-winning Biography franchise.

Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman is produced for the History channel by Revelations Entertainment. Lori McCreary, James Younger and Kelly Mendelsohn are executive producers for Revelations Entertainment. Mary E. Donahue and Max Micallef are executive producers for the History channel.

History has worked with sponsor Rocket Mortgage to salute a program aimed at ending homelessness among armed services veterans.

A vignette will start appearing Wednesday on History and on social media that talks about Community Solutions’ Built for Zero program and how it nearly eliminated vet homelessness in Lynchburg, Va., one of 80 cities and counties participating.

Two other videos are being produced calling out other towns that have essentially zeroed-out homelessness among those who have served our country.

Rocket Mortgage is lead sponsor amplifying Built for Zero. History and Rocket Mortgage first teamed up to support the program last year. History parent A+E Networks has created other branded content, including billboards, tagged promos and content bridges for Rocket Mortgage that have also appeared on History. A&E and Lifetime, including a Memorial day commemoration.

By collecting data on all of the struggling veterans in the area and making sure they get the services they are entitled to, plus finding places to live in tight housing markets, the program ensures that homelessness is brief, rare and non-recurring.

Additional vignettes will showcase other areas that have achieved “functional zero,” with no veteran living on the street.

“Honoring our veterans is a longtime pillar of the History brand, and telling their stories – the challenges and the triumphs - is both a responsibility and a privilege,” said David DeSocio, executive VP, Ad Sales Marketing & Partnerships at A+E Networks, History’s parent company. “We’re honored to once again partner with Rocket Mortgage to bring awareness to the Built For Zero initiative and to amplify the good work they do battling homelessness in communities across the country.”