Sony Pictures Television Advertiser Sales said it would be pushing its digital broadcast network Great Entertainment Television (GET) during its upfront discussions.

GET shows vintage programming such as Good Times and Sanford & Son. Sony recently subscribed to Nielsen ratings for the network, and viewership has grown 13% in total day among viewers 2-plus year over year, Sony said.

Sony will also be talking about its Game Show Network as well as its long-running syndicated game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

Game Show Network has green-lit three new strip series, including Beat the Bridge, based on the popular U.K. format from STV Studios, to be hosted by Cameron Mathison of General Hospital and Home & Family; and a revival of Tic Tac Dough hosted by Brooke Burns of The Chase.

Both shows are scheduled to air this summer.

The recently announced Flip Side, hosted by Jaleel White, will premiere in syndication and appear on Game Show Network This fall.

“In keeping with Game Show Network’s strategy, we continue to produce originals to keep our pipeline fresh, which resonates with our viewers,” Stuart Zimmerman, executive VP, ad sales, Sony Pictures Advertiser Sales, said. “As the overall marketplace faces headwinds, Game Show Network has weathered the storm better than most of its counterparts in both viewership and distribution. Our audience is highly engaged with our programs and our clients’ commercials are viewed in a trusted environment.“

In addition to Jeopardy! and Wheel, Sony distributes the syndicated shows S.W.A.T, Seinfeld and The Goldbergs.

Sony’s GSN said it reached a distribution agreement with Google’s YouTube TV that will add Game Show Network and getTV to YouTube TV’s basic package.

YouTube TV is one of the biggest virtual MVPDs with about 4 million subscribers.

GSN’s Sony Cine will be launched as part of a Spanish-language add-on package expected to debut soon...

Also: John Zaccario Named President at Sony’s GSN Operations

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We are thrilled YouTube TV is now providing the best in game show and iconic TV series with Game Show Network and getTV to all of it customers, along with delivering the excitement of blockbuster movies to their Hispanic audience with Sony Cine,” said Tim Carry, executive VP distribution for Game Show Network, getTV and Sony Cine. ■

GetTV, the Sony network showing classic TV shows, said it has made deals to boost its over the air distribution on stations’ secondary digital channels.

New multi-station deals with E.W. Scripps, Tegna and Hearst TV will put getTV on more robust signals, the network said.

Digital over-the-air is a growing part of the industry as more viewers cut the cord and rely on a combination of broadcast signals and streaming services. 

Station groups including Scripps, Tegna and Sinclair have been creating networks to meet the demand from viewers who are choosing not to subscribe to traditional pay-TV services via cable and satellite.

Sony is also looking to add distribution by negotiating for carriage on virtual multichannel video programming distributors. GetTV has been recently added on fubo TV, Philo and Frndly TV.

GetTV is also carried on satellite by Dish.

“We are transitioning the over-the-air distribution footprint of getTV by being more aggressive in the marketplace and aligning with broadcasters who can give us full power, Big 4, stations as shown by these three new multi-station deals and we’re looking to get more,” Tim Carry, executive VP, distribution for Game Show Network and getTV.

With the new deals, getTV is available on broadcast stations covering 85% of U.S. TV households. Of the about 120 stations it is being carried by, 32 are now ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox affiliates. The network is available over the air in 48 of the top 50 DMAs.

GetTV airs classic shows of all eras, mainly from the Sony Pictures Entertainment TV and film library. Its schedule includes comedies Good Times and All In The Family, action series like Walker, Texas Ranger, a “Primetime is Crimetime” weeknight block featuring Kojak, Mike Hammer, Starsky & Hutch and Charlie’s Angels and a slate of vintage westerns all weekend.

Low-priced family-friendly streaming TV provider Frndly TV has made a deal to add Sony’s getTV to its lineup.

The launch of getTV expands Frndly TV to 19 channels. 

Frndly’s price structure remains unchanged, with the basic tier at $5.99 a month.

“This is a fantastic ‘get’ for Frndly TV and we are thrilled to add a great service like getTV to our channel lineup,” said Michael McKenna, chief programming officer of Frndly TV. “GetTV’s library of TV shows that we all love continues our goal of bringing to market a family friendly TV service at a family friendly price.”

Also Read: Frndly TV Adds Allen Media Group’s Recipe.TV and Local Now

GetTV features a lineup of classic TV series including All in the Family and Walker, Texas Ranger. It has a “primetime is crimetime” block on weeknights with Mike Hammer, Starsky & Hutch and Charlie's Angels, and shows Western films on weekends.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this fast-growing family friendly package,” said Tim Carry, executive VP for getTV. “When it comes to affordable wholesome entertainment for the entire home there is no better service than Frndly TV. At getTV we are proud to be included in the mix.”

TV networks will honor Burt Reynolds with special programming marathons featuring the legendary actor, who passed away on Thursday (Sept. 6.)

CMT on Friday (Sept. 7) will air The Bandit, a 2016 documentary about Reynolds’ popular movie franchise Smokey & The Bandit. The network will also air the 2004 Reynolds film, Without A Paddle, immediately after the documentary, according to network officials.

Digital multicast TV network getTV will air episodes from Reynolds’ classic TV series Dan August and Hawk. Four episodes of the 1971 police drama Dan August, in which Reynolds starred as a suave police detective -- as well as four episodes of the 1960’s cop series Hawk starring Reynolds as a Native American police detective in New York City -- will air on Sept. 15 and Sept. 22, said network officials.

MeTV will showcase Reynolds’ appearances in the classic Western series Gunsmoke beginning Sept. 10. The digital multicast network will air six episodes featuring Reynolds’ character Quint Asper in the long-running 1960’s series. Overall, Reynolds appeared in 50 Gunsmoke episodes, according to the network.

Broadcast and cable networks will sing the praises of Aretha Franklin this weekend with special programming honoring the "Queen of Soul," who passed away Thursday.

Tonight (Aug. 17), PBS will air a special, Aretha! Queen Of Soul, which will feature archival footage from Franklin's career, along with interviews that will highlight her legacy, according to network officials.

Saturday, OWN re-air Oprah Winfrey’s 1999 television interview with Franklin from The Oprah Winfrey Show, while TV One will run an encore of two Franklin specials, TV One on One: Aretha Franklin and Aretha: Frankly Speaking.

Digital multicast TV network getTV on Sunday will pay its respects to Franklin with a rarely seen December 1967 episode of The Kraft Music Hall music variety series, featuring Franklin performing two of the biggest hits of her career, Respect and Chain Of Fools.

BET’s BET Her network on Monday will air a morning marathon of the prolific artist’s many music videos. BET Networks president Scott Mills said in a statement that Franklin’s extraordinary talents laid the groundwork for so many of today’s artists. 

“Aretha Franklin was a musical phenomenon and an iconic figure in black culture,” Mills said. “We will remember and miss her dearly.”

Dish Network has completed a long-term carriage agreement with Sony Pictures Television, adding two of the programmer’s wholly-owned networks – Cine Sony Televison and getTV – and renewing carriage with Sony Movie Channel.

According to Dish, the deal is the first national distribution agreement for the classic TV network getTV. The Spanish-language Hollywood movie and entertainment network Cine Sony Television will be carried on DishLatino.

“Sony Movie Channel, Cine Sony Television and getTV each offer a distinctive brand of high quality entertainment that successfully serves viewers’ continued demand for premium content on television,” said Sony Pictures Television senior vice president, distribution, networks, U.S., Tom Troy in a statement. “Each network has a unique voice that will resonate across the nation, whether it be for those who enjoy timeless television, film favorites or recent Hollywood movies in Spanish.”

Beginning today, getTV will be available on channel 373 in Dish’s America’s Top 120 programming package and above and includes classic programming like The Merv Griffin Show, and  Western TV series HONDO. During the holiday season, getTV will offer specials featuring Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Sonny & Cher, Perry Como, and Andy Williams, as well as a 30-hour marathon of vintage Christmas specials, starting Christmas Eve at 12 p.m. ET.

“With the holiday season in full swing, getTV offers Dish families even more entertainment to enjoy together,” said Dish vice president of programming Andrew LeCuyer in a statement. “Our partnership expands DISH’s collection of classic TV programming, providing Dish customers with timeless shows and movies for all generations.”

Cine Sony Television will provide DishLatino subscribers with access to a wide array of Spanish-language live and video-on-demand modern Hollywood hits from several genres including action-adventure, comedy, and horror/suspense.

“We are continually looking to add new channels that connect our customers with content that speaks to them,” said DishLatino vice president Alfredo Rodriguez in a statement. “With Cine Sony, we are bringing more entertainment options to our customers who prefer watching TV in Spanish, but also want to enjoy popular movies originally filmed in English.”

Cine Sony is available to DishLatino customers who subscribe to the Clasico, Plus, Dos, Max and Bonus programming packages. Available on channel 864 and through video-on-demand, Cine Sony delivers Hollywood movies with Spanish voiceovers.