Latest from Next TV in Usher

Usher To Host CBS Competition Series ‘The Activist’

michael.malone@futurenet.com (Michael Malone) — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:22:01 +0000

Usher will host CBS competition series The Activist, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Julianne Hough the co-hosts. The five-week series premieres Oct. 22.

The Activist has six activists from around the world working to bring meaningful change to health, education or the environment. The activists will compete in missions, media stunts, digital campaigns and community events aimed at garnering the attention of influential decision-makers. The activists’ success is measured via online engagement, social metrics and hosts’ input.

“Combining philanthropy and entertainment, The Activist is a ground-breaking series poised to inspire viewers,” said Jack Sussman, executive VP, specials, music, live events and alternative programming for CBS. “We’re thrilled to have Usher, Priyanka and Julianne as part of the series, guiding our CBS audience through the journeys of passionate changemakers from around the world.”

CBS, Global Citizen and Live Nation are behind the show.

“The Activist is a first-of-its-kind competition series that will inspire real change, as the series progresses from the United States to Rome for the Activists’ final challenge at the G20,” said Hugh Evans, CEO and co-founder of Global Citizen. “The audience will see the Activists’ passion and commitment for their causes tested as they petition world leaders to take urgent action to resolve the interconnected crises we face.”

The G20 summit brings together the most powerful countries to address the world’s most pressing issues.

The Activist is produced by Global Citizen, Live Nation and Deviants Media. Ivan Dudynsky and Fernando Hernandez are executive producers.

On Demand Summit 2016: Programmers, Distributors Look to Monetize Content in Lighter Ad Environment

Mike Farrell — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 21:23:00 +0000

Get complete coverage of the On Demand Summit.

New York – As consumers increasingly stream video and avoid traditional ads, programmers and distributors continue to search for ways to monetize content, experimenting with sponsorships, imbedding ads in programming and branded content, according to a panel discussion at the Multichannel News/B&C On Demand Summit here Thursday.

Roku vice president of advertising Scott Rosenberg said finding new ways to place ads in, around and between content is becoming increasingly important as viewing habits shift. And he added as over-the-top and subscription video on demand services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu proliferate, consumers are increasingly looking for value.

Rosenberg said “free channels” and “free content” are the No. 1 search terms on Roku’s platform.

“As the consumer moves more and more of their time to the OTT streaming model, they’re looking for value,” Rosenberg said. “The ad model has a lot of potential.”

He added that viewers willing to watch ads for less expensive content are “more empowered,” but he added that the traditional method of large blocks of TV ads won’t cut the mustard.

“The equilibrium is going to shift,” Rosenberg said. “We’re not going to head back to traditional ad loads.”

Canoe head of business development, sales & marketing Chris Pizzurro said the consortium has been working with its cable operator partners to determine just when enough is enough for consumers when it comes to ad loads.

Pizzurro said Canoe tried to find at what point viewers would drop a show because they felt there were too many ads.

“We settled on four ads per pod,” Pizurro said. “That seems to be the sweet spot.”

MEC Wavemaker head of content Chet Fenster said that as consumers get more used to watching content without ads, it gets harder to reach them with a traditional message.

“Our business is evolving from an interrupted ad on a hit show to partnering with a big show on a platform that you normally couldn’t reach a consumer,” Fenster said.

That includes things like sponsorships, imbedding ads within shows and creating branded content.

Fenster isn’t a huge fan of the latter, but praised Pepsi’s attempts at branded content through its Soho-based studio The Creative League. Pepsi plans to offer a steady stream of branded and unbranded content from the studio and has enlisted the help of tennis star Serena Williams, actress Meryl Streep and hip-hop musician Usher for several projects.

“It takes a lot of effort and a lot of money to get there,” Fenster said of branded content. “I’m not bullish unless you’re doing it very quickly or have superstar talent behind it.”

Babs to Launch Sirius Channel

Mike Farrell — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:45:00 +0000

Entertainment legend Barbara Streisand will get her own SiriusXM Satellite Radio channel this Friday, appropriately named The Barbra Streisand Channel, which will exclusively feature the works of the Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and Tony award-winning artist.

The limited-run channel will launch on Sept. 12 at 5:00 pm ET and will run through Friday, Oct. 10, via satellite on Sirius channel 69 and XM channel 73. The Barbra Streisand Channel will also be available online on channel 69 and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.

Sirius XM is controlled by Liberty Media.

The channel will feature music spanning Streisand's legendary career, from her 1963 debut through her newest album, Partners, scheduled to be released on Sept. 16. The channel will be fully dedicated to Barbra Streisand's extensive body of work and will include selections from her live and studio recordings. The channel will also include Streisand's personal song selections from her catalog, spanning 50 years.

The Barbra Streisand Channel will also feature an exclusive "Town Hall" special with the entertainer. Streisand will sit down for a Q&A session with a select group of listeners in the SiriusXM studios in New York. Moderated by her longtime colleague, music industry executive Jay Landers, "SiriusXM's Town Hall with Barbra Streisand" will air on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 12:00 pm ET on The Barbra Streisand Channel.

"Barbra Streisand is an artist who is the very definition of the word icon. Her original voice, songwriting, performances, and life's work has made her a universal star and humanitarian leader. Along the way she has created some of the best-selling albums of all time, as well as being an award winning actress known for her work on stage, film and TV. Our exclusive channel celebrating Ms. Streisand is a truly comprehensive and deep dive into the music of one of the world's most important artists ever," said Sirius XM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein in a statement. "We are looking forward to welcoming Ms. Streisand to our studios to be a part of our 'Town Hall' series and discuss her new album with her fans."

After the broadcast, "SiriusXM's Town Hall with Barbra Streisand" will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers listening via the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other mobile devices or online at siriusxm.com.

"SiriusXM's Town Hall with Barbra Streisand" is part of SiriusXM's "Town Hall" series, featuring iconic entertainers and figures sitting down with studio audiences of SiriusXM listeners. Previous SiriusXM "Town Hall" specials have featured Bruce Springsteen, Billy Crystal, Roger Waters, Robin Williams, Quentin Tarantino, Willie Nelson, Billy Joel, Cher, KISS, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Ringo Starr, Taylor Swift, Hugh Jackman, the surviving members of Nirvana, Gregg Allman, Usher and Tony Hawk.

The Barbra Streisand Channel is another example of channels created by SiriusXM with iconic and prominent artists. Past channels have included Bruce Springsteen's E Street Radio, Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville, Willie Nelson's Willie's Roadhouse, The Pink Floyd Channel, B.B. King's Bluesville, Elvis Radio, Siriusly Sinatra, Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzy's Boneyard, Pearl Jam Radio, Eminem's Shade 45,Tiesto's Club Life Radio and Neil Diamond Radio.

Sirius XM is controlled by Liberty Media.