Viacom International Media Networks


Viacom plans TV production push as revenues fall

MTV and Nickelodeon owner Viacom has seen revenues fall 6% year-on-year in its second quarter results, but is planning to invest more in original content across its improving TV channels business. Q2 revenues to March 31, 2013, were US$3.14 billion compared with US$3.31 billion in 2012, on top of operating income down 9% at US$847 […]

Viacom cuts content deals with French broadcasters

Viacom international Media Networks has cut a raft of programming deals with French channels in the wake of MIPTV. It has licensed SpongeBob SquarePants, the SpongeBob Christmas special and season seven of Dora the Explorer to TF1. France’s largest commercial broadcaster has also acquired the second season of Kung Fu Panda and renewed deals for […]

MTV and Strix ink Scandi fomat deal

Strix has optioned MTV’s reality competition format The Challenge: Battle of the Exes. The Scandi format producer and distributor has optioned the show in Denmark, Norway, Sweden as well as the Netherlands and the deal marks the first time the show, in which ex-contestants from reality shows compete with one another, has been sold as […]

Russian broadcaster buys new Turtles series

Russian general entertainment channel TNT has picked up the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The free-to-air channel acquired the series, which launched on Nickelodeon late last year, from Viacom International Media Networks. TNT will launch the 26-episode reboot of the classic cartoon series on March 4 and strip it through the week in a […]

Annecchino replaces Dall’Orto at Viacom

Antonio  Campo Dall’Orto has left Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) and will be replaced by Raffaele Annecchino. VIMN said that Dall’Orto, managing director of VIMN’s South Europe, Middle East & Africa business is leaving the company ‘to pursue other opportunities’. He was at Viacom for over fifteen years, launching MTV in Italy back in 1997. […]

Comedy Central takes Facebook series to TV

Comedy Central in Italy will start showing web series Amici@Letto on its linear channel early this year. The property started out life on Facebook and was launched on the social network last January. Amici@Letto follows Melissa and Omar, two “friends with benefits”, as they negotiate the world of online dating. A new series will debut […]

Exclusive: MTV poaches BBC Worldwide sales exec Anthony Jewitt

Viacom International Media Networks has poached senior BBC Worldwide executive Anthony Jewitt to become its international sales director, TBI understands. Jewitt was previously senior sales executive for UK and Ireland sales at the commercial arm of the British public broadcaster and was responsible for selling BBC Worldwide content to British and Irish networks. He closed […]

MTV hires new Russian boss

Viacom International Media Networks has hired Elena Balmont as general manager of its Russian channels following the departure of Nicholas Walters. Balmont becomes general manager, Viacom International Media Networks Russia and CIS. She joins from Russian broadcaster Content Union, where she was deputy chief executive. She will report to David Lynn, EVP and managing director, […]

Turtle Power

Viacom acquired the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from The Mirage Group and 4Kids Entertainment in late 2009 for US$60 million and the resulting new TV series debuted on September 29 on Nick in the US with a two-episode double-header. When Ciro Nieli found out Nickelodeon had bought the Turtles he knocked on their door with […]

MTV ups Latin head of acquisitions

Viacom International Media Networks has promoted Marisol Amaya to senior director of programming acquisitions. Amaya previously headed up buying activities for the MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central channels in Latin America and in her new role will also have oversight of US Hispanic channel Tr3s. Based in Miami she will have a dual-report into Fernando […]