CBS All Access Launches Children’s Programming; To Add Nickelodeon Programming from January 2020

CBS All Access Launches Children’s Programming

Service Launches Today with Originals

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and “Danger Mouse”

Service Begins Rollout of More than 1,000 Episodes of Library

Programming with “The Adventures of Paddington Bear,”

“Inspector Gadget,” “Madeline,” “Bob the Builder” and More

Nickelodeon to Join Growing Roster of Children’s Programming

Nov. 25, 2019 – CBS All Access, CBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today began its rollout of children’s programming. The service also announced today that a library of Nickelodeon programming will be available to subscribers, starting with select titles in January.

Subscribers can now stream CBS All Access’ original children’s series including new seasons of CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS and the new DANGER MOUSE, as well as library programming including the original DANGER MOUSE and hits like BOB THE BUILDER, INSPECTOR GADGET, MADELINE, HEATHCLIFF, and THE ADVENTURES OF PADDINGTON BEAR. CBS All Access’ library of children’s programming will grow to more than 1,000 episodes as additional series are added over the coming weeks.

“Bringing children’s programming to CBS All Access is a significant step toward providing even more value for our subscribers and now for their children as well,” said Marc DeBevoise, President and COO, CBS Interactive. “We’re bringing to market a fantastic roster of exclusive originals along with a library of marquee series for families, and we look forward to continuing to expand our children’s programming offering, especially with the future addition of incredible programming from Nickelodeon.”

All CBS All Access children’s programming will be available commercial-free. At launch, parental pin controls will be available across the following platforms: CBS.com, the CBS app for iOS and Android, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV*, Roku and Xbox One. Parental controls will be available across additional connected TV platforms in the near future.

CBS All Access first announced plans to launch children’s programming on the service in August, teaming up with WildBrain (formerly DHX Media) and Boat Rocker Studios to license the service’s first two original children’s series, WildBrain’s CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, produced with Sony Pictures Animation, and Boat Rocker’s new DANGER MOUSE, produced with BBC Children’s Productions, as well as more than 1,000 episodes of library programming including the classic original DANGER MOUSE series from Boat Rocker Studios and titles from WildBrain like the classic INSPECTOR GADGET, THE ADVENTURES OF PADDINGTON BEAR, MADELINE and HEATHCLIFF.

A full list of children’s programming available at launch can be viewed here.

*Apple TV 4th generation and newer devices

About CBS All Access:

CBS All Access is CBS’ direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service. CBS All Access gives subscribers the ability to watch more than 12,000 episodes on demand – spanning exclusive original series, CBS Television Network’s primetime, daytime and late night shows, plus classic TV hits – as well as the ability to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. CBS All Access’ original series include THE GOOD FIGHT, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, TELL ME A STORY, NO ACTIVITY, and WHY WOMEN KILL, as well as the upcoming INTERROGATION, THE STAND, and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. CBS All Access is also the exclusive domestic home to STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and the upcoming STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS and STAR TREK: PICARD featuring Sir Patrick Stewart. CBS All Access also includes the ability to stream CBS Interactive’s other live channels, CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.

The service is currently available online at CBS.com, on mobile devices via the CBS app for iOS and Android, and on Roku Players, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Fire TV, Samsung Smart TVs, Vizio Smartcast TVs, Amazon Prime Video Channels and Apple TV channels. Versions of CBS All Access have now launched internationally in Canada and Australia (10 All Access), with unique but similar content and pricing plans. For more details on CBS All Access, please visit https://www.cbs.com/all-access.

About WildBrain:

At WildBrain we make great content for kids and families. With over 13,000 half-hours of filmed entertainment in our library – one of the world’s most extensive – we are home to such brands as “Peanuts,” “Teletubbies,” “Strawberry Shortcake,” “Caillou,” “Inspector Gadget” and “Degrassi.” Our shows are seen in more than 150 countries on over 500 telecasters and streaming platforms. Our AVOD business – WildBrain Spark – offers one of the largest networks of kids’ channels on YouTube, with over 109 million subscribers. We also license consumer products and location-based entertainment in every major territory for our own properties as well for our clients and content partners. Our television group owns and operates four family entertainment channels that are among the most-viewed in Canada. WildBrain is headquartered in Canada with offices worldwide and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (DHX) and NASDAQ (DHXM). Visit us at www.wildbrain.com. (On September 23, 2019, DHX Media Ltd. announced it is rebranding as “WildBrain”.)

About Boat Rocker Media:

Boat Rocker Media is a global entertainment company that creates, produces and exploits premium media content for all platforms and develops brands and IP for worldwide monetization. Boat Rocker Studios, the content, distribution, and brands arm of the company, consists of the following content groups: Platform One Media, Temple Street, Matador Content, Crooked Horse, Proper, Insight Productions, Boat Rocker Kids & Family, Jam Filled Entertainment, and partnerships with Untitled Entertainment and Industrial Brothers. Boat Rocker Ventures also has investments in Serial Box, MarcoPolo Learning, the Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club, CAA Creative Labs and Bustle. A selection of Boat Rocker’s recent projects includes: “Orphan Black” (BBC AMERICA, Space), “Lip Sync Battle” (Paramount Network), “Iron Chef Canada” (Food Network), “Killjoys” (Syfy, Space), “The Amazing Race Canada” (CTV), “Knight Fight” (History), “Vintage Tech Hunters” (Discovery), “X Company” (CBC), “Masterchef Canada” (CTV), “The Next Step” (Family Channel, CBBC), “The Loud House” (Nickelodeon), “Bitz & Bob” (CBeebies) and “Danger Mouse” (CBBC). For more information on Boat Rocker Media, please visit www.boatrocker.com and connect via (Twitter) or (Facebook).

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From The Hollywood Reporter:

Nickelodeon Content Coming to CBS All Access

With the ViacomCBS deal closing Dec. 4, the integration is already beginning.

CBS All Access is bulking up.

The subscription video platform is adding children's programming from Viacom-backed Nickelodeon in one of the first moves ahead of the media titans' Dec. 4 merger. The news was announced Monday, the same day that kids programming from Boat Rocker Studios (Danger Mouse) and WildBrain (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs) began streaming on CBS All Access.

The Boat Rocker and WildBrain deals, announced in August, see the Marc DeBevoise-led streamer land library titles including The Adventures of Paddington Bear, Inspector Gadget, Madeline and Bob the Builder, among others. As part of that pact, CBS All Access will be rolling out new original seasons of Cloudy and Danger Mouse as the platform doubles down on kids programming.

“Bringing children’s programming to CBS All Access is a significant step toward providing even more value for our subscribers, and now for their children as well,” said the recently promoted DeBevoise. “We’re bringing to market a fantastic roster of exclusive originals along with a library of marquee series for families, and we look forward to continuing to expand our children’s programming offering, especially with the future addition of incredible programming from Nickelodeon.”

While it's unclear which library titles from Nickelodeon will head to CBS All Access, it's safe to assume that hit titles like SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer will be included, as Viacom currently doesn't have another subscription streaming platform to house them. Nickelodeon famously pulled its library titles from Netflix years ago in a bid to stem its linear ratings downfall.

The Nickelodeon-CBS All Access deal arrives shortly after Viacom agreed to create and produce new original series and spinoffs of some of its beloved titles (like SpongeBob) for Netflix in a deal worth an estimated $200 million.

Monday's news reinforces Viacom's larger strategy of being both an arms dealer — providing content to competitors — while also servicing its own platforms. In an interview with THR last week, Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins noted that his network's streaming strategy would become more crystallized in the coming years as parent company Viacom and CBS figured things out.

Joining CBS All Access' kids programming slate are new seasons of Cloudy and Danger Mouse as well as the libraries for the latter, Bob the Builder, Inspector Gadget, Madeline, Heathcliff and The Adventures of Paddington Bear. The platform's library of children’s programming is expected to grow to more than 1,000 episodes as additional series are added over the coming weeks.

In a larger sense, kids programming has emerged as a top priority among streaming services with Disney+ having its massive library, Apple TV+ teaming with Peanuts and Sesame Workshop and the forthcoming HBO Max having Sesame Street.

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From CNET:

CBS All Access to stream Nickelodeon programming in January

CBS All Access is the latest service to focus in on kids shows.

CBS All Access, CBS' subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, announced Monday that it's doubling down on children's programming. In addition to originals like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Danger Mouse and 1,000 other episodes of shows, Nickelodeon content will join the catalog in January, according to a release. The list of Nickelodeon shows that will stream on CBS All Access has yet to be released.

Subscribers can now stream Inspector Gadget, Healthcliff, Madeline, Bob the Builder and The Adventures of Paddington Bear, the company said.

CBS All Access' kids shows are all available commercial-free, and at launch, parental pin controls can be used to access CBS.com, the CBS app for iOS and Android, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV*, Roku and Xbox One. Compatible Apple TV devices include the 4th generation and newer. (Disclosure: CBS All Access, like CNET, is owned by CBS.)

"Bringing children's programming to CBS All Access is a significant step toward providing even more value for our subscribers and now for their children as well," Marc DeBevoise, president and chief operating officer of CBS Interactive said in a release. "We're bringing to market a fantastic roster of exclusive originals along with a library of marquee series for families, and we look forward to continuing to expand our children's programming offering, especially with the future addition of incredible programming from Nickelodeon."

The news comes shortly after the debut of Disney Plus, Disney's family-focused streaming service that costs $7 per month.

Nickelodeon is owned by Viacom, which is set to merge with CBS next week.

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From IGN:

Nickelodeon Shows Going to CBS All Access

I'M A GOOFY GOOBER!

Nickelodeon shows are coming to the CBS All Access streaming service, according to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter.

As Viacom (which owns Nickelodeon) and CBS close in on their December 4 merger, the two companies announced the content deal early Monday.

It’s currently unclear exactly which Nickelodeon shows and movies will be coming to CBS All Access, THR reports that it’s likely we’ll see classic Nickelodeon properties like Spongebob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer will be included. That reporting is bolstered by the fact that Viacom currently has no streaming service to house much of their back catalog of shows like the aforementioned Spongebob and Dora, save for Amazon Prime Video and Nickelodeon’s NickHits platform, which costs $7.99 a month. Netflix previously declined to sign a contract renewal with Viacom back in 2013, leading to a split in content.

All that said, Viacom/Nickelodeon content is in a weird sort of limbo, split between multiple services, with new projects still coming to Netflix, including a Spongebob Squarepants spinoff focusing on Squidward. Viacom and Netflix’s deal reportedly cost an estimated $200 million.

Currently, Netflix also possesses the new made-for-TV movies Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus and Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling, and just recently added shows like Victorious, Sam & Cat, and Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie. The two Rugrats movies are also currently on Netflix. The fan-favorite Drake & Josh series is currently on Hulu.

Kids programming has almost certainly become a heavier focus in the ongoing streaming wars, particularly as Disney Plus has leveraged its large catalog of family-friendly content.

Viacom has described its strategy of providing competitors with content while also bolstering their own libraries as being a sort of “arms dealer,” according to a separate interview with THR.

Viacom also owns the ad-supported TV network Pluto TV, which it bought for $340 million in January and features 20 million users.

Nickelodeon also announced a Spongebob Squarepants prequel series earlier this year, which will focus on a 10-year-old Spongebob and his adventures at Kamp Koral. The Spongebob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated game, a remaster of the original, is due out in 2020.

Wondering what streaming service to lend your hard-earned money and time to? We break down which streaming service is the best for you, or you can check out individual reviews of Netflix, Disney Plus, CBS All Access, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video.

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From CordCutters:

CBS All Access now has a treasure trove of children's programming, adds Nickelodeon

Classics like Danger Mouse, Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff are available now, with more on the way.

While many of us nerds are awaiting the new Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access — and we've got a few more months to go on that one — parents have one more reason to subscribe to CBS' streaming network. Today, a number of dedicated children's shows are now available. And more are on the way.

From the press release:

"Bringing children's programming to CBS All Access is a significant step toward providing even more value for our subscribers and now for their children as well," said Marc DeBevoise, President and COO, CBS Interactive. "We're bringing to market a fantastic roster of exclusive originals along with a library of marquee series for families, and we look forward to continuing to expand our children's programming offering, especially with the future addition of incredible programming from Nickelodeon."

Here's what's available at launch:

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Danger Mouse
Inspector Gadget
The New Adventures of Madeline
The Adventures of Paddington Bear
Heathcliff
Bob the Builder (2015)

Also on the way are additional shows from:

Madeline
Classic Bob the Builder
Inspector Gadget's Field Trip
Sonic the Hedgehog
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic Underground
Adventures of Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario World
Archie's Weird Mysteries
New Archies
Polly Pocket
Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?
Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bitty Adventures

CBS All Access goes above and beyond what you're able to find on the traditional CBS outlets, with a number of originals shows, including the aforementioned Picard, as well as Star Trek: Discovery, The Twilight Zone, and others. It starts at $5.99 a month if you don't mind advertising, or $9.99 a month if you want to get rid of ads. (And you can pay annually to get a bit of a price break.

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From The Hollywood Reporter:

Viacom's Streaming TV "Arms Dealer" Strategy Paying Off (For Now)

Viacom CEO Bob Bakish has moved to ink new deals for Paramount and Nickelodeon properties with Netflix.

CEO Bob Bakish is carving out a lucrative short-term niche "renting" IP and inking massive deals (like for 'South Park') with streaming platforms desperate for content: "It's not a zero-sum game."
In 2013, Nickelodeon pulled its library from Netflix in an attempt to stem its free-falling linear ratings. Now, Viacom's kid-focused cable network has pivoted in the opposite direction: supplying the streaming giant with new film and TV series, including a SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff, in a Nov. 13 deal valued at north of $200 million. And on Nov. 14, Viacom's Paramount unit licensed its long-gestating Beverly Hills Cop 4 to Netflix rather than risk distributing the Eddie Murphy vehicle itself theatrically.

The deals reflect the new reality for legacy media companies that aren't quite big enough to challenge Netflix or Disney with their own direct-to-consumer platforms. Hence, Viacom's so-called "arms dealer" strategy, which paid off when it sold domestic rights to Comedy Central's South Park to WarnerMedia's HBO Max on Oct. 29 in a deal worth up to $500 million.

"It's not a zero-sum game," Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins tells The Hollywood Reporter of the decision to reserve content for its own internal platforms or sell to third-party competitors. "We look at each piece of content separately and through three different lenses: What's the value of that piece of content and how do you maximize it; second is the relationship with the talent; and third is what does it mean to our own platforms?"

To be sure, Viacom's own streaming strategy must be solidified once the company re-merges with CBS in early December. The $15.4 billion deal will see Viacom add DTC platforms CBS All Access, BET+ and Showtime to pair with ad-supported Pluto TV and younger-focused Noggin and Nick+.

In the interim, Viacom is focused on making sure brands like Nickelodeon live beyond its linear network. Robbins notes that Netflix is "renting" Nick IP, meaning Viacom will eventually get it back. The streaming pact allows Nick to further monetize programming that doesn't fit on its linear network while leveraging the output of its animation studio. Robbins also notes that originals it produces for Netflix will provide lucrative revenue streams from consumer products and live events.

Meanwhile, other media conglomerates like Sony also are leaning away from the direct-to-consumer game. Sony TV chairman Mike Hopkins says that the company's strategic decision to exit the streaming space has allowed the indie studio to benefit from the demand for originals and library content. In September, Sony TV sold global streaming rights to Seinfeld to Netflix in a deal worth $500 million. The studio is now shopping library rights to the Joel McHale comedy Community and soon will shop TV rights to its theatrical films when its current pacts with Starz (for live-action) and Netflix (animation) expire.

"The volume of activity for us increases every week as everyone is ramping up their streaming services," says Hopkins, calling the appetite for content a "gold rush" for the company.

While Sony, as well as fellow streamer-less studios like MGM, are profiting from the demand for content, Viacom's strategy is wide-ranging. The company's key streaming licensing deals include The Real World to Facebook Watch (via MTV Studios); Comedy Central Productions and Trevor Noah producing content for Quibi; and Paramount TV supplying hits 13 Reasons Why to Netflix and Jack Ryan to Amazon, among others.

However, once the ViacomCBS merger closes, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish likely will be pressured to pull back on licensing and supply its internal streamers with originals to better compete with the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and the forthcoming HBO Max and NBCUniversal's Peacock.

"Demand for content from third parties is incredible," Bakish said during a Nov. 14 earnings call. “And the combination of our assets and capabilities with the fact that some of our competitors are pulling back, makes this sector an enormous opportunity for ViacomCBS.”

Viacom CFO Wade Davis added that when the company sells to Netflix, Hulu and the like, "they are underwriting the budget and they are paying us that budget, plus, call it 20 percent." Then, the licensee owns the show for a certain window or geography and Viacom is free to "exploit the rights they don't own," and eventually, all of the IP reverts back to Viacom.

During the same call, analyst Richard Greenfield opined that, if South Park were to have been licensed to Viacom's soon-to-be-owned CBS All Access, it would have been its No. 1 show — though Greenfield added that "I actually prefer that arms dealer strategy" of selling content to the highest bidder.

Bakish's statements represent a change of strategy, as he conceded Feb. 26 that Viacom "took it on the chin" in previous years, leaving money on the table by not licensing bundles of content to Netflix and other streamers. However, he added the previous approach left Viacom with a "warehouse" of rights that went to Pluto TV, the ad-supported service it bought in January for $340 million and now boasts 20 million users.

Still, keeping content in-house or cashing in with third-party deals is an increasingly common dilemma as AMC, for example, gave its Breaking Bad movie El Camino a first window on Netflix rather than airing it exclusively on its own linear network.

"Many of the smaller content providers, such as Viacom, Discovery, AMC Networks, Sony, tend to be more cautious by pursuing hybrid direct-to-consumer strategies that seek to differentiate their offerings in a cluttered landscape, e.g. based on niche content or demographically targeted audiences," says CFRA Research analyst Tuna Amobi. "Such companies have been focused on leveraging their existing film/TV libraries by embracing licensing, or revenue-sharing, partnerships with third-party aggregators to enhance and/or preserve their upside, as well as mitigate their downside risk."

Adds Nickelodeon's Robbins: "We're living in this feverish time right now that you have to be all in with direct-to-consumer platforms, and if you're not, then you're out. And I'm not sure that's correct."

Source: FilmLA 2019 Television Report (Oct. 16, 2019)

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More Nick: Nickelodeon and CBS Television Studios Announce New Animated 'Star Trek' Series!

Originally published: Monday, November 25, 2019 at 19:16 GMT.

H/T: TVKIDS.

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