Pierluigi Gazzolo to Leave ViacomCBS Networks International; Kelly Day Elevated to Lead International Streaming; JC Acosta to Lead Ongoing Expansion of ViacomCBS International Studios

Pierluigi Gazzolo to Leave ViacomCBS Networks International

Kelly Day Elevated to Lead International Streaming

JC Acosta to Lead Ongoing Expansion of ViacomCBS International Studios

MIAMI & NEW YORK--OCTOBER 20, 2020--ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI), a division of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAC), has today confirmed the departure of one of its longest serving executives, Pierluigi Gazzolo, who will step down from his role as President, Streaming and Studios for VCNI at the end of this month to focus on other interests.

During Gazzolo’s tenure as President of Streaming and Studios for VCNI, he successfully established the content proposition, team and go to market strategy for the international launch of Paramount+ and expanded the roadmap for Pluto TV internationally.

VCNI Streaming Leadership

Reporting to David Lynn, President and CEO of VCNI, and working closely with Tom Ryan, President & CEO of ViacomCBS Streaming, Kelly Day, Chief Operating Officer of VCNI, will take over leadership of the division’s streaming business as President of Streaming and COO of VCNI. In this new role, Day will have oversight of the international roll-out of Paramount+, a new premium SVOD service due to launch in 2021 across Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics; as well as the ongoing expansion of Pluto TV, following its successful launch in Latin America.

Regarding Day’s expanded remit, Lynn added, “We are in the fortunate position of going from strength to strength with this transition. With a truly global streaming organization, it’s a pivotal moment in the evolution of our streaming strategy, with the expansion of Paramount+ and Pluto TV, both of which are critical to our future growth. Kelly has an enviable track record of launching and growing streaming businesses and has added a layer of extraordinary digital expertise to our management team in a short space of time. Now, also, working closely with Tom Ryan, I’m confident Kelly will accelerate our transition to becoming a more digitally-led business, while seizing our global streaming opportunity.”

ViacomCBS International Studios Leadership

ViacomCBS Studios International (VIS) will supply original content to the new Paramount+ service in some markets, while continuing to supply scripted, comedy and reality series to VCNI’s free and pay TV networks as well as third party streamers and broadcasters.

Also, reporting to Lynn, JC Acosta, who oversees VCNI’s operations in Latin America and Canada as President, VCN Americas, will take on additional responsibility as President, ViacomCBS International Studios.

Lynn added, “One of our biggest achievements in recent years has been the formation and expansion of VIS, which really couldn’t have happened without Pier’s vision. In the past year, under Pier’s leadership he doubled the global development slate, setting VCNI up for continued global success in the studios arena.”

“Now with JC’s expertise in production and development, coupled with his drive and dedication its incredibly reassuring that JC will take over leadership of VIS,” said Lynn. “Given JC’s intimate understanding of our Studios business, his connections and his knowledge of the international content market, we couldn’t be better positioned for continued growth.”

Gazzolo’s Tenure

Paying tribute to Gazzolo, Lynn said, “While he will hate to be labelled as a veteran, there’s no better word to describe someone who has dedicated so much of his career to our company and who has benefited it so much with his wisdom and experience. He’s a brilliant all-rounder who has played in many positions for our team, but always with the same outstanding results. It’s typical of Pier’s commitment that he’s stayed to oversee a seamless handover to Kelly and JC, even though he’s been signaling his interest in pursuing his own projects for some time. I can’t thank him enough for his contribution to our business over many years. I know everyone at VCNI will join me in genuinely wishing him well in his future endeavors.”

Gazzolo commented, “I’ve grown up with this amazing company. From MTV Latino, to MTV Networks to Viacom International Media Networks to post merger ViacomCBS Networks International. I’ve been honored to grow and evolve with ViacomCBS, and I’m immensely grateful to have worked across so many regions and divisions at the most dynamic media company in the world. I have benefited tremendously from having worked with unparalleled leaders and mentors, throughout my tenure, but especially in the latest chapter of my term. Most importantly I’ve created wonderful close friendships in my 27 years with the company – and those will continue long after I leave the building.”

About Pierluigi Gazzolo

Prior to taking up his current role as President, Streaming and Studios in November 2019, Pierluigi Gazzolo was President, Americas for Viacom International Media Networks, which was renamed as VCNI after the ViacomCBS merger in December last year.

Based in Miami, he oversaw a marked expansion of the company’s operations across Spanish-speaking Latin America and Brazil, spearheaded by two key acquisitions – ownership of Argentina’s leading free-to-air broadcaster, Telefe (2016), and a majority stake in Brazilian comedy producer, Porta dos Fundos (2017). Combining Telefe’s studios business and Porta dos Fundos with VIMN’s existing production activities in the region, Gazzolo formed VIS and secured its first sales to both Netflix and Amazon Prime, as well as a host of other deals with broadcasters and streamers across the region. Under his leadership, VIS has expanded its production activities in the UK, Europe, and Asia.

At the same time as leading the company’s operations in Latin America, Gazzolo continued to lead Nickelodeon internationally, giving him oversight of this critical brand in all markets outside the U.S. In this role, he oversaw an increase in international supply to Nickelodeon’s global content pipeline with locally developed shows being remade for global distribution, including Talia in the Kitchen and Every Witch Way.

Previously, Gazzolo was Chief Operating Officer for VIMN (2011 to 2014) and its predecessor MTV Networks International (2009 to 2011), reporting in both roles to Bob Bakish, who is now CEO, ViacomCBS Inc. Before 2009, he held several different roles with the company including serving as President of MTV Networks Latin America.

ViacomCBS Networks International:

ViacomCBS Networks International, a unit of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAC), comprises many of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands, including Network 10, Channel 5, Telefe, Viacom 18, ViacomCBS International Studios, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Network and Pluto TV. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS Networks International provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents and across more than 180 countries.

VIAC-IR

The above press release is available available to read in the following languages: Deutsch | Português | Dutch | Française.

From World Screen:

Exclusive Interview: Pierluigi Gazzolo on His Long Career at ViacomCBS

After 27 years at a company he calls his family, Pierluigi Gazzolo is leaving ViacomCBS at the end of the month to take a break from a corporate career and look at different paths ahead.

In an exclusive interview with World Screen, Gazzolo, who was appointed president of streaming for international and Viacom International Studios (VIS) at ViacomCBS in November of 2019, said he has spent half his life with the company—starting with MTV Latino, then MTV Networks Latin America with the launch of Nickelodeon, then Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) and, most recently, ViacomCBS. “I’ve grown up with this company; I’ve been blessed with opportunities and promotions,” Gazzolo said, thanking Bob Bakish, the president and CEO of ViacomCBS, and David Lynn, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International. “But it’s time to take a personal reset and think of other entrepreneurial paths.”

Gazzolo had told Lynn and Bakish of his plan before his current role, but they asked him to remain a while longer to help develop ViacomCBS’s international streaming strategy. It involved growing the international presence of the free service, Pluto TV, and developing the subscription product, Paramount+, and expanding on the success of VIS in the Americas by scaling it internationally. Gazzolo said this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

Paramount+ is the rebranded CBS All Access service. Internationally, as Gazzolo explained, “It is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2021 in Latin America, Brazil, Australia and the Nordics, in its first phase.” It will premiere premium product, aggregating originals from Showtime, Paramount, CBS, BET, MTV and Comedy Central, as well as library product.

Of the many shows bowing on the service, Gazzolo highlighted Showtime’s drama First Ladies, starring Viola Davis as Michelle Obama; Lioness, a spy drama based on a real CIA program; and The Offer, a scripted limited event series about the making of The Godfather.

Meanwhile, Pluto TV, whose growth Gazzolo described as “massive,” will continue to launch in new territories. It is already in Latin America with 50 channels, in addition to Germany, the U.K. and Spain, and will debut in Brazil in November.

Helping to shape ViacomCBS’s international streaming products is the latest of Gazzolo’s many career accomplishments. He was one of the first in the industry to recognize content’s ability to travel across borders, as he told me during our conversation at NATPE in January when he was awarded the Premio Ícono TV Latina award. “We learned the concept of, make the story you need [for local audiences], but keep it universal.” He also strongly believed in the value of owning content and spearheaded VIMN’s businesses in Latin American to shift from being primarily a network business to a studio business. He led the acquisitions of Telefe and Porta dos Fundos, which were instrumental in setting up Viacom International Studios.

“They were game-changers for us,” Gazzolo said at NATPE. “The intent was always scale. The most important scale we wanted to gain was content scale. Telefe brought us amazing scripted ideas, thousands of hours produced, that we could now monetize. Porta dos Fundos is an incredible creator of comedic content. They had a very powerful position on YouTube. Now it has gone from a short-form producer to a long-form comedy powerhouse. Without those acquisitions, I don’t think we would have had Viacom International Studios.”

Viacom International Studios then expanded into the U.K. and Spain, with further growth planned.

Gazzolo also believed in reaching consumers with multiple offers, from free TV to premium pay services.

During our exclusive interview, he repeated more than once how much he will miss his family at ViacomCBS. Undoubtedly, the feeling among staffers and management is mutual.

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From TV LATINA:

Pierluigi Gazzolo dejará ViacomCBS

Luego de 27 años en una compañía que llamó su familia, Pierluigi Gazzolo estará dejando ViacomCBS a finales de mes para tomar un descanso de su carrera corporativa y visualizar diferentes caminos de cara al futuro.

En una entrevista exclusiva con World Screen, Gazzolo, quien fue nombrado presidente de streaming para internacional y Viacom International Studios (VIS) de ViacomCBS en noviembre de 2019, comentó que ha pasado la mitad de su vida con la compañía, comenzando con MTV Latino, luego MTV Networks Latin America con el lanzamiento de Nickelodeon, posteriormente Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) y recientemente ViacomCBS. “Crecí con esta compañía, he sido bendecido con oportunidades y promociones”, señaló Gazzolo, además de agradecer a Bob Bakish, presidente y CEO de ViacomCBS; y David Lynn, presidente y CEO de ViacomCBS Networks International. “Pero es tiempo de hacer un reinicio personal y pensar en otros emprendimientos”.

Gazzolo le comentó a Lynn y Bakish de su plan antes de su rol actual, pero le pidieron que permaneciera por un tiempo adicional para ayudar a desarrollar la estrategia de streaming internacional de ViacomCBS. Tenía que ver con expandir la presencia internacional del servicio gratuito, Pluto TV, desarrollar el producto de suscripción, Paramount+, y expandir el éxito de VIS en las Américas con escala internacional. Gazzolo dijo que esto era una oportunidad que no podía dejar pasar.

Paramount+ es el servicio renombrado de CBS All Access. A nivel internacional, tal como explicó Gazzolo, “tiene programado lanzarse en la primera mitad de 2021 en Latinoamérica, Brasil, Australia y la región nórdica, en su primera fase”. El servicio presentará producto premium agregando originales de Showtime, Paramount, CBS, BET, MTV y Comedy Central, así como producto de librería.

De los numerosos shows que debutan en el servicio, Gazzolo destacó First Ladies, drama de Showtime protagonizado por Viola Davis como Michelle Obama; Lioness, un drama de espionaje basado en un programa real de la CIA; y The Offer, una serie limitada con guion sobre la realización de The Godfather.

Entre tanto, Pluto TV, cuyo crecimiento Gazzolo describió como “masivo”, continuará lanzándose en nuevos territorios. El servicio ya existe en América Latina con 50 canales, además de Alemania, el Reino Unido, España y debutará en Brasil en noviembre.

Ayudar a formar los productos de streaming internacional de ViacomCBS es el más reciente de los logros en la carrera de Gazzolo. Fue uno de los primeros en la industria de reconocer la capacidad que tenía el contenido de cruzar fronteras, tal como me comentó durante nuestra conversación en NATPE en enero cuando fue galardonado con el TV Latina Premio Ícono. “Aprendimos el concepto de realizar la historia para [las audiencias locales], pero mantenerlo universal”. El ejecutivo también creyó firmemente en el valor de ser propietarios del contenido y encabezó los negocios de VIMN en Latinoamérica, para transicionar de ser principalmente un negocio de cadenas a un negocio de estudio. Lideró las adquisiciones de Telefe y Porta dos Fundos, las cuales fueron fundamentales en el establecimiento de Viacom International Studios.

“Fueron cambios innovadores para nosotros”, afirmó Gazzolo en NATPE. “La intención siempre fue la escala. La más importante que queríamos lograr era el contenido de escala. Telefe nos ofreció increíbles ideas de contenido con guion y miles de horas producidas que podíamos monetizar. Porta dos Fundos es un creador increíble de comedia. Tenía una posición muy poderosa en YouTube. Ahora ha pasado de ser un productor de contenido corto a una potencia de comedia de formato largo. Sin esas adquisiciones, no creo que hubiéramos tenido a Viacom International Studios”.

Viacom International Studios luego se expandió al Reino Unido y España, con planes para un mayor crecimiento.

Gazzolo también creyó en llegar a los consumidores con múltiples ofertas, desde televisión abierta hasta servicios pagos premium.

Durante nuestra entrevista exclusiva, en más de una ocasión repitió cuánto extrañará a su familia en ViacomCBS. Sin duda, el sentimiento entre el equipo y la gerencia es mutuo.

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More Nick: ViacomCBS to Rebrand CBS All Access as Paramount+ in Early 2021!

Originally published: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 19:53 BST.

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