Paramount International Networks


Paramount International Networks is the international division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Skydance that oversees the production, broadcasting and promotion of its brands outside of the United States. These brands include Paramount Network, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and BET, as well as CBS-branded channels co-owned with AMC Networks International. PIN also owned a 30% stake in the Rainbow S.p.A. animation studio in Italy from 2011 to 2023 and a majority-then-later-minority stake in Viacom18, an Indian joint venture with domestic partner TV18, which operates the former's television brands in India along with homegrown brand Colors from 2007 to 2024.
The division is headquartered within offices of the former Paramount Global in New York City and London, with other international offices located in São Paulo, Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Lagos, Madrid, Milan, Mumbai, Paris, Singapore, Budapest, Belgrade and Sydney amongst others. Its first international offices opened in the late 1980s in London and Amsterdam with the launch of MTV Europe. It was created from a rebrand of predecessor Viacom's MTV Networks, which included MTV, BET, VH1 and Nickelodeon, to include Comedy Central. MTV Asia was a leader against rival Channel V in China, India and South Korea in 1999.
Currently led by Pam Kaufman as part of her broader role as president and CEO of international markets, the division under one of its previous names "Viacom International Media Networks" was previously led from 2011 to 2016 by Bob Bakish, in one of his many roles at the company, having joined Paramount Global's predecessor, Viacom, in its first incarnation in 1997. In 2016, Bakish was promoted to CEO of the second incarnation of Viacom and stayed on as such following its merger with CBS Corporation to form ViacomCBS, renamed Paramount Global in 2022. He resigned as CEO and left the company on 29 April 2024.

History

In June 2008, MTV Networks International partnered with Dutch entertainment company Endemol to launch its joint-venture Dutch comedy channel under the former's Comedy Central brand with the new comedy channel being named Comedy Central Family.
In November 2009, MTV Networks International teamed up with Abu Dhabi-based entertainment company Twofour54 to establish an Arabian comedy content production studio that would produce and develop local Arabic-language comedy content for the Middle East called Comedy Central Studios Arabia, the new studio would be headquartered at Twofour54's Abu Dhabi offices and would also adapt localized versions of Comedy Central's programming library for the Arabic market.
On July 29, 2010, MTV Networks International announced its launching of its Hebrew-language television channel entitled Comedy Central Israel which had launched the following year on January 1 2011, marking the ten country to use the Comedy Central brand.
In May 2011 following MTV Networks International renaming to Viacom International Media Networks and its launch of Dutch channel Comedy Central Family with global production & distribution studio Endemol three years ago in 2008, Viacom International Media Networks alongside global Dutch entertainment production & distribution giant Endemol had expanded their partnership with the two companies had established a female-skewed entertainment channel based in Poland that will target women aged 16 to 49 named Viacom Blink!, the launch of the new entertainment channel Viacom Blink! had gained Viacom International Media Networks another entertainment channel in its portfolio as Viacom Internation Media Networks have licensed Endemol's programming library to the new channel under a programming deal with the former planning to launch the channel to other countries.
At the start of May 2014, Viacom International Media Networks announced it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire British free-to-air public broadcast television channel Channel 5 alongside its parent company Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited and its three entertainment channels 5* and US programming-focus channel 5USA from Richard Desmond's British publishing company Northern & Shell for £450m.
In October 2015, Viacom International Media Networks had established its international production division that would serve as a production hub for its global entertainment network brands worldwide, including Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central entitled Viacom International Studios which would be based in Miami, Florida to expand Viacom's production capabilities for global networks as the new international studio would produce local adpatations of Viacom's productions including original scripted & unscripted content worldwide for its global networks & mobile and digital platforms internationally with VIMN president Bob Bakish heading the new international production division Viacom International Studios as president, Viacom International Studios had also opened up a new production studio facility based in Miami, Florida where VIMN's Latin American division VIMN Americas was headquartered following the launch of Viacom International Studios, with the new production studio facility would be served as the production of Viacom International Studios' productions.

Divisions

Since 14 January 2020, this division consists of two brand groups, and three regional hubs.

United Kingdom and Australia

, formerly ViacomCBS Networks UK and Australia is a regional subsidiary of Paramount Global launched on 14 January 2020 and headquartered in London with a local office in Sydney that serves the United Kingdom and Australia. It also oversees Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited and Paramount Australia & New Zealand, the respective corporate overseers of British free-to-air channel, Channel 5 and Australian free-to-air channel Network 10.

Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia

Paramount Networks EMEAA, formerly MTV Networks Europe, Viacom International Media Networks Europe and ViacomCBS Networks EMEAA, is a subsidiary of Paramount Global which serves Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
It currently consists of the following branches:
  • Paramount Networks Northern Europe, which serves Benelux, Nordic/Scandinavian countries, Ireland, DAPOL, German-speaking Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania, Ukraine and CIS countries.
  • Paramount Networks Southern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, which serves France, French-speaking Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Middle East and Africa.
  • * Paramount Networks Italia, a division that was founded in 2011 in order for Viacom to purchase a 30% ownership stake in the Rainbow S.p.A. animation studio.

    The Americas

Paramount Networks Americas, formerly MTV Networks Latin America, Viacom International Media Networks The Americas and ViacomCBS Networks Americas, is a regional subsidiary of Paramount International Networks. Its operational headquarters is located in Miami, Florida, with offices in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. As currently being based in the United States, all PNA channels are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, the broadcasting regulator the United States, despite not yet transmitting over there.

Production company

In 2016, Viacom launched its own subsidiary Viacom International Studios, which have its headquarters in Miami. Its first production was I Am Frankie for Nickelodeon. Following the Viacom-CBS merger, it was rebranded to ViacomCBS International Studios. On 24 June 2020, both ViacomCBS International Studios and sister sibling Miramax is planning on to co-produce The Turkish Detective, the series adaptation of the novels. On 2 September 2020, it returned to production with Mexico's backdoor structure On 7 October 2020, ViacomCBS International Studios revealed a streamlining its sales structure. On 30 November 2021, the studio launched a first-look deal program with 5 British writers to amplify diverse voices.
With its parent company rebranded to Paramount Global in 2022, its international division was rebranded as Paramount Television International Studios, with a new focus across all international markets. It now touts itself as "concentrating on premium scripted content that reflects the cultures and experiences of our diverse international audiences," while driving the growth in acquisitions and engagement of Paramount+ worldwide.

[Comedy Central]

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[MTV]

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[Nickelodeon]

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[Nick Jr. Channel]

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Paramount Network">Paramount Network (international)">Paramount Network

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Other networks

Ananey (Israel)