Paramount Global Content Distribution

{{short description|Global TV distribution arm of Paramount Global}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Paramount Global Content Distribution

| logo = File:Paramount Global Content Distribution.svg

| logo_size = 200px

| type = Division

| owner =

| parent = Paramount Global

| foundation = {{start date and age|1962}}

| former_names = {{collapsible list|

Desilu International (1962–1968)
Paramount Television International (1968–1988)
CBS Broadcast International (1981–1984, 1986–2007)
CBS Productions (1984–1986)
Paramount International Television (1988–2004)
CBS Paramount International Television (2004–2009)
CBS Global Distribution Group (2006–2019)
CBS Studios International (2009–2020)
ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group (2019–2022)
Paramount Global Distribution Group (2022)
Paramount Global Content Licensing (2022)

}}

| location = {{ubl|Santa Monica, California|New York City, New York}}

| key_people = Dan Cohen (president)

| industry = Television distribution

| products = {{ubl|Television shows|Television films|Miniseries}}

| homepage = {{official website|https://paramountglobalcontent.com}}

}}

Paramount Global Content Distribution is the international television distribution arm of American media conglomerate, Paramount Global, originally established in 1962 as the international distribution division of Desilu Productions. With the sale of Desilu to Gulf+Western, then-owners of film studio Paramount Pictures, in 1968, the division evolved into Paramount's first foray into the international television industry in the 1970s.

The division handles the distribution of television content from the libraries of Paramount Media Networks, Paramount Television Studios, CBS Studios, CBS Media Ventures, Showtime Networks and Paramount+.

History

= Desilu International/Paramount Television International/Paramount International Television (1962–2006) =

The division as well as Paramount International Television was originally established in 1962 as the international distribution division of Desilu Productions, Desilu International, which was managed by Bruce Gordon.{{Cite news|date=29 June 1987|title=Paramount's Bruce Gordon: programming the world|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/87-OCR/BC-1987-06-29-OCR-Page-0079.pdf|newspaper=Broadcasting|access-date=1 August 2021}} The company co-produced The Lost Islands with the Ten Network (now Network 10) in 1975. Network 10 and this division have been in common ownership since 2019 after the ViacomCBS re-merger. In 1983, it acquired distribution rights to the Australian miniseries, Return to Eden.{{Cite news|date=24 October 1983|title=Making deals|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/83-OCR/BC-1983-10-24-OCR-Page-0066.pdf|newspaper=Broadcasting|access-date=1 August 2021}}

In 1967, Desilu was sold to Gulf+Western, the then-owners of the film studio Paramount Pictures, adding international television to its well-known film operations. Gulf+Western rebranded the division as Paramount Television International to handle international sales of Desilu/Paramount properties from Paramount Television. The following year, John Pearson, who had run Desilu/Paramount's international operations, was fired. He proceeded to form his own company, John Pearson International, whose purpose was continue distributing the sitcom Here's Lucy for the international market.{{Cite news |date=November 17, 1969 |title='Lucy' goes abroad to Australia, Japan |pages=73 |work=Broadcasting |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/69-OCR/1969-11-17-BC-OCR-Page-0073.pdf |access-date=October 26, 2023}}

In 1987, the company, along with MCA TV International, signed an agreement with China Central Television (CCTV), to offer a total of 100 drama hours. The deal, the largest license ever granted to Chinese television in that era, made the two Hollywood studios the largest suppliers of foreign production for that country.{{Cite news|date=11 February 1987|title=Par, MCA License 100 Drama Hours To China TV Web|pages=54, 68|newspaper=Variety}} In 1990, it briefly considered an investment in Australia's Nine Network.{{Cite news|date=14 May 1990|title=Paramount, CBS looking to invest in Australia's Nine Network|newspaper=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/90-OCR/BC-1990-05-14-OCR-Page-0034.pdf|access-date=1 August 2021}}

In 1986, Paramount Television International formed a partnership that would exploit the rights to the Madison Square Garden properties.{{Cite news|date=3 February 1986|title=International effort|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-02-03-OCR-Page-0010.pdf|newspaper=Broadcasting|access-date=1 August 2021}} In 1995, Paramount International Television launched a joint venture to be headed by Peter Press.{{Cite web|date=24 July 1995|title=MAVENS ON THE MOVE|url=https://variety.com/1995/scene/markets-festivals/mavens-on-the-move-26-99128752/|website=Variety|access-date=1 August 2021}} In 1998, James Dowaliby was tapped to be vice president of production and Christopher Ottinger was named vice president of business development at the division.{{Cite web|last=Guider|first=Elizabeth|date=29 January 1998|title=Par TV Adds Int'l Duo|url=https://variety.com/1998/biz/news/par-tv-adds-int-l-duo-1117467174/|website=Variety|access-date=2 August 2021}} Later that year, Paramount announced plans to enter international co-production.{{Cite web|last=Williams|first=Michael|date=7 October 1998|title=Par Int'l TV team's ready for primetime showing|url=https://variety.com/1998/biz/news/par-int-l-tv-team-s-ready-for-primetime-showing-1117481135/|website=Variety|access-date=2 August 2021}}

In 2000, the division was touted to develop and co-produce Jeremiah with Lions Gate Television, but was replaced by MGM Television.{{Cite web|last=Grego|first=Melissa|date=20 November 2000|title=Lions Gate Fords new TV streams|url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/lions-gate-fords-new-tv-streams-1117789401/|website=Variety|access-date=4 August 2021}}

= CBS Broadcast International (1981–2007) =

In 1981, CBS launched its international division, CBS Broadcast International, to sell news, sports and entertainment programming produced in-house to foreign markets as well as non-broadcast and new technology markets in the U.S. It eventually merged into CBS Worldwide Enterprises and later incorporated into its marketing unit CBS Productions (unrelated to the later company of the same name) with CBS Theatrical Films in August 1984.{{Cite news|date=17 December 1984|title=CBS structures new marketing unit|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/84-OCR/BC-1984-12-17-OCR-Page-0080.pdf|newspaper=Broadcasting|access-date=30 July 2021}} In the summer of 1985, CBS Productions, CBS News and Columbia House partnered to produce a videocassette The Vietnam War with Walter Cronkite.{{Cite news|date=24 June 1985|title=Vietnam revisited|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/85-OCR/BC-1985-06-24-OCR-Page-0066.pdf|newspaper=Broadcasting|access-date=30 July 2021}}

Later that year, CBS shut down its theatrical production unit{{cite news|last=Harmetz|first=Aljean|date=23 November 1985|title=Abc, Cbs Drop Movie Interests|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1985/11/23/abc-cbs-drop-movie-interests/|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|access-date=30 July 2021}} and CBS Broadcast International spun-out from the production unit, restoring the CBS Broadcast International moniker in the process.{{Cite news|date=24 February 1986|title=In Brief|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-02-24-OCR-Page-0097.pdf|newspaper=Broadcasting|access-date=30 July 2021}} It planned to provide the CBS Evening News bulletins to UK-based British Satellite Broadcasting in 1988.{{Cite news|date=25 July 1988|title=In Brief|newspaper=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/88-OCR/BC-1988-07-25-OCR-Page-0108.pdf|access-date=29 July 2021}}

CBS Broadcast International produced syndicated episodes of the TV series, The Twilight Zone in 1985. It then signed a partnership agreement with MGM/UA Telecommunications 2 years later to syndicate its episodes from all 2 seasons with 30 new first-run episodes to form a 90-episode syndication package.CBS B'cast, MGM/UA Enter 'Twilight Zone' Worldwide Morrie Gelman, 2 September 1987, Variety, pages 53 & 66 On 28 October that same year, CBS Broadcast International announced its acquisition of TV and ancillary market rights to four Academy Award/Oscar-winning films produced by Arthur Cohn such as Dangerous Moves, Black and White in Color, The Garden of the Finzi Continis and The Sky Above, The Mud Below. It also announced plans to pick up the bulletins of CBS Evening News with Dan Rather which would place it on a tape-delayed basis on international channel Tele Monte Carlo.CBS B'cast Intl. Buys Cohn Rights; 'Rather' To TMC, 28 October 1987, Variety, page 68

CBS Broadcast International launched a global programming alliance with Virgin Media Television in 1997.{{Cite web|last=Guider|first=Elizabeth|date=24 September 1997|title=Eye on the world|url=https://variety.com/1997/tv/news/eye-on-the-world-111662544/|website=Variety|access-date=30 July 2021}} That following year, Stephanie Pacheco was named the managing director of international sales of the division.{{Cite news|date=17 November 1998|title=Exec Shuffle|newspaper=Variety|url=https://variety.com/1998/biz/news/exec-shuffle-409-1117488612/|access-date=2 August 2021}}

= CBS Paramount International Television (2004–2009) =

CBS Broadcast International and Paramount International Television merged on August 11, 2004 to create CBS Paramount International Television and would be headed by Armando Nuarez Jr.{{Cite web|last=Dempsey|first=John|date=11 August 2004|title=Viacom will unite global TV efforts|url=https://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/viacom-will-unite-global-tv-efforts-1117908901/|website=Variety|access-date=30 July 2021}} The division was transferred to CBS Corporation when CBS spun off from Viacom on January 1, 2006, with television rights to the films from its sister company, Paramount Pictures, obtained by Trifecta Entertainment and Media. With the December 4, 2019 merger of CBS and Viacom, the TV rights to Paramount's films were brought back to the now-combined Paramount Global. The company distributes television content from the libraries of CBS Studios, the King World Productions and certain HBO shows internationally the Rysher Entertainment library, the latter owned domestically by 2929 Entertainment.

= CBS Studios International (2009–2019) =

File:CBS Studios International.svg

In May 2009, CPITV was renamed CBS Studios International. On 14 September that year, CBS Studios International struck a joint venture deal with Chellomedia to launch six CBS-branded channels in the UK which would replace Zone Romantica, Zone Thriller, Zone Horror and Zone Reality, plus timeshift services Zone Horror +1 and Zone Reality +1.{{cite web|date=14 September 2009|title=CBS FINALChello Zone partnership press release|url=http://newsroom.zonemedia.net/Scripts/FileDownload.asp?fPath=D3A%5CWWW%5FDomains%5CZONE%5FPRESS%5CFiles%5CPress%5CCBS+FINALChello+Zone+partnership+press+release%2Edoc|format=DOC|work=Chello Zone|publisher=Chello Media|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724023344/http://newsroom.zonemedia.net/Scripts/FileDownload.asp?fPath=D%3A%5CWWW_Domains%5CZONE_PRESS%5CFiles%5CPress%5CCBS+FINALChello+Zone+partnership+press+release.doc|archive-date=24 July 2011|access-date=15 September 2012}}{{cite web|date=14 September 2009|title=CBS to launch UK channels with Chellomedia|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/cbs-to-launch-uk-channels-with-chellomedia/5005560.article|website=Broadcastnow|access-date=23 July 2015}} The replacement channels launched on 16 November that year.{{cite magazine|date=1 October 2009|title=CBS channels to launch in UK|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/cbs-channels-to-launch-in-uk/5006298.article|magazine=Broadcastnow|access-date=12 July 2020}} On 5 April 2010, Zone Horror and Zone Horror +1 were rebranded as Horror Channel and Horror Channel +1 respectively.{{cite web|date=31 March 2010|url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2010/03/31/zone-horror-rebrands-as-horror-channel/|title=Zone Horror rebrands as Horror Channel|website=Broadband TV News|access-date=23 July 2021}}

CBS Studios International licensed rights for the top international formats. In 2010, CBS Studios International went into an equal joint venture with Reliance Broadcast Network Limited to form Big CBS Networks Pvt. Ltd. At the time, the network operated 3 main channels; Big CBS Prime, a general entertainment channel, Big CBS Spark, a youth-oriented channel and Big CBS Love, a women's and urban couple-oriented channel.

In January 2011, CBS Studios International partnered with Australian company, Ten Network Holdings, to launch digital free-to-air channel known as Eleven and would hold a 33% stake in its joint-venture holding company, ElevenCo.{{Cite news|first=Meg|last=James|title=CBS goes down under and takes minority stake in Australian TV venture|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=25 August 2010|url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/08/cbs-takes-minority-stake-in-australian-tv-venture.html|access-date=26 August 2010}} Ten Network Holdings entered voluntary administration in June 2017 which ultimately led to CBS acquiring the entirety of the company that November.{{cite journal|date=16 November 2017|title=CBS Corporation Completes Acquisition Of Ten Network |url=https://images.tenplay.com.au/~/media/Corporate%20Site%20Media/Files/Media%20Releases/2017/CBS%20Corporation%20Completes%20Acquisition%20Of%20Ten%20Network.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116132657/https://images.tenplay.com.au/~/media/Corporate%20Site%20Media/Files/Media%20Releases/2017/CBS%20Corporation%20Completes%20Acquisition%20Of%20Ten%20Network.pdf|archive-date=16 November 2017|publisher=Ten Network Holdings|access-date=}}

On 1 August 2012, Chellomedia revealed that the European versions of Zone Romantica, Zone Reality and Club would be rebranded respectively as CBS Drama, CBS Reality and CBS Action.{{cite web|last=Clover|first=Julian|date=1 August 2012|title=CBS and Chellomedia take entertainment across EMEA|url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2012/08/01/cbs-and-chellomedia-take-entertainment-across-emea/|website=Broadband TV News|access-date=1 September 2021}}

= ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group/Paramount Global Content Distribution (2019–present) =

File:ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group logo.svg

Following the December 4, 2019 merger of CBS and Viacom to create ViacomCBS, CBS Studios International and Paramount Worldwide Television Licensing & Distribution merged and rebranded to ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group. On February 16, 2022, ViacomCBS rebranded as Paramount Global, rebranding the division likewise to its current name and restoring the "Paramount" name in television for the first time in 16 years. ViacomCBS International Studios was folded into the company later in 2022.

Past activities

As CBS Paramount International Television, the division distributed films/movies from the libraries of Paramount Pictures and the Republic Pictures between 2006 and 2009, as well as DreamWorks Pictures from 2006 to 2008.

As CBS Studios International, the division had 50% ownership of former Australian pay-TV channels, TV1 and SF Channel.{{cite press release|last=Weingroff|first=Jennifer|date=16 September 2009|title=Reed Manville To Oversee International Channel For CBS Studios International|publisher=CBS Studios International|url=http://www.cbspressexpress.com/div.php/paramount_international/release?id=22760|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722161710/http://www.cbspressexpress.com/div.php/paramount_international/release?id=22760|archive-date=22 July 2011|access-date=15 February 2010}} In 2013, RTL Group and CBS Studios International announced a joint venture called RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network for Southeast Asia with the launch of RTL CBS Entertainment in September that year, but would be acquired 5 years later in January by Blue Ant Media.

The division previously owned all CBS-branded European TV channels (until rebranded in 2025) in a joint venture with AMC Networks International and an Australian television company, Ten Network Holdings. Both have since been transferred to the primary international networks division of Paramount Global.