A+E Networks' 2022 Upfront News: More Diverse-Driven Content with More Celebrity Drivers

The Big Message Count on AE39s trio of linear basic cable channels to double down on the genres of content that produce consistent viewership and ad support For AampampE that39s unscripted series miniseries and specials For The HISTORY Channel semiscripted and unscripted programming dominates At Lifetime the focus remains on original madeforTV movies increasingly featuring women oncamera and as producers writers and directors A second big message diversity will play a bigger role in what AE Networks will present on all its services quotEveryone matters and every person countsquot declared Paul Buccieri AE Networks President and Chairman quotWe are changing the way we approach the businessquotHosts Paul Buccieri pictured at top and Peter Olsen the organization39s Advertising Sales President bookended the halfhour presentation with Buccieri offering most of his remarks at the start and Olsen encouraging various sponsorship opportunities including addressable and shoppable commercials near the end Both were center stage surrounded by an impressive virtual videowall The sequences inbetween featured celebrity testimonials and voiceover narrationWhat Worked Turning most of the time over to the celebrities and the content they will oversee next season including Morgan Freeman Mary J Blige Peyton Manning Leonardo DiCaprio and Kelly HuWhat Also Worked Using diversity as a thread of the presentation from beginning to end instead of in just one sequence The end result a deeper more comprehensive reflection of commitment to more inclusive content and audience outreachWhat Worked amp8230 to a Degree Introducing quot4UV For Unheard Voicesquot a new channel launching this fall through smart TV set and device distribution Kudos for making the announcement early on in the presentation and offering clarity about the channel39s goal of presenting original fare that addresses the spectrum of multicultural and specialized communities But some hints about the kind of content forthcoming from 4UV would have generated more positive buzz with both advertisers and the publicWhat Didn39t Work Given the network39s massive popularity Lifetime39s section came off as too short compared to the time allotted for AampampE and The HISTORY Channel Plenty of madefor movie clips and few moments with the movie makersData Points For total day ratings AE Networks has all its fully distributed networks ranking in Nielsen39s top 20 standings among adults 18 and upNews Nearly 2000 hours of new firstrun programming will premiere on AE39s channels this season grouped into four categories historicaldocumentary biographypop culture moviesfeatures and lifestyle About 200 hours will occupy AampampE39s expanded Home Made Nation daypart alone presented Sunday morning and afternoons Also AampampE39s longrunning Biography series will increase its episode count including 35 devoted to WWE legends Upcoming semiscripted miniseries on The HISTORY Channel will cover the lives of Theodore Roosevelt this Memorial Day weekend and Sitting Bull in 2023 Peyton Manning39s production company will serve up a pair of HISTORY series HISTORY39s Greatest of All Time countdown of famous people in various walks of life hosted by Manning and The Einstein Challenge game show where two experts explain circumstances from volcanic eruptions to airplanes in flight to a group of kids Look for Lifetime original movies starring or produced by Whoopi Goldberg Angie Harmon and Jenna Dewan in the months aheadParting WordsquotThe greatest documentaries inspire questions All it takes is a great teamquot Morgan FreemanquotWe don39t just tell stories We put our own spin on themquot Questlove coproducer of upcoming AE miniseries James Brown Say It LoudquotViewers will always show up for great content Superior creativity wins Diversity equity and inclusion matter and they don39t have an expiration datequot Peter Olsen AE Networks Ad Sales PresidentClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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A+E Networks' 2022 Upfront News: More Diverse-Driven Content with More Celebrity Drivers

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