Nat Geo Channel Is Bringing Back the Best of Its 2019 Programming for You to Binge Over the Holidays.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Catch up on all your NGC favorites from the past year, including The Hot Zone, Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, Running Wild with Bear Grylls and more!

See why IndieWire named National Geographic one of the top five Best Television Platforms of 2019!

Don’t forget to plan movie night! Academy Award-winning documentary film Free Solo airs Dec. 26 at 9/8c.

Tune in for two full weeks of marathon programming beginning today.

That’s a wrap! National Geographic is saying goodbye to 2019 with some of your all-time favorite National Geographic Channel programs of the year. From the dangerously frigid Alaskan terrain to the 3,200-foot summit of El Capitan, explore breathtaking sights, heart-pounding adventure and groundbreaking science from wherever you’re spending the holidays. After a year of such amazing content, we won’t judge if you stay on the couch for the whole two weeks.

This year’s breadth of programming continued to break boundaries through thrilling exploration, risk-taking and transcendent storytelling. Highlights of the two-week blitz include the following:

• To kick things off, Nat Geo is exploring new life and old legends with Expedition Amelia: Bob Ballard’s Search (Dec. 23 at 8 p.m.), on the search for renowned aviator Amelia Earhart’s remains, and episodes of Lost Cities with Albert Lin (Dec. 23 at 9 and 10 p.m.), as the National Geographic Explorer uncovers the greatest mysteries of ancient cities from El Dorado, to Stonehenge, to Petra!
• You thought the cold weather was tough! Catch the animal kingdom’s most epic survival stories as Bear Grylls guides you through Hostile Planet (Dec. 24 at 11 a.m.), showcasing the world’s most extreme environments and the animals that have adapted to cruel evolutionary curveballs.
• The year 2019 was a milestone one for the multi-Emmy-winning series Life Below Zero (Dec. 25 at 9 a.m.) as it celebrated its 100th episode. Meet some of the toughest individuals in the world as they attempt to survive in the most unforgiving and remote corners of America. After watching all day, tune in to a new special episode on Dec. 25 at 9 p.m.
• Spend the holidays with some of Hollywood’s most beloved celebrities as they push physical and mental limitations on Running Wild with Bear Grylls (Dec. 26 at 9 a.m.). With guests including Brie Larson, Cara Delevingne, Armie Hammer, Channing Tatum, Bobby Bones and more, you won’t want to miss the chance to catch up on the boldest season yet.
• Grab some popcorn (and your seats!) — don’t miss the Academy Award-winning documentary film Free Solo (Dec. 26 at 9 p.m.), as climber Alex Honnold sets out to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the world’s most famous rock, 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, without a rope.
• Looking for some not family-related drama? Tune in to Nat Geo’s most-watched scripted series yet, The Hot Zone (Dec. 28 at 5 p.m.). An edge-of-your-seat thriller inspired by Richard Preston’s international bestseller, The Hot Zone recounts the appearance of Ebola on U.S. soil in 1989 and the courageous heroine who put her life at risk to stop this deadly killer. These episodes will include never-before-seen enhancements with real archival footage, scientific interviews and more, diving into the true story behind this lethal outbreak.
• Forget your classic holiday libations! Gordon Ramsay serves up a taste of adventure in Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (Dec. 29 at 9 a.m.) as he travels across the globe to learn about local flavors. His journey takes him to Peru’s Sacred Valley, Alaska’s panhandle, New Zealand’s rugged south, Morocco’s mountains, Hawaii’s Hana Coast and Laos’ Mekong River.

In addition to the marathons highlighted above, there’s even more. Don’t miss your chance to watch wildlife prosper in America’s National Parks (Dec. 24 at 5 p.m.) or explore the depths of the oceans with all kinds of sharks (When Sharks Attack beginning Dec. 30 at 9 a.m.) (yes, that rhyme was intentional). And better yet, see what’s in store for 2020 with a sneak peek of the reimagined Brain Games hosted by Keegan-Michael Key (Dec. 29 at 10 p.m.).

For more information on the two-week best of Nat Geo Channel marathon, visit www.natgeotv.com

Television/Streaming: CuriosityStream Announces It Is Now Serving Over 10.5 Million Paying Subscribers

CuriosityStream’s 2,800+ title SVOD service is now offered for mass bundling by U.S. and international pay TV distributors

CuriosityStream is currently being delivered to 10,512,340 paying subscribers

CuriosityStream’s menu offers premium factual and non-fiction content ranging from visually-stunning natural history presentations such as LIGHT ON EARTH, hosted by the legendary David Attenborough, to captivating science and technology series such as DREAM THE FUTURE narrated by Sigourney Weaver to in-depth stories about the human experience including SACRED SPACES

CuriosityStream Inc, the home of award-winning content in the full-category of non-fiction and factual programming, announced that it is currently serving 10,512,340 paying subscribers. This paying subscriber count does not include registrants who are under free-trial. Growth is accelerating, and the company expects to continue its substantial subscriber gains through the end of this year and throughout 2020. The company also announced today that it has partnered with Millicom for upcoming launches in 9 Latin American countries.

CuriosityStream’s 2,800+ title SVOD service is now offered for mass bundling by U.S. and international pay TV distributors

CuriosityStream, an independent media enterprise created by Discovery Channel founder John Hendricks, is undergoing rapid distribution growth due to its implementation of a bundled partnership fee plan through which distributors can provide the CuriosityStream SVOD service to all basic customers or to any significant customer segment. In addition to its partnership with Millicom, CuriosityStream’s affiliate partners who have already implemented the new “bundled” distribution plan include Altice USA and Suddenlink in the United States, StarHub in Singapore, Totalplay in Mexico, Airtel in India, Multichoice’s DStv across Africa, Liberty Global / FLOW in the Caribbean, and REV TV on Cable Bahamas. Additional carriage agreements are expected to be announced in the weeks and months ahead.

Clint Stinchcomb, President and CEO of CuriosityStream, stated: “As we have traveled the world to meet with cable, satellite, and mobile distributors, it became crystal clear to us that video providers are searching for impactful ways to serve the enormous appetite of their customers for universally-appealing factual content. Given the quality of our programming, our low wholesale cost compared with other providers, the enormous desire for on-demand streaming content and short-form factual choices for mobile, we are currently on a high growth trajectory. Our early success in growing paying subscribers through distributors is attributable, I believe, to the flexibility we offer our affiliates through a ‘partnership fee’ that allows distributors to use our content however they need to support their revenue and sub growth strategies.”

John Hendricks, Founder and Chairman of CuriosityStream, stated: “We are thrilled to play an integral role in the plans by video distributors who are adapting their platforms to the unstoppable quest by consumers for quality content on demand. We are now implementing our plan to be a full partner with our U.S. and global distribution affiliates in meeting their need for a high-quality factual content provider who can help drive video customer signups and retention, provide ‘stickiness’ to broadband and mobile customer offerings, and lower wholesale content costs. We expect that the ‘bundled’ distribution model launched first internationally and then in the U.S. will continue to roll out worldwide at a significant pace.”

BET Has Joined the 2019 Streaming Wars with The Launch of BET+

Be The First To Experience More Than 1,000 Hours Of Ad-Free Content From Acclaimed And Rising African American Creators, Sign Up Now At Bet.Com/Betplus

Watch A Selection Of Premium African American Tv, Movies And Specials Including New Bet+ Original Series “First Wives Club,” “Bigger,” As Well As Beloved Classics And Acquired Titles Including “Meet The Browns,” “The New Edition Story,” “Being Mary Jane,” “Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration,” “College Hill,” “BET Awards,” “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” “Basketball Wives” And More.

BET+ is available now through Apple TV channels on the Apple TV App, and on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Android™ devices, Android TV™ devices, Amazon Fire TV and Prime Video Channels

On September 14^th, BET+ was launched n the U.S. andis available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Android™ devices, Android TV™ devices, Amazon Fire TV and Prime Video Channels. Customers can also subscribe directly to BET+ through Apple TV channels and watch in the Apple TV app, on demand and ad-free, across their devices for online and offline viewing.

BET+ complements BET’s linear network, which continues to be the leading home of black culture. BET fans will not only have the freedom to access more than 1,000 hours of content on BET+, they will have additional access points to BET content on BET.com and the BET Now app for TV Everywhere users. In addition, BET’s recently launched channel on Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service in the U.S., will continue to feature hundreds of hours of classic films and box office hits from the best of black Hollywood.

BET+ IS NOW STREAMING BLACK CULTURE. BE THE FIRST TO EXPERIENCE MORE THAN 1,000 HOURS OF AD-FREE CONTENT FROM ACCLAIMED AND RISING AFRICAN AMERICAN CREATORS, SIGN UP NOW AT BET.COM/BETPLUS (Photo: Business Wire)

The joint venture by BET Networks and Tyler Perry Studios launches with a deep and diverse lineup of content, aimed to super-serve lovers of Black stories. BET+ subscribers can immediately access more than 1,000 hours of ad-free premium content, including exclusive new original programming and a broad array of top African American-focused dramas, sitcoms, films, and specials from BET and sister networks within the Viacom portfolio.

Additionally, BET+ will offer subscribers an exclusive collection of Tyler Perry film, television, and stage plays. The service will also provide a host of content from leading African American creators, including Tracy Oliver, Will Packer, along with fresh new voices, on both sides of the camera. New titles will be added to the service regularly.

BET+ will offer subscribers an exclusive collection of Tyler Perry film, television, stage plays and new original series. Sign up now at BET.COM/BETPLUS (Photo: Business Wire)

Fans won’t have to wait long to begin their binge. For those ready to fall in love with a new show, all nine episodes of BET+ original series, “First Wives Club,” from acclaimed “Girls Trip” screenwriter Tracy Oliver starring Ryan Michelle Bathe, Michelle Buteau and Jill Scott, are now streaming. New weekly original series, “Bigger” – a ten-episode comedic series from hitmaker Will Packer (“Ride Along” and “Think Like a Man.”) — gives fans a taste of what’s to come by making the first three episodes of the series available now. The remaining episodes of “Bigger” will be released every Thursday, beginning September 26. In addition to its new original content, BET+ is also now streaming the comedy series “Martin.”

In the coming months, BET+ will proudly present Tyler Perry’s box office-topping theatrical films, including the “Madea” franchise; new original series; and a selection of Perry’s stage plays – “Meet the Browns,” “Daddy’s Little Girls,” “Family That Preys,” “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” and more.

BET+ LAUNCHES IN THE U.S. BET+ is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Android™ devices, Android TV™ devices, Amazon Fire TV and Prime Video Channels. (Photo: Business Wire)

BET+ will stream a lineup of premier African American TV, movie and musical content including BET’s acclaimed library series, films, documentaries, and specials such as “The Bobby Brown Story,” “The New Edition Story,” “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” “The Quad,” “Being Mary Jane,” “Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, ” “College Hill,” “Comic View,” “Hell Date,” “Keyshia Cole: All In,” “Nellyville” “Reed Between The Lines,” “Ali: People’s Champ,” “Katrina: 10 Years Later,” “Killer Curves,” “BET Awards,” “Hip Hop Awards,” “Soul Train Awards,” “Black Girls Rock,” “Boomerang,” “Harlem Nights,” “Coach Carter,” “Losing Isaiah,” “Tina Turner Live In Holland,” and more!

Library shows from Viacom’s portfolio of networks, including VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” “Basketball Wives,” “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle,” Comedy Central’s “Why? With Hannibal Buress”, MTV’s “Todrick,” TV Land’s “Soul Man,” Nick @ Night’s “Instant Mom,” and more are available on the service.

In the coming weeks, BET+ will feature stand-up comedy specials from D.L. Hughley, Eddie Griffin, Nick Cannon, Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live), Lil Rel (Get Out), Gina Yashere (The Daily Show), Sinbad and more.

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in nearly 85 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.

Tyler Perry Studios is a state-of-the art film and television production facility founded in 2006 by actor, producer, filmmaker, playwright and philanthropist Tyler Perry. Located in Atlanta, Georgia on the historic grounds of the former Fort McPherson army base, the new 330-acre campus is one of the largest production studios in the country. It boasts a variety of shooting locations including 40 buildings on the national register of historic places, 11 purpose-built sound stages, 200 acres of green space and an expansive backlot.

To download BET+ via:

Apple TV channels on the Apple TV App, please visit:
https://tv.apple.com/us/channel/tvs.sbd.1000299

App Store for iPhone and iPad, please visit:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1456618978
iOS 12.3 or later is required.

Android™ devices, Android TV™ devices, please visit:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.viacom.betplus&hl=en_US

Amazon Fire TV, please visit:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V7Z2Y4W

Prime Video Channels, please visit:
www.amazon.com/channels/betplus

National Geographic Launches ‘Starstruck,’ A Yearlong Celebration Of Space Across Its Global Networks, Magazines, Books And More

Starstruck Kicks Off With Second Season of Critically Acclaimed Series MARS and Fifth Season of Emmy-Nominated Series STARTALK With Neil deGrasse Tyson

Event to Also Include Two New Specials: MARS: INSIDE SPACE X and MISSION TO THE SUN, Plus Fall Book Releases “Space Atlas” and “Apollo to the Moon“

Starstruck Continues Into 2019 With a New Season of COSMOS and Weeklong Celebration of the 50-Year Anniversary of Apollo 11 Lunar Landing in July

Visit New Starstruck Portal for All Things Space, Including National Geographic Space Photography and In-Depth Reporting on the Latest Space News

For 130 years, National Geographic has been helping people explore the unknown, from the deepest oceans to the farthest reaches of the universe. Today, National Geographic announced that it will embark on a new storytelling odyssey, exploring the past, present and future of space across its vast media and entertainment platforms with Starstruck: National Geographic’s Yearlong Celebration of Space.

From the very dawn of the space age, National Geographic has covered the science, mystery and adventures of space exploration with unrivaled access, in-depth news reporting and cutting-edge science and technology.

National Geographic logo. (PRNewsfoto/National Geographic Society)

In 1935, National Geographic and the U.S. Army Air Corps jointly launched aeronauts into the sky in the Explorer II Stratosphere Balloon, helping to pave the way for the space program and marking a manned altitude record that lasted for 21 years. Later, in recognition of National Geographic’s contributions to space research and photography, astronaut John Glenn carried the National Geographic flag on the first U.S. manned orbital space flight in 1962. And on July 16, 1969, a National Geographic flag was again vaulted into the sky on the 238,000-mile voyage to the moon, with Neil Armstrong observing to his team that it was a privilege that the flag that had “accompanied every major recent expedition,” should also accompany the first one ever to set foot on the lunar surface. In 1977, National Geographic was part of the curation of the Golden Record, and more recently, presented the first-ever Instagram Live from the International Space Station with Will Smith in April 2018.

National Geographic Launches ‘Starstruck,’ A Celebration Of Space Across Its Global Networks, Magazines, Books And More

With Starstruck, National Geographic aims to once again inspire people to “look up” by bringing the awe and wonder of space to audiences around the world.

The yearlong commitment to presenting the best of space content kicked off this past week with the launch of the Starstruck Space Portal, as well as the recent release of National Geographic’s updated “Space Atlas.” The celebration continues Nov. 4 with an all-day marathon of the critically acclaimed series One Strange Rock beginning at 10 a.m., and with new seasons of MARS and STARTALK with Neil deGrasse Tyson in an intergalactic block of programming that premieres Monday, Nov. 12.

Additionally, two new specials will air this fall: MARS: INSIDE SPACE X also on Nov. 12, and MISSION TO THE SUN on Nov. 19.

Culminating with the 50^th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing next July and a coinciding week of blockbuster Apollo programming on the National Geographic channel, Starstruck will rally National Geographic’s unrivaled portfolio of storytelling platforms around the spirit of space exploration and the nostalgia, curiosity, and feeling of limitless possibility that it brings.

With this announcement, Natgeo.com/Starstruck will be National Geographic’s one-stop digital hub for all things space.

Highlights of the content across all platforms include:

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD TV PROGRAMMING:

• Season 2 of Nat Geo’s groundbreaking, genre-busting, hit docudrama MARS premieres Nov. 12 at 9/8c.
  

  A scene from the first episode of Season two of Mars.

• A new season of the award-winning STARTALK with Neil deGrasse Tyson debuts Nov. 12 at 11/10c.

  

  MARS: INSIDE SPACE X, premiering Monday, Nov. 12, at 8/7c, is an unprecedented glimpse into one of the world’s most revolutionary companies’ plan to make Mars home.

• MARS: INSIDE SPACE X, premiering Monday, Nov. 12, at 8/7c, is an unprecedented glimpse into one of the world’s most revolutionary companies’ plan to make Mars home. Filmed over the course of three years, this journey will take viewers behind the scenes with Elon Musk and his engineers as they persevere amid both disheartening setbacks and huge triumphs to advance the space industry faster than thought possible.
  

  Mission To The Sun: The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket is seen in this long exposure photograph as it launches NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to touch the Sun, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Parker Solar Probe is humanity’s first-ever mission into a part of the Sun’s atmosphere called the corona. Here it will directly explore solar processes that are key to understanding and forecasting space weather events that can impact life on Earth. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

• MISSION TO THE SUN, debuting Nov. 19 at 8/7c, goes behind the scenes as NASA preps for the launch of the Parker Probe, a historic quest to explore the last great frontier of our solar system — the sun. The special will feature new NASA footage, interviews, and animations to further capture this groundbreaking mission, and a behind-the-scenes look at the exclusive team of NASA scientists who have made this skillfully planned endeavor a reality.
• A brand-new season of EXPLORER programming will launch Nov. 12 at 10/9c, with a special Starstruck episode featuring space lemurs, flat-earthers and real space cowboys, premiering Dec. 10.
• Following a wildly successful run in 2014 as the most-watched series ever on National Geographic Channels internationally — seen by more than 135 million people worldwide on National Geographic and FOX — the highly anticipated Emmy award-winning worldwide phenomenon COSMOS returns this spring with COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS. Neil deGrasse Tyson, the famed pop-culture icon, astrophysicist and host of the Emmy-nominated StarTalk, returns as host of COSMOS.
• A special week of Apollo programming in July shines a light on the grit and glory of the Apollo missions and a look at the new era of space travel and exploration.

LATEST SPACE NEWS, SKY WATCH GUIDES, AND STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY:

• Up-to-the-date reporting from National Geographic’s prize-winning editorial team on the Starstruck news page, including live news coverage of the NASA InSight Mars landing (Nov. 26) and the NASA Kuiper Belt flyby (set for Jan. 1, 2019), the latest insights on the upcoming blood moon eclipse, and more
• Exciting National Geographic magazine space content, debuting in various issues over the next year, including an essay from November guest contributor Bill Nye on space sailing, and future features celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing
• Monthly sky-watching guides, best space pictures of the month and a spacecraft love letter series (featuring first-person essays written by journalists, scientists, educators and enthusiasts who have a personal connection with the space probe), starting this month on the Starstruck portal.

Martha Stewart to Debut Fashion, Skin Care, Garden and Gourmet Food Collections on QVC.com

Live Beautifully With QVC and Martha Stewart

Make your world a more beautiful place this fall with the help of QVC and Martha Stewart. The Emmy® Award-winning television show host, entrepreneur and best-selling author have long dedicated her career to teaching and inspiring people to live more beautiful, more functional and more meaningful lives. And now she is bringing that devotion to her signature QVC collection, spanning multiple categories including fashion, skin care, garden and food, all inspired by her impeccable taste and incomparable passion. Stewart made her QVC debut on August 13 with “Martha Stewart’s Slow Cooker” cookbook.

Live a more beautiful, functional and meaningful life with a new QVC collection from America’s most trusted lifestyle expert

“We were blown away by the tremendous response to Martha’s cookbook, which sold out in its first airing,” said Doug Howe, Executive Vice President of Merchandising for QVC. “Our customers welcomed Martha back with open arms, and we can’t wait to impress them with Martha’s full product assortment. At QVC, we are constantly striving to bring our customers not only the newest and most innovative items but products that are designed to solve everyday problems and make life easier. Martha shares this philosophy and has worked with us to develop a collection that will truly inspire people to live more beautifully, in all aspects of their lives.”

QVC viewers and Martha Stewart fans can tune in to QVC® on September 7 during “Inspired Style® – Live from New York City” at 10 PM (ET) for a first look at select items from Stewart’s fashion collection, and check back on September 25 for the premiere of “Martha Stewart – Fashion” at 6 PM (ET), featuring items ranging from knit and woven tops to denim essentials, designed for easy, everyday living. On September 19 at 10 AM (ET), Stewart will unveil all the tools and tips needed to beautify any backyard or outdoor space in the first “Martha Stewart – Garden” show.

To assist with holiday meal planning and preparation, She will return to QVC on October 18 with the Today’s Special Value®, scheduled to debut at midnight (ET). Each day, QVC picks one special item it believes shoppers will love and offers it at an exceptionally low price from midnight (ET) until 11:59 PM (PT) that day. Tune in at midnight (ET) and 7 PM (ET) on October 18 for “Martha Stewart – Gourmet Food“, featuring an assortment of gourmet foods and decadent confections. “Mario Badescu Skin Care with Martha Stewart“, a collaboration with Mario Badescu, is scheduled to launch on November 10 at 9 PM (ET) and 10 PM (ET) on Beauty iQ.

“Working in new product categories and with QVC—a multi-platform, multi-network shopping experience—has been very exciting,” said Stewart. “I have developed signature collections that reflect my passion for beautiful living and I look forward to expanding our product offerings.“

Martha Stewart is the author of 89 books, and America’s most trusted lifestyle expert and teacher. Millions of people rely on Martha Stewart as a source of useful “how-to” information for all aspects of everyday living—cooking, entertaining, gardening, home renovating, collecting, organizing, crafting, holidays, healthy living and pets. Currently, the Martha Stewart brand reaches approximately 100 million consumers across all media and merchandising platforms each month.

Clive Davis and The Recording Academy® to Honor BET Networks Chairman and CEO Debra L. Lee During 2017 Grammy Week in Los Angeles

Lee is to Receive The GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons® Award at the 2017 Pre-GRAMMY® Gala

Annual Celebration Will Take Place On Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, At The Beverly Hilton Hotel On The Eve Of The 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards®

Clive Davis and The Recording Academy® will present the annual Pre-GRAMMY® Gala on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., the evening preceding the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards®. As part of the celebration, BET Networks Chairman and CEO Debra L. Lee will be recognized as the 2017 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons® honoree for her significant contributions to the music industry.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers, and recording professionals dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.

Sponsored by Hilton, Mastercard, JBL by HARMAN, and Delta Airlines, the invitation-only Pre-GRAMMY Gala has long been one of the music industry’s most prestigious events, having hosted the industry’s top leaders and welcomed the world’s most talented artists on its stage. For nearly 10 years, the gala has also included a presentation to honor industry luminaries through The Recording Academy’s GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons Award. Past recipients include Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, Irving Azoff, Martin Bandier, Sir Richard Branson, Clive Davis, Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Lucian Grainge, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, and Antonio “L.A.” Reid.

BET Networks Chairman and CEO Debra L. Lee

Television/Online Streaming: Netflix Adds Seven New Original Series For Older Kids

New Offerings Bringing Its Global Original Line Up To More Than 35 Series For Kids Of All Ages

After recently announcing a slate of original series for the pre-school audience, Netflix Inc. will add seven new original series for older kids beginning this December. Building on its partnerships with globally respected brands, Netflix will launch all new stories from LEGO® Bionicle® and LEGO® Friends and the world’s first family is back and funnier than ever in DreamWorks Animation‘s all-new original family sitcom, Dawn of the Croods.

Netflix, Inc. Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Netflix, Inc.)

Netflix has a dedicated section for kids featuring dozens of original series for kids as well as TV shows and movies from great partners like PBS, Disney Channel, DreamWorks Animation, Mattel, Hasbro, Scholastic and Lego, all in a commercial free environment. The dedicated section for kids is available across a broad range of devices including PCs and Macs, iPads, game consoles, streaming devices and smart TVs. Members are provided a Kids profile upon sign up and can customize additional profiles for their children. The kids experience features a character bar where you can find a deep selection of great TV shows and movies featuring that character. Kids, parents and caregivers will also be able to scan through row after row of movies and TV shows organized by easy-to-understand genres like superheroes, princesses, dinosaurs and girl power, featuring clear and simple descriptions of each title.

Netflix is also broadening its offering for tweens and teens; the live action show Lost & Found Music Studios shows us how the next hit song could be just one heartbreak away, while fans of fast and funny will find the stop-motion, action-comedy of Buddy Thunderstruck right up their alley…or race-obsessed Greasepit in this case. The anime inspired Glitter Force joins the growing portfolio of strong girl characters on Netflix. And finally, Netflix is introducing its first ever original animated series produced in Latin America. Las Leyendas (The Legends) is based on a successful trilogy of children’s films from the Mexican animation studio, Anima Estudios.

Details on each show can be found below:

LEGO(R): Bionicle(R): The Journey to One Launching Exclusively On Netflix in 2016 (PRNewsFoto/Netflix)

– LEGO Bionicle: The Journey to One (1^st Quarter 2016) – The LEGO Group will premiere the Netflix original series, LEGO Bionicle: The Journey to One, based on its popular LEGO Bionicle franchise and line of buildable action figures. The new storyline takes place on the mythical island of Okoto, where the forces of darkness are on the move and the evil Makuta is working to cast the world into darkness. The desperate island inhabitants enlist six heroes – called the Toa – to help save their beloved island. Only when the heroes are united, will they be able to battle the forces of evil, defeat Makuta and save Okoto. The four episode season will be available in all Netflix territories globally in early 2016. (LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, BIONICLE are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2015 The LEGO Group.)

The Power of Friendship Launching Exclusively On Netflix in 2016 (PRNewsFoto/Netflix)

– LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship (2^nd Quarter 2016) Another new Netflix original series for kids is LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship featuring characters from the popular LEGO Friends line of construction toys. This series will follow the adventures of five best friends – Stephanie, Emma, Olivia, Mia and Andrea – around their hometown Heartlake City. From summer camp to the basketball court, saving their webcast or helping take care of a friend, the zany antics, adventures and missteps are made all the better by having their best friends by their side. The four episode season will premiere worldwide on Netflix in 2016. (LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, BIONICLE are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2015 The LEGO Group.)

– Buddy Thunderstruck – 2017 From American Greetings Entertainment with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, Buddy Thunderstruck is an action-comedy, stop-motion extravaganza that follows the adventures of a semi-truck racing dog named Buddy and his albino ferret mechanic. It all goes down in race-obsessed Greasepit, a place chock full of larger-than-life characters and nitro-burning, gear-slamming, tire-squealing, fish-tailing good times. Buddy Thunderstruck will premiere worldwide exclusively on Netflix in 2017 with a 12 episode season.

– Las Leyendas – 2017 – Las Leyendas (The Legends) will be the first animated Netflix original series to be produced in Latin America and is based on a successful trilogy of children’s films from the Mexican animation studio, Anima Estudios. Set in the 1800s, this whimsical adventure centers on Leo San Juan, a reluctant but heroic teen boy with the ability to communicate with ghosts and monsters. One day, Leo’s hometown vanishes into another dimension, prompting Leo to join forces with a phantasmagorical group of misfits in order to defeat Quetzalcoatl, an inter-dimensional entity who has sought to conquer the universe for centuries. Leo and his fantastical friends travel on a magic ship across time to the most famous and mystical places on Earth to fight off the evil forces that threaten the welfare of all. The first season of 13 episodes will premiere exclusively on Netflix, worldwide, in 2017.