Byron Allen Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Michaela Zee Paramount Global has decided to no longer sell a majority stake in its BET Media Group. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company announced Wednesday that it would end the bidding process for the unit — which includes VH1 and BET Studios, streamer BET+ and the BET channel —because “a sale wouldn’t result in any meaningful deleveraging of its balance sheet, the people said.” Paramount Global had received bids ranging from approximately $2 billion to $3 billion.

UPDATED, 1:01 p.m.: Freestyle Digital Media has set an April 23rd release date for its poetry-themed documentary Our Worlds Collide, executive produced by Rosario Dawson, also unveiling a first look clip, which you can find above.

Paramount Global shares, which soared Wednesday on news that Apollo had made an $11 billion offer for Paramount Pictures, has slumped today after a report splashed cold water on the scenario.

Shares of Paramount Global popped in afternoon trade on a report that Apollo Global has made an $11 billion bid for the company’s film and TV studio. The private equity giant has been in and out of the mix of suitors, which also include David Ellison‘s Skydance Media and Byron Allen.

EXCLUSIVE: We are hearing that Apollo Global Management, who was mulling an offer for National Amusements, the Redstone family company that controls Paramount Global, is no longer considering that now.

Refresh for more. If there’s a holy grail of awards opening monologues, it’s Judd Apatow‘s at the DGA Awards.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group expanded its board of directors from the original trio to a new total of nine board members, effective immediately. The board of Allen Media (originally called Entertainment Studios when it was founded in 1993) has comprised founder, chairman and CEO Byron Allen, film producer Carolyn Folks (Allen’s mother) and chief operating officer Terence Hill.

Deadline has confirmed that Byron Allen is taking another run at BET Media Group in a $3.5 billion bid sent to Paramount Global for BET and VH1. The offer followed a report that Paramount is in talks to sell BET to a management-led investor group.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Media mogul Byron Allen has renewed his attempt to acquire BET Media Group from Paramount Global — extending a $3.5 billion offer. On Tuesday, Allen, who is founder and CEO of Allen Media Group, emailed Paramount Global senior executives and board, offering $3.5 billion for BET Media Group, which includes the BET cable channel, VH1, BET Studios and streaming service BET+, sources familiar with the situation confirmed to Variety.

Stuart Miller When Byron Allenwas just 14, he started doing stand-up comedy. Four years later, in 1979, he became the youngest comedian to appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” It was a launching pad for an entertainment career that included a stint on “Real People,” a lead role in “Case Closed,” a TV movie he co-wrote and a syndicated late-night show bearing his name. But all along, Allen had his eyes on a much bigger prize.

What’s CBS doing in primetime next weekend? Funny You Should Ask.

Byron Allen Presents theGrio Awards special, honoring African American excellence, is returning to CBS for its second year. Co-hosted by The Talk‘s Sheryl Underwood and comedian Roy Wood, with honorees including Mariah Carey, Don Cheadle and Misty Copeland, the event will air on Saturday, November 25 from 8-10 PM on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.

EXCLUSIVE: Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media has picked up the North American VOD rights to Emmy winning filmmaker Kern Konwiser’s documentary, Still a Black Star about Japanese artist and environmental activist Mago Nagasaka.

Jaden Thompson After making it known in September that he’s interested in acquiring ABC from Disney for a price tag of $10 billion, Byron Allen assures Variety he still has his eyes set on ABC and promises he’s ready play ball when Disney is ready to sell. “I think ABC’s a real possibility. They say they’re not ready,” Allen said at the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery’s Visionary Ball on Wednesday night.

Andrew Wallenstein President and Chief Media Analyst Allen Media Group CEO/founder/chairman Byron Allen reaffirmed his interest Wednesday in bidding $10 billion for TV brands from Disney, citing his experience with similar assets in his own portfolio. “I think broadcast television and linear channels, I think is a great business,” he said in a Q&A at the Code conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif.

Media entrepreneur Byron Allen, one of many parties interested in acquiring ABC and other linear TV assets from Disney, said he has “access to plenty of capital,” and Disney’s internal deliberations are the next hurdle to be cleared.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor People have been able to hear Gia Peppers talk about big issues for years. Now they’ll be able to see her when she does. Peppers issues-focused podcast “More Than That with Gia Peppers” is expanding to video this year, with a four-episode limited run on the Revolt cable network that debuts Tuesday evening.

EXCLUSIVE: Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media has acquired North American VOD rights to Our Words Collide, a poetry-themed documentary executive produced by Rosario Dawson that will be released in early 2024. 

BreAnna Bell Disney has responded to reports claiming the company is in early talks to sell its ABC network and TV stations, saying the company “has made no decision” on it yet. “While we are open to considering a variety of strategic options for our linear businesses, at this time The Walt Disney Company has made no decision with respect to the divestiture of ABC or any other property and any report to that effect is unfounded,” the statement reads.

For All Mankind,” which is set to make its release via the streamer on Nov. 10. “Rocketing into the new millennium in the eight years since Season 3, Happy Valley has rapidly expanded its footprint on Mars by turning former foes into partners.

McKinley Franklin editor “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” has been acquired by CBS to temporarily take over the 12:37 a.m. timeslot vacated by “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” That timeslot will eventually be replaced with a new version of the former Comedy Central series “@midnight” — but after the Hollywood strikes are resolved. For now, “Comics Unleashed” will fill the slot in a limited run with nightly airings beginning on Monday, Sept.

Long-running syndicated comedy talk show Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen is joining the CBS fall late-night lineup for a limited run during the strikes. The show will air nightly with two back-to-back episodes each night beginning Monday, September 18 from 12:37-1:37 AM, ET/PT following repeats of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on the CBS network and streaming on Paramount+. The Late Late Show formerly aired in the timeslot. All late-night shows have been airing repeats since the strikes began.

EXCLUSIVE: Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media has acquired and set release dates for Kindling, a coming-of-age drama starring George Somner with Mia McKenna-Bruce, and Objects, a documentary from Vincent Liotta

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Technology giant IBM seems to think the wind is blowing in a different direction. The company said Tuesday that it had agreed to sell its Weather Company — a collection of digital and analytical assets it originally acquired in 2016 that were previously part of the Weather Channel — to Francisco Partners, a private equity fund that is focused on technology.

Paramount Global shares dipped 2% Thursday morning after word surfaced Wednesday night that the company had abandoned its effort to sell a stake in BET Media Group.

Joe Biden sat down with The Weather Channel’s Stephanie Abrams for an interview.

Billy Porter may soon have a chance at an Oscar with an upcoming biopic about renowned author and civil rights icon James Baldwin. The star is not only set to portray Baldwin, but he has also been tapped to co-write the upcoming film alongside Dan McCabe.

Paramount Global is “deep into the marketing process” for publisher Simon & Schuster and can see a path to closing a deal this year, CFO Naveen Chopra said today, putting the first timeframe on a sale.

Kyle Bowser Recent news reports suggest Paramount Global may be considering a sale of its cable channel BET. Further reports identify media moguls Tyler Perry, Byron Allen, Sean “Diddy” Combs and a partnership comprised of Shaquille O’Neil, 50 Cent, and Kenya Barris as prospective buyers of the platform, which was originally created to offer programing targeted toward Black viewers. Each of these potential suitors is more than worthy of the opportunity to helm such a significant portal of Black imagery. Still, a greater agenda raises additional considerations and a distinctive option for ownership. Founded by Robert L. Johnson in 1980, BET has been a primary hub for Black-themed content since its inception. Johnson sold the cable channel to Viacom in 2001 for $3 billion, resulting in an infusion of capital and infrastructure expansion, to include the addition of BET+ and BET Her. The broadcast schedule is populated with original scripted and unscripted programming, as well as acquired off-net fare, with daily viewership currently hovering near 1.7 million and annual ad revenues exceeding $215 million. While the mere existence of BET has demonstrated the power of the Black economy, its celebration of Black culture further highlights its prominence and influence.

While CEOs often make cameos on the upfront stage in a bid to bolster the pitch to ad buyers, Byron Allen went a step beyond Wednesday by serving as emcee for his company’s lunchtime presentation.

Byron Allen’s African American-focused multiplatform media outlet, theGrio, will honor CBS News’ Gayle King with the Journalist Icon Award for her career achievements and service to the country in a star-studded event in Washington, DC. immediately following the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner on April 29.The event, which will take place at The Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History & Culture, will be hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr.

Princell Hair has been named president of Allen Media Broadcasting, the broadcast television station division consisting of 27 ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 television markets nationwide. 

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Princell Hair has been tapped as president of Allen Media Broadcasting, the broadcast television station division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group. In his new role, he will oversee Allen Media’s 27 ABC-NBC-CBS-Fox network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 television markets nationwide. Hair has also been named to an executive vice president role at parent company Allen Media Group. Most recently, Hair served for two years as president of Black News Channel, which was purchased by Allen in 2022 and rebranded as TheGrio Television Network. Previously, Hair was senior vice president and general manager for NBC Sports Boston, and prior to that role, Hair was senior vice president, news and talent for NBC Sports Group, where he served as lead negotiator for all talent contracts, including the NBC Sports Network, NBC Broadcast Network, The Golf Channel, eight regional sports networks, the Olympics, Premier League and NASCAR.

Billy Porter has got his next role lined up, and the “Pose” star will be stepping into some big shoes after signing on to play legendary gay Black writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin.

I am Not Your Negro.”“We at Allen Media Group Motion Pictures are extremely passionate about sharing James Baldwin’s phenomenal story with the world,” said Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group Byron Allen. “Billy Porter and Dan McCabe’s talent and commitment to amplifying James Baldwin’s legacy and contributions are invaluable and unmatched for this unique and epic story.”“As a Black queer man on this planet with relative consciousness I find myself, like James Baldwin said, ‘in a rage all the time.’ I am because James was,” said Billy Porter.

Billy Porter (Pose) and frequent collaborator Dan McCabe (Fruits of Thy Labor) have been tapped to script a James Baldwin biopic for Byron Allen‘s Allen Media Group Motion Pictures, with the former also to realize his longtime dream of portraying the cultural icon.