or


[05/16/13 - 06:09 AM]
USA Network's Characters Unite Campaign Expands Relationship with the NFL
Super Bowl champion Ray Rice will be among the players featured in the weekly vignettes that highlight NFL stars sharing their personal stories of overcoming discrimination.

[via press release from USA]

USA NETWORK'S CHARACTERS UNITE CAMPAIGN EXPANDS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NFL

NEW YORK - May 16, 2012 - USA Network announced today that it is expanding its Characters Unite collaboration with the National Football League. The initiative, which works to combat hate and intolerance, kicks off with a new series of vignettes during the NFL regular season and culminates with the third annual NFL CHARACTERS UNITE hour-long special documentary premiering around Super Bowl XLVIII. Super Bowl champion Ray Rice will be among the players featured in the weekly vignettes that highlight NFL stars sharing their personal stories of overcoming discrimination and helping a young person facing similar challenges today. Launching in November 2013 on-air, online and in select stadiums around the nation, the series will be offered as a sponsorship opportunity to marketing partners looking to align their brand to the important cause of promoting greater respect and acceptance. The announcement was made in conjunction with USA's Upfront (#USAupfront), which is being held today at Pier 36 in New York.

"We are proud to expand the collaboration between Characters Unite and the National Football League. With the combined resources of the top cable network and the top professional sports league, we can exponentially increase the reach and impact of our shared effort to combat hate and bullying - two critical issues facing today's youth," said Toby Graff, USA's Senior Vice President, Public Affairs. "The powerful and courageous stories of the NFL stars taking part will help to inspire greater respect, tolerance and acceptance.

"Each of the eight heart-warming and inspiring vignettes will profile a NFL star who serves as a role model, using his own experiences to mentor a young person who is experiencing similar prejudice and discrimination today. Among those featured will be Rice, Baltimore Ravens running back and Super Bowl XLVII champion, who will be tackling the problem of bullying and teen suicide in conjunction with his efforts through Ray Rice Charitable Fund.

The vignettes will be broadcast on-air, and viewers can delve deeper into the series online, where there will be even more background on the emotional stories behind each player and young person. The documentary will kick off Characters Unite Month in February 2014, a time when USA Network shines a brighter spotlight on the initiative and the importance of promoting greater respect and acceptance.

"We are pleased to continue working with Characters Unite to highlight the positive impact NFL players have on their communities," said Tracy Perlman, NFL Vice President of Entertainment Marketing and Promotions. "We look forward to working with USA Network and The Hochberg Ebersol Company to tell these important stories."

"Each year, it is one of our company's great honors to produce 'NFL Characters Unite,'" said executive producer Charlie Ebersol. "We are thrilled that USA Network, the NFL and its players will continue to truly inspire teens while giving viewers an often ignored first person depiction of the cycle of negativity that we all should be fighting to end with today's youth.

"Previous players who participated in NFL CHARACTERS UNITE included Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain, Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu, New York Giants Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck, Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl MVP wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, New Orleans Saints star tight end Jimmy Graham, former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward, and NBC's Football Night in America analyst and Super Bowl-winning Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy. The films have been narrated by former NBC's Football Night in America Emmy-winning sportscaster Cris Collinsworth.

NFL CHARACTERS UNITE was created by The Hochberg Ebersol Company and executive produced by company co-founders Charlie Ebersol and Justin W. Hochberg. The 2012 documentary was produced in by Paul Pawlowski and P3 Entertainment and directed by Ezra Edelman (HBO's Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals). For more information on CHARACTERS UNITE, visit www.charactersunite.com.

ABOUT USA NETWORK

The #1 network in all of basic cable for an unprecedented seven straight years, USA Network is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals, spectacular live television and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

ABOUT THE HOCHBERG EBERSOL COMPANY:

The Hochberg Ebersol Company (THE Company) was founded in 2010 by entertainment industry veteranJustin Hochberg and television/film producer Charlie Ebersol. THE Company creates, packages and produces groundbreaking programming in the unscripted, multi-camera comedy, docu-series, and competition formats, for a range of leading broadcast and cable networks. Credits include "The Great Escape" (TNT), "NFL Characters Unite" and "The Moment" for USA, and "Race to the Scene" (Reelz Channel). THE Company operates a full-service branded entertainment agency, clients have included "Shaq Vs.," Dick Clark Productions and "Hell's Kitchen" for Fox, as well as advertising companies including DirecTV, NASCAR, Skype, Caesar's Palace, Proctor & Gamble, Notre Dame college, the CIA, Department of Homeland Security, Camping World and Sports Illustrated. THE Company operates in-house post facilities, which includes CGI capabilities. THE Company is represented by Michael Kagan at ICM and Bill Abrams of Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLP.





  [may 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[08/25/26 - 01:00 PM]
Starz Announces Additional Casting for New Untitled Black Rodeo Drama
Shannon Wallace, Curtiss Cook, Lauren E. Banks, Liv Symone, and Jason Dirden round of the show's cast.

[08/25/26 - 12:58 PM]
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Dominates During Show's Summer Run - Jumping Over Last Year's Average by +9%
The series also stands as Wednesday's No. 1 primetime program among Total Viewers in each of its five weeks.

[08/25/26 - 12:16 PM]
Netflix and Shonda Rhimes Extend Creative Partnership
The extended partnership will give Netflix and Shondaland the opportunity to continue to exclusively produce, stream and distribute TV series, feature films and gaming while continuing merchandise and live events opportunities connected to its IP.

[08/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of August 17 - "Outer Banks" Strikes Gold at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"My Brilliant Career" traversed the Australian bush to land at No. 2 on the English TV list with 4.7 million views.

[08/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
The CW to Honor the Life and Legacy of Dolly Parton with Special Encore Presentation Of "Dolly Parton: Here I Am"
Featuring exclusive interviews and remarkable archival footage, the documentary offers an intimate look at the woman behind the iconic songs, unmistakable style and enduring cultural impact that made Parton one of the most beloved entertainers of all time.

[08/25/26 - 12:00 PM]
"Survivor" to Reveal the Season 51 Castaways on YouTube Livestream
During the livestream, viewers will meet the new castaways and will also be treated to a first-look tour of the Survivor 51 Tribal Council by host and showrunner Jeff Probst.

[08/25/26 - 11:31 AM]
Netflix and Kevin Langue Partner to Bring "The Kevin Langue Show" to Netflix
Beginning September 5, members can watch a curated collection of episodes from each channel pulled from Kevin's back catalog, with new episodes dropping day-and-date alongside YouTube going forward.

[08/25/26 - 11:00 AM]
A24's "Backrooms" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max September 25
The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell.

[08/25/26 - 10:23 AM]
Four New Documentaries Celebrating Some of Comedy's Most Influential Voices Are Coming to Netflix This October
Martin Mull, Norm Macdonald, Maria Bamford, and SCTV are among the featured subjects.

[08/25/26 - 10:00 AM]
USA Network Greenlights New Scripted Original Series "Diplomatic Immunity"
The series centers on a young American doctor who is suddenly assigned to the medical office at the U.S. Embassy in Rome.

[08/25/26 - 09:58 AM]
Sarah Levy Joins Tubi Original YA Film "Sidelined 3: End Game"
Levy will join Noah Beck, Siena Agudong, and Charlie Gillespie who are all returning to reprise their roles.

[08/25/26 - 09:35 AM]
CNN & Variety Kick Off Expanded Partnership with Live Coverage of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards Red Carpet
Coverage will stream live on Monday, September 14, beginning at 5pm ET at CNN.com/Watch and on the CNN app for CNN's streaming subscribers.

[08/25/26 - 09:11 AM]
Dan Stevens Is Slated to Star as Alex Murphy/RoboCop in the New Prime Video Series
Blumhouse Atomic Monster is behind the project.

[08/25/26 - 09:04 AM]
ESPN Expands Sports Content on Disney+ with College Football Saturdays This Fall
Each week throughout the season, Disney+ subscribers in the U.S. can stream two ESPN/ABC college football games in addition to the Emmy Award-winning "College GameDay Built by the Home Depot" pregame show, which debuted on Disney+ last season.

[08/25/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Shares Trailer for "The Varnell Hill Show," Premiering September 1
"The Varnell Hill Show" reunites Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans nearly three decades after Tommy Davidson's Varnell made his unforgettable debut on the iconic sitcom.