BNC, which launched in 2020 as the Black News Channel, has set a deal with CBS Media Ventures to bolster its advertising reach and resources.
CBS Media Ventures is the ViacomCBS division formerly known as CBS Television Distribution. It produces or distributes first-run series like Judge Judy and Dr. Phil, handles national barter ad sales for Debmar-Mercury and Fox syndicated shows and runs lifestyle multicast network Dabl.
BNC is available as a linear channel in more than 50 million U.S. homes as well as streaming via more than 180 million connected devices. Its CEO is former Comcast, NBCUniversal and Turner executive Princell Hair. The company bills itself as “the nation’s first and only 24/7 news network dedicated to covering the issues, challenges and successes affecting Black and Brown communities.”
The deal with ViacomCBS will enhance the emerging network’s capabilities in direct response and national advertising sales. It increases the sales footprint for BNC, which already has sales offices in NYC, Chicago and LA.
“We’re thrilled to partner with CBS Media Ventures and extend our sales team with the reach and depth of their relationships throughout the advertising community,” Hair said in a press release. “Most importantly, their team is aligned with our values, they understand why we exist and want to help drive our vision. Connecting with a demographic that has more than $1.3 trillion in annual spend presents significant opportunities, and we’re looking forward to working with CMV on building value for brands that want to engage with BNC.”
Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures, noted that BNC will be able to leverage efforts on behalf of programming with appeal to African-American consumers. In addition to firstrun production/distribution titles like Judge Judy and Hot Bench, the company sells third-party titles like The Wendy Williams Show, Family Feud, Divorce Court as well as the upcoming Nick Cannon talk show.
“We look forward to connecting BNC with our advertiser partners as a network providing programming that is informative, educational, entertaining and inspiring, and most importantly always remains true and authentic to the Black experience in America,” he said.
On March 1, BNC introduced the first edition of its revamped programming lineup, with a morning show hosted by Sharon Reed and Mike Hill. New shows in the works over the coming weeks will feature established personalities like Charles Blow, Marc Lamont Hill and Yodit Tewolde, among others.