Expanding to CBS — Celebrating its 20th Season, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen Heads to Network

Breaking Through the Fragmentation and Clutter: Allen Media Group's Opportunities for Advertisers

As they say in the weather forecasting business, "It's Sunny Skies Ahead" for Byron Allen and Allen Media Group. More than ever, advertisers face audience fragmentation across hundreds of channels, digital platforms, and apps. Fortunately, it's possible to punch through the noise by refocusing on integrated storytelling, local targeting, and trusted content. That's where Allen's team comes up with creative solutions that are tailored around partners' unique goals.

"There's a wealth of opportunity for marketers to partner with content providers in highly creative ways," said Byron Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group.

AMG's portfolio is powerful and prolific. It ranges from live weekend sports — HBCU football and basketball — to new episodes of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, airing in CBS late night, to The Weather Channel — one of America's most trusted television news brands. The Weather Channel serves up Emmy Award-winning, geotargeted forecasts and storm coverage along with best-in-class storytelling. Always improving on its state-of-the-art technology and news gathering prowess, The Weather Channel's live programming ranks highest with viewer engagement, while the ancillary programming created by its producers gives advertisers confidence that their investment is driving toward their brand goals.

Just as they did in the early days of television, advertisers can associate their brands with AMG shows in ways that deliver ROI in a fragmented attention economy. "Sponsors want to be integrated into this content," Allen says.

There are contextual editorial integrations on The Weather Channel, sponsorship opportunities on AMG's cable TV networks including Comedy.TV and award-winning Recipe.TV, and the ability to target hyperlocal audiences on Local Now.

Technology is a big part of AMG's foundation, and a prime example of that power is Local Now. AMG's geotargeted "Free TV" streaming service offers consumers over 650 channels and nearly 30,000 movies and TV shows. All this means abundant opportunities for advertisers.

Mr. Allen's company is strategically navigating a rapidly changing marketplace by providing several opportunities. AMG is the largest producer of court television, one of the most watched genres that taps into legal advertising. Allen produces nine out of 12 court shows on the air today. They are Emmy Award-winning and nominated, and available in syndication and on Justice Central.TV, just one of the company's 10 cable networks serving nearly 225 million subscribers. All this, combined with linear and digital platforms, programming, TV stations, and extremely valuable live sports coverage, AMG provides bespoke solutions for clients and sponsors.

Allen Media Group Television is the largest supplier of first-run syndicated content in the business. It is a milestone for Byron in his 30+ year organization. His stand-up roots give him a different perspective than most of his CEO peers. He's always considering the consumer—how they will receive the message, understand the punchline, heed the storm warning, and engage with the content. That level of understanding and care for the audience comes from thousands of nights in the comedy spotlight. That has sharpened Byron Allen's keen sense of delivery and focus on ad partners.

Comics Unleashed: 20th Season & CBS Lead-Out

In celebration of the 20th season (in syndication) of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, Allen struck a deal with CBS to take the lead-out time slot after Late Night with Stephen Colbert. The show is a constant laugh-fest that features Allen in conversation with four of his comedian friends sharing their takes on life and reacting to one another. The half-hour series has been designed since its founding as timeless content, avoiding politics, mean-spirited humor and anything too topical.

"It's evergreen," Allen says, "and while it airs as the lead-out to the highest-rated late-night show on TV — Late Night with Stephen Colbert — it also fits well in other dayparts on AMG's Comedy.TV and in broadcast syndication. I wanted Comics Unleashed to be different from the beginning."

Comedy is in his DNA. It's where Byron Allen began at the age of 18 on the iconic Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Always leaning on the power of comedy, Allen and his teams are cooking up new content that will offer even more opportunities to Madison Avenue.

"Audiences will never wake up and say I don't want to be entertained. I want to die of boredom," Allen says. "They want it in a more efficient way, with better pricing and they want it when they want it."

HBCU Go Sports

HBCU Go Sports, soon to add track and field to its lineup, owns the rights to televise the games of 170 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It feeds 13 weeks of football, plus a two-hour season kickoff show fully distributed throughout the country on HBCU GO and TheGrio TV cable networks along with Amazon Prime. This winning combination is a huge opportunity.

"HBCU players go on to become hall-of-famers," Allen says. "The NFL and the NBA recruit from these teams. It's some of the best sports you will see anywhere." The HBCU schools are an enormous community of sports, culture, band performances, cheerleaders, amazing food and great camaraderie. Supporting these games puts these esteemed schools and their amazing students in the spotlight.

HBCU Go Sports, Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen, and Funny You Should Ask headline a lineup of 70 syndicated shows from AMG Television. At a time of increased media industry consolidation, advertisers can find more than creative partnerships in the portfolios of companies like AMG — they can invest strategically and build options that serve their brand's unique needs.

"Advertisers need to nurture the independent voices," Allen says. "By fostering competition, they avoid the trap of paying escalating rates for shows with shrinking audiences."

With live, dynamic weather programming, live sports, a proven high-yield programming model, and comedy in his DNA, Byron Allen and his company are a safe harbor. So yes, the forecast is bright and sunny, and that's Allen Media Group's advantage in the marketplace.

Contact

Opportunities are waiting. Contact the AMG advertising sales team at harold@es.tv for more details on unique partnerships with The Weather Channel, live sports, cable networks, syndicated shows, and digital platforms. Reach out to the AMG syndicated programming licensing team at roseann@es.tv to inquire about programming opportunities for award-winning shows, live sports and new first-run content.