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)





[05/13/26 - 10:30 AM]
Viewership for 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Presentation on ABC Up 23 Percent Year Over Year
ESPN's presentation of the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, May 10, on ABC averaged 2.3 million viewers.

[05/13/26 - 10:16 AM]
Netflix Expands Mike Epps Comedy Partnership with Two New Stand-Up Specials
Both specials are currently in the works, with Netflix eyeing releases in 2028 and 2030.

[05/13/26 - 10:01 AM]
Andrew Whitworth, Ashley McBryde, Carl Edwards, Corey LaJoie and More Announced as Presenters for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards
Hosted by legendary songwriter and best-selling female country artist Shania Twain, the 61st ACM Awards will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17.

[05/13/26 - 10:00 AM]
"Big Brother" Turns Up the Heat with Its Biggest Season Yet, Premiering Thursday, July 9 with a 90-Minute Episode
Reaching a historic milestone as the first primetime series to hit 1,000 original episodes, "Big Brother" returns for its 28th season.

[05/13/26 - 09:15 AM]
Viaplay Summer TV Preview - Best of European TV - Greek Noir, Portuguese Crime Drama, Swedish Dramedy
"Home in You" and "Irreversible" join the previously announced "Save Me."

[05/13/26 - 09:07 AM]
First Look & Date Announcement: "Futurama" Season 14 Launches Monday, August 3 on Hulu
New episodes will stream on Mondays.

[05/13/26 - 09:06 AM]
Mario Lopez to Lead "UFC Rivals," A Special Two-Episode Event Premiering Sunday, June 21st at 8PM ET/PT on A&E
Television personality and UFC superfan Mario Lopez leads a roundtable of experts including C.M. Punk, Michael Bisping, Miesha Tate, and Ken Shamrock to unpack the rivalries that defined an era and transformed the UFC into a global phenomenon.

[05/13/26 - 09:00 AM]
Karol G to Receive the International Artist Award of Excellence and Perform at "The 52nd American Music Awards," Live, Monday, May 25 at 8:00 PM, ET, 5:00 PM, PT on CBS
Previous recipients include Aerosmith, the Bee Gees, Beyoncé, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson and Rod Stewart.

[05/13/26 - 08:59 AM]
ESPN Promoting Mike Foss to Executive Vice President, Executive Editor, Sports News and Entertainment
David Roberts recently announced he would be retiring at the end of August.

[05/13/26 - 08:31 AM]
MVP and Netflix Announce On-Air Talent for Rousey vs. Carano
On Saturday, May 16, the Rousey vs. Carano preliminary card begins at 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT on Netflix's Tudum and MVP's YouTube Channel, with the main card starting at 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT, live only on Netflix.

[05/13/26 - 08:30 AM]
The CW Network and ESPN Reach Sublicense Broadcast Agreement for ACC Football and Basketball Games Through 2030-31 Season
As part of this long-term relationship, The CW will air 14 regular season football games, 30 men's basketball games, and 10 women's basketball games each season.

[05/13/26 - 08:12 AM]
Warner Bros. Discovery's Cable Portfolio Primes Programming Slate with Over 3,000 Premiere Hours Including 225 New and Returning Series
"Our brands are unstoppable, delivering the most talked about and must-watch unscripted series on TV today," said Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO of the Warner Bros.

[05/13/26 - 08:07 AM]
Max Original Comedy Series "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" Debuts July 23
New episodes will debut subsequent Thursdays.

[05/13/26 - 07:56 AM]
ESPN Networks Delivered Second Most-Watched WNBA Regular-Season Game Ever with Dallas Wings vs Indiana Fever on May 9
ESPN today announced that the Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever matchup on May 9 at 1 p.m. ET on ABC averaged 2.5 million viewers, making it the second most-watched WNBA regular-season game across ESPN networks ever.

[05/13/26 - 03:01 AM]
Video: The Trailer for the Second Season of "My Family" Only on Netflix June 10
Despite the love, despite the commitment, keeping the promise made to Fausto proved impossible.