ALL-NEW SEASON OF "NEXT INFLUENCER" LAUNCHES JANUARY 13, 2022 ON PARAMOUNT+

Third Season of Awesomeness-Produced Reality Series Marks First Show from the Awesomeness Unscripted & Digital Franchise Studio To Be Available on the Service

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.-Dec. 16, 2021 - ViacomCBS Gen Z studio Awesomeness today announced the return of its popular content creator reality competition, Next Influencer. The first five episodes of the new season will drop on January 13, 2022, followed by a weekly release of the season's remaining six episodes on Paramount+. Hosted by past winner and TikTok star Owen Holt, the new season of Next Influencer is the first project from the Awesomeness Unscripted & Digital Franchise Studio to stream on Paramount+.

Over 10 episodes, plus a reunion special, the new season of Next Influencer follows a group of content creators who compete in a series of challenges to prove they have what it takes to become the next big influencer. One contestant will win a prize package that includes a talent contract with Awesomeness.

The new cast includes influencers Taylor Olympios, Dawn Morante, Evan Lane, Carrie Berk, Talen Battles, Noah Danenhower, Noor Dabash, Sierra Reed, Kristian Ramey, Soha Khatib and Bryce McKenzie.

Vibe Room, a new weekly podcast hosted by Holt that unpacks each Next Influencer episode, will also premiere on Sunday, January 16, 2022, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. New episodes will drop weekly.

To further celebrate the show's return, Awesomeness will debut a Next Influencer merchandise shop at https://www.awesomenesstv.com/merch as well as a dedicated TikTok account (@NextInfluencer) where fans can gain access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content on the show and cast.

Next Influencer is executive produced by Tara Cole. Production of the show is overseen by Ashley Kaplan, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Unscripted & Digital Franchise Studio. Next Influencer's first two seasons aired exclusively on the AwesomenessTV YouTube channel. The new season's episodes will become available on YouTube following their Paramount+ debut.

Next Influencer premiered in late 2020, hosted by Hype House star Alex Warren. It was the industry's first TikTok creator reality show to premiere, garnering 12 million organic views and 123 million minutes watched to date on the AwesomenessTV YouTube channel. Season two of Next Influencer currently has more than 7 million views and 113 million watch time minutes.

About Awesomeness:

Awesomeness, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS, is a media company focused on serving the global Gen Z audience through its digital publishing, film and television studio divisions. Approaching its 10th year anniversary, Awesomeness has become the destination for youth culture, cultivating a loyal audience with hit programming on the world's biggest streaming services including Netflix (smash-hit film series "To All The Boys I've Loved Before," Emmy(R) winner "Trinkets") and Hulu (Emmy(R) winner "Zac & Mia", Emmy(R) nominee "Pen15"), along with the company's immensely popular short-form programs on YouTube ("Twin My Heart," "Noah Beck Tries Things," "AwesomenessTV's Next Influencer," "Brent Rivera's Dream Vacation," "My Dream Quinceañera"), that garner hundreds of millions of views. As a leading media brand, Awesomeness' worldwide distribution footprint spans owned, social and premium SVOD platforms. Founded in 2012, Awesomeness is headquartered in Los Angeles, with additional offices in New York.

About Paramount+:

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from ViacomCBS, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world's biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Streaming's other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage. For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.