Viacom and Twitter Ink Agreements with Degree Women®, Pepsi® and More for Twitter Amplify Sponsorships in the 2013 "MTV Video Music Awards"

NEW YORK, Aug. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) and Twitter today announced that they've entered agreements with a number of brands including Degree Women® and Pepsi® to develop Twitter Amplify social video advertising campaigns in and around the 2013 "MTV Video Music Awards." All of the sponsorships were claimed within a week of being announced and each of the advertisers is participating in a broader sponsorship package for the signature MTV event. The 2013 "MTV Video Music Awards" airs live from Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Sunday, August 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Given advertiser interest, Viacom and Twitter are immediately creating new sponsorship opportunities in the "Comedy Central Roast of James Franco" and more than 30 different programming events and shows through the end of 2014.

"The availability of Twitter Amplify in the MTV Video Music Awards – an annual trending topic behemoth – generated such a great response from advertisers that we're accelerating our plans to roll it out across our networks," said Jeff Lucas, Head of Sales, Music and Entertainment, Viacom Media Networks. "We look forward to connecting even more advertisers with our audiences through video content on Twitter, starting with every burn in Comedy Central's Franco Roast."

"Twitter is live, public and inherently mobile, which makes the VMA's the perfect place to take advantage of Twitter's Amplify program," said Adam Bain, President of Global Revenue at Twitter. "Viacom has long been a pioneer of harnessing Twitter to give viewers new ways to interact and share in live TV, and we're thrilled to be working with the network and its sponsors to deliver this experience to viewers."

Through Twitter Amplify, MTV will deliver a variety of sponsored-supported video content leading up to and during the 2013 MTV VMAs, including real-time highlights from the show, backstage moments, red carpet interviews, MTV News reports and more. MTV will also distribute via Twitter custom-content developed for sponsors related to VMA award categories and MTV News coverage of the event.

Viacom networks' shows and events consistently drive significant activity on Twitter. The 2012 "MTV Video Music Awards" generated 14.7 million Tweets, placing it among the most Tweets of any news event last year. MTV currently has more than 13.3 million combined followers for its U.S.-based Twitter accounts. The VMAs have pioneered a number of social media firsts, including the first award category voted for exclusively on social media and the Twitter Tracker application, which geographically mapped Twitter activity around the show in real time.

The upcoming "Comedy Central Roast of James Franco" is already attracting significant activity on Twitter, where James Franco, Roast Master Seth Rogen, and Comedy Central have released announcements, video clips and photos related to the show under the hashtag #FrancoRoast.  "Comedy Central Roast of James Franco" airs Labor Day, Monday, September 2 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

About Viacom
Viacom is home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in over 160 countries and territories. With media networks reaching approximately 700 million global subscribers, Viacom's leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, SPIKE, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA.  Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world's most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

SOURCE Viacom Inc.