The Paley Center for Media strikes historic deal with Verizon

NEW YORK, NY, September 14, 2020 – Verizon and The Paley Center today announced a partnership that will grant the tech giant exclusive streaming rights to the Paley Center’s robust lineup of 2020/2021 signature events. As part of the partnership, Verizon will also serve as the official sponsor of the Paley Center programs, including its premier public programs, signature television festivals, education programs, and the prestigious Paley International Council Summit. Verizon will also serve as the official sponsor of the Paley Center’s “Tribute to Hispanic Achievements in Television.” This tribute is part of the Center’s inaugural Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, featuring conversations that spotlight influential Hispanic individuals, who have made a significant impact on American culture.

Verizon Media’s brands, including Yahoo Finance, Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Entertainment, and Yahoo Life, will have exclusive rights to livestream and broadcast Paley Center programs such as PaleyFest Fall TV Previews, PaleyFest Fall 2020, PaleyFest LA Spring 2021, Paley Front Row, A Tribute to Hispanic Achievements in Television, and the Paley International Council Summit. Verizon Media reaches nearly 900 million unique viewers globally each month.

“We’re thrilled to announce this groundbreaking partnership with Verizon that will inform, entertain, and celebrate some of the most diverse voices in the entertainment and media industry,” said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center’s President & CEO. “Verizon is one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communication, and entertainment, and together we will continue to provide the public with the excellence in programming they’ve come to know year after year.”

Commenting on the partnership, Tami Erwin, Verizon Business CEO and Paley Center Board Member stated, “It’s been our mission at Verizon to transform how people, businesses and technology come together to improve the way we live, work and play. Integral to that mission is a commitment to elevating important conversations on issues that are shaping industry and society. We’re proud to partner with The Paley Center’s premier events, which are known for creating a forum where relevant and engaging dialogue happens.”

Verizon serves as the official sponsor of “A Tribute to Hispanic Achievements in Television,” a series of conversations with influential Hispanic names in television and media, education programs and interactive trivia. The inaugural episode will feature Natalie Morales, welcoming special guest Alex Rodriguez to discuss his time with the Yankees, his broadcast career at Fox Sports, and “Back in the Game” on CNBC. “The PaleyFrontRow: Alex Rodriguez in Conversation” will also stream on Yahoo Entertainment.  Tami Erwin, Verizon Business CEO and Paley Center Board Member stated, “It’s been our mission at Verizon to transform how people, businesses and technology come together to improve the way we live, work and play. Integral to that mission is a commitment to elevating important conversations on issues that are shaping industry and society. We’re proud to partner with The Paley Center’s premier events, which are known for creating a forum where relevant and engaging dialogue happens.”

Additional Paley Center programs included in Verizon’s sponsorship are as follows:

• Paley Impact: Diversity & Inclusion Programs: These highly respected programs educate and increase awareness of important diversity and inclusion issues facing our culture and society, as well as reach influencers, thought leaders, respected journalists, and the general public.
• Education Workshops: The Paley Technology & Media Career Development Workshops introduce underserved high school students to digital and tech careers in media and related industries and provide students with resources, such as skills, training, connections, and inspiration, to thrive in the digital economy. These beneficial workshops are designed to foster digital inclusion and increase representation with specific attention to under-resourced communities.
• PaleyFest Fall TV Previews 2020: The television festival where networks and streaming platforms reveal their new and returning shows for the upcoming season. Casts and creative teams from television’s leading shows have graced the PaleyFest Fall TV Previews stage including black-ish, This Is Us, You, and All American.
• PaleyFest NY Fall 2020: One of New York’s most anticipated fall entertainment events, this festival gathers the hottest shows made in New York and beyond, delighting fans with exclusive behind-the-scenes scoops, hilarious anecdotes, and breaking news stories.
• PaleyFest LA Spring 2021: The country’s premier television festival for more than thirty-five years honors the most acclaimed and popular television shows, and unites fans with the casts and creative teams behind these favorite TV shows to delight them with personal anecdotes, and exclusive behind-the-scenes and breaking news stories.
• Paley Front Row: Paley’s latest series of original programming featuring the stars and creative teams of cutting-edge, highly anticipated and established celebrated television shows discussing their work and offering insights and exclusive content.
• Paley International Council Summit: Celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2020, the Paley International Council Summit, Co-Chaired by Frank A. Bennack, Jr. and Henry A. Kissinger, has come to be regarded as one of the most influential gatherings in the industry convening world dignitaries, chief executive officers, and other leaders from today’s top media and technology companies to advance the exchange of ideas and foster a sense of community. Discussions address not only the pressing matters facing the industry, but also explore those issues confronting all organizations today including how the recent COVID-19 crisis is impacting the media industry and the world.
• A Tribute to Hispanic Achievements in Television: This inaugural month-long celebration in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month will feature conversations with influential Hispanic names in television and media, education programs, interactive trivia, and family programs including arts & crafts.