UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 | ||
FORM 8-K | ||
CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 | ||
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 4, 2019 | ||
VIACOM INC. | ||
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) | ||
Delaware | 001-32686 | 20-3515052 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification Number) |
1515 Broadway, New York, NY | 10036 |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 258-6000 | ||
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
o | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
o | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
o | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
o | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Section 8 – Other Events | |||
Item 8.01 | Other Events. | ||
On March 4, 2019, Viacom Inc. announced that it has completed the acquisition of Pluto TV. A copy of the press release is filed herewith as Exhibit 99 and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. | |||
Section 9 – Financial Statements and Exhibits | |||
Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. | ||
(d) Exhibits. The following exhibit is filed as part of this Current Report on Form 8‑K: | |||
Exhibit No. | Description of Exhibit | ||
99 | |||
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
VIACOM INC. | |||
By: | /s/ Christa A. D’Alimonte | ||
Name: | Christa A. D’Alimonte | ||
Title: | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | ||
Date: March 4, 2019
Exhibit Index
Exhibit No. | Description of Exhibit | |
99 | Press release of Viacom Inc. dated March 4, 2019. | |
Exhibit 99
Viacom Announces Completion of Pluto TV Acquisition
NEW YORK, NY, March 4, 2019 – Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service in the U.S.
The acquisition, previously announced on January 22, 2019 for $340 million in cash, will advance Viacom’s strategic priorities across multiple touchpoints, while solidifying Pluto TV’s leadership in the domestic free streaming video market and accelerating its growth globally.
“The completion of this deal marks an exciting next step in Viacom’s evolution and a powerful opportunity for us to extend our consumer reach and broaden our ability to add value across the industry as the media landscape continues to segment,” said Bob Bakish, Viacom President and CEO. “Together with Pluto TV, we look forward to becoming a stronger partner to distributors, advertisers, content providers and audiences around the world.”
Founded in 2013, Pluto TV streams more than 100 channels and thousands of hours of on-demand content spanning television and movies, sports, news, lifestyle, comedy, cartoons, gaming and trending digital series. Today, it has more than 12 million monthly active users across devices, including smart TVs, streaming players, mobile devices, desktops and gaming consoles.
Pluto TV will have a crucial role in expanding Viacom’s presence across next-generation distribution platforms as a standalone free over-the-top (“OTT”) product, a direct-to-consumer cornerstone, and a partnership solution for wired, mobile and OTT distributors to serve their broadband only and video bundle subscribers on a zero incremental cost basis.
At the same time, Pluto TV accelerates Viacom’s advanced marketing solutions (“AMS”) business, serving as a very significant incremental source of targeted inventory – particularly against younger demographics – thereby strengthening Viacom’s ability to serve advertising customers and their associated agencies.
Viacom’s global scale, marketing capabilities, iconic brands and vast content portfolio will help Pluto TV strengthen its offering across important genres, solidify its leadership in the domestic free streaming video space and accelerate its growth internationally, benefiting both existing and forthcoming partners.
Pluto TV will operate as an independent subsidiary of Viacom, led by President and CEO Tom Ryan.
About Viacom
Viacom creates entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture around the world. Through television, film, digital media, live events, merchandise and solutions, our brands connect with diverse, young and young at heart audiences in more than 180 countries.
For more information on Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following us on Twitter (twitter.com/viacom), Facebook (facebook.com/viacom) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/viacom).
About Pluto TV
Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service in America, delivering 100+ live and original channels and thousands of on-demand movies in partnership with major TV networks, movie studios, publishers, and digital media companies. Pluto TV is available on all mobile, web and connected TV streaming devices and millions of viewers tune in each month to watch premium news, TV shows, movies, sports, lifestyle, and trending digital series. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Pluto TV has offices in New York, Silicon Valley, Chicago and Berlin.
Media Contact
Karen Shosfy, Viacom