John Cena Hosts ‘What Drives You’ (Photo Courtesy of Roku)
John Cena is teaming up with celebrity friends and hitting the road for his first-ever talk show, What Drives You. Cena’s new series, which expands his relationship with Roku, focuses on our relationship with our cars.
“The car you drive and where you drive it can say a lot about who you are, from your personality type to what you value and prioritize the most,” stated Cena. “What Drives You is all about tapping into this and each guest’s unique connection to their car, and a destination close to their heart, as the crux of a candid and wide-ranging conversation. It’s a great opportunity for me to ride shotgun and learn from some of the world’s most entertaining and inspiring individuals.”
ITV America’s Leftfield Pictures is producing the eight-episode series, with Cena, David George, Shawn Witt,...
John Cena is teaming up with celebrity friends and hitting the road for his first-ever talk show, What Drives You. Cena’s new series, which expands his relationship with Roku, focuses on our relationship with our cars.
“The car you drive and where you drive it can say a lot about who you are, from your personality type to what you value and prioritize the most,” stated Cena. “What Drives You is all about tapping into this and each guest’s unique connection to their car, and a destination close to their heart, as the crux of a candid and wide-ranging conversation. It’s a great opportunity for me to ride shotgun and learn from some of the world’s most entertaining and inspiring individuals.”
ITV America’s Leftfield Pictures is producing the eight-episode series, with Cena, David George, Shawn Witt,...
- 11/16/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Actor and professional wrestler John Cena is coming to Roku with his first-ever celebrity talk series.
“What Drives You” will see Cena hit the road with a different celebrity friend in a vehicle that holds special meaning to them. Each episode will feature an in-depth interview discussing deeply personal topics while reminiscing about some of the guest’s favorite memories associated with their prized ride.
“The car you drive and where you drive it can say a lot about who you are, from your personality type to what you value and prioritize the most,” Cena said in a statement. “‘What Drives You’ is all about tapping into this and each guest’s unique connection to their car, and a destination close to their heart, as the crux of a candid and wide-ranging conversation.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to ride shotgun and learn from some of the world...
“What Drives You” will see Cena hit the road with a different celebrity friend in a vehicle that holds special meaning to them. Each episode will feature an in-depth interview discussing deeply personal topics while reminiscing about some of the guest’s favorite memories associated with their prized ride.
“The car you drive and where you drive it can say a lot about who you are, from your personality type to what you value and prioritize the most,” Cena said in a statement. “‘What Drives You’ is all about tapping into this and each guest’s unique connection to their car, and a destination close to their heart, as the crux of a candid and wide-ranging conversation.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to ride shotgun and learn from some of the world...
- 11/16/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
John Cena is hitting the road with some celebrity guests for a new talk show at Roku.
The streaming platform has given the green light to What Drives You, which Cena will host. Each episode will feature Cena and a guest in their favorite vehicles that hold a special meaning to them.
In each episode, Cena will hitch a ride with a new guest for an in-depth interview and curiosity-fueled excursion, as they discuss a wide variety of both laugh-out-loud and deeply personal topics, all the while reminiscing about some of the guest’s favorite memories associated with their prized ride.
“The car you drive and where you drive it can say a lot about who you are, from your personality type to what you value and prioritize the most,” Cena said in a statement. “What Drives You is all about tapping into this and each guest’s unique connection to their car,...
The streaming platform has given the green light to What Drives You, which Cena will host. Each episode will feature Cena and a guest in their favorite vehicles that hold a special meaning to them.
In each episode, Cena will hitch a ride with a new guest for an in-depth interview and curiosity-fueled excursion, as they discuss a wide variety of both laugh-out-loud and deeply personal topics, all the while reminiscing about some of the guest’s favorite memories associated with their prized ride.
“The car you drive and where you drive it can say a lot about who you are, from your personality type to what you value and prioritize the most,” Cena said in a statement. “What Drives You is all about tapping into this and each guest’s unique connection to their car,...
- 11/16/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
About a month and a half after the close of the Viacom-CBS merger, the combined company has finalized the roster of advertising sales executives reporting up to Jo Ann Ross.
Last October, Ross was confirmed as the head of sales for the combined company, following a 27-year stretch at CBS, the latter half of which coincided with the flagship broadcast network’s rise to dominance.
While the announcement last fall about her promotion meant longtime Viacom sales chief Sean Moran was among the executives to depart, six additional departures have been revealed. Several of those remaining in the fold also have new titles and roles.
What follows is an overview of the newly configured ranks, according to insiders at ViacomCBS, who conveyed the news to employees on Wednesday afternoon.
John Bogusz will remain Evp of Sports Sales and Marketing, CBS Network Sales, overseeing sales for sports across the...
Last October, Ross was confirmed as the head of sales for the combined company, following a 27-year stretch at CBS, the latter half of which coincided with the flagship broadcast network’s rise to dominance.
While the announcement last fall about her promotion meant longtime Viacom sales chief Sean Moran was among the executives to depart, six additional departures have been revealed. Several of those remaining in the fold also have new titles and roles.
What follows is an overview of the newly configured ranks, according to insiders at ViacomCBS, who conveyed the news to employees on Wednesday afternoon.
John Bogusz will remain Evp of Sports Sales and Marketing, CBS Network Sales, overseeing sales for sports across the...
- 1/15/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with Tom Gorke memo to staff: CBS and Viacom on Wednesday revealed the senior leadership appointments team that will sit atop the soon-to-combine company’s ad sales, distribution, licensing and consumer products divisions. The moves, which feature promotions from both companies in key revenue positions, include appointing longtime CBS ad chief Jo Ann Ross as President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales.
As part of the news, soon-to-be ViacomCBS president and CEO said in a memo to staff that two Viacom execs — Head of Ad Solutions Sean Moran, a 24-year company veteran, and Tom Gorke, Head of Distribution and Business Development — will exit the company when the merger closes.
“Both Sean and Tom are impassioned advocates for our brands, content and people, and have played critical roles in the turnaround and transformation of our company over the past few years,” Bakish wrote today (read the full memo below). “Along the way,...
As part of the news, soon-to-be ViacomCBS president and CEO said in a memo to staff that two Viacom execs — Head of Ad Solutions Sean Moran, a 24-year company veteran, and Tom Gorke, Head of Distribution and Business Development — will exit the company when the merger closes.
“Both Sean and Tom are impassioned advocates for our brands, content and people, and have played critical roles in the turnaround and transformation of our company over the past few years,” Bakish wrote today (read the full memo below). “Along the way,...
- 10/30/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Jo Ann Ross will lead advertising sales for ViacomCBS after it completes its merger, the company said on Wednesday.
The merger between CBS and Viacom, announced in August, is expected to close in early December.
Ross has led CBS’ ad sales efforts since 2002. With Ross taking over ad sales for the new company, Viacom’s ad sales chief Sean Moran will leave the company, according to an internal memo by Viacom CEO Bob Bakish, who will take the reigns of the ViacomCBS when the merger is completed. ViacomCBS made a slew of additional executive appointments on Wednesday, including Armando Nunez as head of the global distribution and content licensing businesses. Tom Gorke, who has headed distribution for Viacom, will also depart once the merger closes.
Also Read: Viacom's Marva Smalls Talks About Creating a 'Culture of Inclusion'
“Both Sean and Tom are impassioned advocates for our brands, content and people,...
The merger between CBS and Viacom, announced in August, is expected to close in early December.
Ross has led CBS’ ad sales efforts since 2002. With Ross taking over ad sales for the new company, Viacom’s ad sales chief Sean Moran will leave the company, according to an internal memo by Viacom CEO Bob Bakish, who will take the reigns of the ViacomCBS when the merger is completed. ViacomCBS made a slew of additional executive appointments on Wednesday, including Armando Nunez as head of the global distribution and content licensing businesses. Tom Gorke, who has headed distribution for Viacom, will also depart once the merger closes.
Also Read: Viacom's Marva Smalls Talks About Creating a 'Culture of Inclusion'
“Both Sean and Tom are impassioned advocates for our brands, content and people,...
- 10/30/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
As one-time TV watchers become streaming-video fanatics, advertisers are grappling with an uncertain future. But they will have a familiar face to guide them on at least part of the journey.
Jo Ann Ross, one of the advertising industry’s best-known executives, will lead ad-sales efforts at ViacomCBS, the company that is expected to rise from the merger of CBS and Viacom sometime in early December. She will serve as President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales, and report jointly to Bob Bakish, who will be the CEO of the new company, and Joe Ianniello, who will be chief executive of its CBS operations.
“This is really the first step in building a unified sales team,” Ross said in an interview with Variety on Wednesday. “We will be organized. We will be strategic. And we will be speaking with one voice.”
Ross, who is the first female...
Jo Ann Ross, one of the advertising industry’s best-known executives, will lead ad-sales efforts at ViacomCBS, the company that is expected to rise from the merger of CBS and Viacom sometime in early December. She will serve as President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales, and report jointly to Bob Bakish, who will be the CEO of the new company, and Joe Ianniello, who will be chief executive of its CBS operations.
“This is really the first step in building a unified sales team,” Ross said in an interview with Variety on Wednesday. “We will be organized. We will be strategic. And we will be speaking with one voice.”
Ross, who is the first female...
- 10/30/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Joe Ianniello might be the new chairman and CEO of CBS as part of the new ViacomCBS, but the longtime executive has ceded some Showtime territory to big boss Bob Bakish as Viacom and the home of Blue Bloods hooked up again after a 13-year break. The move leaves David Nevins now answering to two kings, at least for the immediate future.
Under the structure of the newly reunited ViacomCBS Inc, once acting CBS CEO Ianniello will run the CBS unit of the parent company, which is valued at about $30 billion. However, with speculation that Ianniello will likely only be around until his recently extended contract expires and the deal is approved by regulators, it is a carved-up CBS, to put it mildly. A source familiar with the situation noted Ianniello’s contract has just been extended through 2021 in the past few days, but conceded many details of the new...
Under the structure of the newly reunited ViacomCBS Inc, once acting CBS CEO Ianniello will run the CBS unit of the parent company, which is valued at about $30 billion. However, with speculation that Ianniello will likely only be around until his recently extended contract expires and the deal is approved by regulators, it is a carved-up CBS, to put it mildly. A source familiar with the situation noted Ianniello’s contract has just been extended through 2021 in the past few days, but conceded many details of the new...
- 8/13/2019
- by Dominic Patten and Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
After decades of focusing on blue-chip brands, TV ad sales executives are starting to sweat much smaller stuff.
TV has long attracted the world’s largest sponsors, like Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and General Motors. This year, TV networks are chasing upstart advertisers such as the makers of Casper mattresses, Peloton exercise equipment and Warby Parker eyeglasses.
No one is abandoning the nation’s ad giants. But sales executives are increasingly interested in harvesting the new money they believe will flow into the industry’s annual upfront market. “There are so many of them, and in so many different categories,” Laura Molen, president of advertising sales and partnerships at NBCUniversal, tells Variety. “It really has changed the playing field.”
The challenge? Smaller sponsors are “digital first,” and accustomed to the reams of audience data they receive when advertising via social, mobile and web-based techniques. “They definitely lean more on the direct-response advertising and analytics,...
TV has long attracted the world’s largest sponsors, like Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and General Motors. This year, TV networks are chasing upstart advertisers such as the makers of Casper mattresses, Peloton exercise equipment and Warby Parker eyeglasses.
No one is abandoning the nation’s ad giants. But sales executives are increasingly interested in harvesting the new money they believe will flow into the industry’s annual upfront market. “There are so many of them, and in so many different categories,” Laura Molen, president of advertising sales and partnerships at NBCUniversal, tells Variety. “It really has changed the playing field.”
The challenge? Smaller sponsors are “digital first,” and accustomed to the reams of audience data they receive when advertising via social, mobile and web-based techniques. “They definitely lean more on the direct-response advertising and analytics,...
- 5/14/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Starting May 1, Pluto TV users will be able to access specially curated linear channels based on MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and Bet, Viacom and Pluto TV announced Monday morning at the 2019 NewFronts event in New York.
Overall, Pluto TV will be adding 14 new channels from its new parent company, which will be curated specifically for the service. Other co-branded flagship channels include Spike Pluto TV and Nick Jr. Pluto TV. The streamer is also adding a slate of “signature channels” which hone in on popular programming from Viacom’s networks – spinning them into dedicated, themed channels. Those include a Paramount Movie Channel, MTV Guy Code, Spike Outdoors, and Comedy Central Standup among several others.
“We are thrilled to expand the Pluto TV offering with the addition of Viacom’s world-class channel brands and iconic programming. This is a major step forward in our mission of entertaining the planet,” said Tom Ryan,...
Overall, Pluto TV will be adding 14 new channels from its new parent company, which will be curated specifically for the service. Other co-branded flagship channels include Spike Pluto TV and Nick Jr. Pluto TV. The streamer is also adding a slate of “signature channels” which hone in on popular programming from Viacom’s networks – spinning them into dedicated, themed channels. Those include a Paramount Movie Channel, MTV Guy Code, Spike Outdoors, and Comedy Central Standup among several others.
“We are thrilled to expand the Pluto TV offering with the addition of Viacom’s world-class channel brands and iconic programming. This is a major step forward in our mission of entertaining the planet,” said Tom Ryan,...
- 4/29/2019
- by Matt Lopez
- The Wrap
Viacom said its flagship networks Bet, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon will be added to the free, ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV, which it acquired in January.
The company made the announcement and unveiled a slate of digital programming during its second annual NewFronts pitch to media buyers at the PlayStation Theater in New York’s Times Square.
“We’re excited to return to the NewFronts after a year of rapid digital acceleration and momentum across the leading social and online video platforms,” Viacom Digital Studios president Kelly Day said in the official release. “Our remarkable growth continues to be driven by an investment in premium original programming and experiences that engage our young, diverse audiences on the platforms they love most, presenting an unprecedented opportunity for our advertising partners to join the conversation.”
Viacom bought Pluto for $340 million, signaling a strategy similar to NBCUniversal’s, emphasizing advertising and free...
The company made the announcement and unveiled a slate of digital programming during its second annual NewFronts pitch to media buyers at the PlayStation Theater in New York’s Times Square.
“We’re excited to return to the NewFronts after a year of rapid digital acceleration and momentum across the leading social and online video platforms,” Viacom Digital Studios president Kelly Day said in the official release. “Our remarkable growth continues to be driven by an investment in premium original programming and experiences that engage our young, diverse audiences on the platforms they love most, presenting an unprecedented opportunity for our advertising partners to join the conversation.”
Viacom bought Pluto for $340 million, signaling a strategy similar to NBCUniversal’s, emphasizing advertising and free...
- 4/29/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
With Turner pulling out in the wake of At&T’s takeover of Time Warner, advertising technology consortium OpenAP has been reconstituted, with NBCUniversal, Fox and Viacom unveiling version 2.0.
The three companies will take part in the platform, which features advanced audience targeting tools and a centralized system for sharing data. Accenture and FreeWheel are also partners on the tech side. The newly reconstituted venture will go live in time for fall 2019 ad campaigns, the companies said. The initial version of OpenAP debuted in 2017.
Meredith Brace, Evp of Client Solutions and Portfolio Marketing at Fox; Krishan Bhatia, Evp of Business Operations and Strategy at NBCUniversal; and John Halley, Evp and COO of Ad Solutions at Viacom issued a joint statement. The initiative “fundamentally transforms the way that advertisers can transact to deliver holistic advanced audience campaigns from start to finish on both linear and long-form digital platforms,” the statement said. “OpenAP...
The three companies will take part in the platform, which features advanced audience targeting tools and a centralized system for sharing data. Accenture and FreeWheel are also partners on the tech side. The newly reconstituted venture will go live in time for fall 2019 ad campaigns, the companies said. The initial version of OpenAP debuted in 2017.
Meredith Brace, Evp of Client Solutions and Portfolio Marketing at Fox; Krishan Bhatia, Evp of Business Operations and Strategy at NBCUniversal; and John Halley, Evp and COO of Ad Solutions at Viacom issued a joint statement. The initiative “fundamentally transforms the way that advertisers can transact to deliver holistic advanced audience campaigns from start to finish on both linear and long-form digital platforms,” the statement said. “OpenAP...
- 4/25/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
When Viacom starts meeting with Madison Avenue this week to sell its coming slate of programs, it will have more to pitch than shows and schedules. The company will also be touting advertiser services.
Over the eighteen months, Viacom has acquired a suite of new media venues ranging from WhoSay, an influencer-marketing platform; VidCon, a conference for video creators; AwesomenessTV, the YouTube network; and PlutoTV, an ad-supported streaming-video hub. “All of this puts us in a place where we have the broadest reach of premium content hitting younger consumers,” says Sean Moran, head of advertising solutions at Viacom, in an interview. “That differentiates us.”
Viacom has in the past grappled with the dynamic affecting all traditional media companies: how to keep advertising levels the same as more consumers migrate to new-tech screens that aren’t always counted in traditional ratings. But now the company believes it has a group of...
Over the eighteen months, Viacom has acquired a suite of new media venues ranging from WhoSay, an influencer-marketing platform; VidCon, a conference for video creators; AwesomenessTV, the YouTube network; and PlutoTV, an ad-supported streaming-video hub. “All of this puts us in a place where we have the broadest reach of premium content hitting younger consumers,” says Sean Moran, head of advertising solutions at Viacom, in an interview. “That differentiates us.”
Viacom has in the past grappled with the dynamic affecting all traditional media companies: how to keep advertising levels the same as more consumers migrate to new-tech screens that aren’t always counted in traditional ratings. But now the company believes it has a group of...
- 4/2/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
More than a year after launching a new alliance aimed at boosting Madison Avenue’s ability to carve out audience niches in a manner similar to what is available online, the backers of the system have landed another teammate.
NBCUniversal will join “Open A.P.,” a platform offered by a consortium of media companies: Time Warner’s Turner; Viacom; and 21st Century Fox’s Fox Networks Group. The offering, which uses data from such providers as comScore and Nielsen and is operated and monitored by Accenture, allows advertisers to use a standard group of data sets when trying to define narrower segments of consumers, such as first-time car buyers, expectant mothers or avid moviegoers. Armed with reams of data about customer choice, viewer behavior and digital presence, Madison Avenue has grown more enchanted with “audience buying” deals that some blue-chip advertisers find more meaningful than the traditional parameters, which largely...
NBCUniversal will join “Open A.P.,” a platform offered by a consortium of media companies: Time Warner’s Turner; Viacom; and 21st Century Fox’s Fox Networks Group. The offering, which uses data from such providers as comScore and Nielsen and is operated and monitored by Accenture, allows advertisers to use a standard group of data sets when trying to define narrower segments of consumers, such as first-time car buyers, expectant mothers or avid moviegoers. Armed with reams of data about customer choice, viewer behavior and digital presence, Madison Avenue has grown more enchanted with “audience buying” deals that some blue-chip advertisers find more meaningful than the traditional parameters, which largely...
- 4/19/2018
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Viacom has acquired Whosay, a specialist in social-media influence marketing, seeing the move as a way to expand the media company’s advertising versatility. Financial terms were not disclosed. The companies are already acquainted. Over the past two years, Whosay has handled more than 50 campaigns for MTV, Bet and other Viacom properties. "We're excited about a deeper integration with Whosay and the strength of our combined capabilities," said Sean Moran, Viacom’s head of…...
- 1/8/2018
- Deadline TV
Since 2010, Scott Snyder has continually amazed readers with various stories featuring the Dark Knight that have since been deemed modern classics, a few of which were The Black Mirror, The Court of Owls, Death of the Family and Endgame. Not only did each prove to be incredible reads, but they also generously added something significant to Batman’s enduring mythology.
So, when Snyder’s much lauded run on Batman with Greg Capullo ended, fans understandably panicked. Thankfully, the superstar scribe has continued on, only with various other top tier artists in tow in the pages of All-Star Batman. And like many of you out there, we can’t help but give the series top marks whether it be in periodicals or trade paperback.
But, as you know, all good things must come to an end at some point, and the plug is being pulled on this particular title with issue #14 this fall.
So, when Snyder’s much lauded run on Batman with Greg Capullo ended, fans understandably panicked. Thankfully, the superstar scribe has continued on, only with various other top tier artists in tow in the pages of All-Star Batman. And like many of you out there, we can’t help but give the series top marks whether it be in periodicals or trade paperback.
But, as you know, all good things must come to an end at some point, and the plug is being pulled on this particular title with issue #14 this fall.
- 6/16/2017
- by Eric Joseph
- We Got This Covered
This post is a little outdated, and that’s entirely due to my faffing around and taking far too long to read emails, so don’t blame Jack. Er, sorry. – M
Jack
I’ve recently been catching up with The Wake, Scott Snyder’s fishy tale on DC’s Vertigo label, illustrated by Sean Murphy, now on its fourth issue of ten. The Wake is a story about a marine biologist who is brought into a government facility deep under the arctic sea to study a grisly looking merman beast, which inevitably escapes, rallies his mates and starts attacking the hapless science team. The story is interspersed with snippets of humankind’s ancient past and far future, the implications of which raise questions about the course of our evolutionary process and of course on the story in the present.
I was happy to give this series a go on the...
Jack
I’ve recently been catching up with The Wake, Scott Snyder’s fishy tale on DC’s Vertigo label, illustrated by Sean Murphy, now on its fourth issue of ten. The Wake is a story about a marine biologist who is brought into a government facility deep under the arctic sea to study a grisly looking merman beast, which inevitably escapes, rallies his mates and starts attacking the hapless science team. The story is interspersed with snippets of humankind’s ancient past and far future, the implications of which raise questions about the course of our evolutionary process and of course on the story in the present.
I was happy to give this series a go on the...
- 10/9/2013
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
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