Variety and CNN expand awards season content partnership
Variety and CNN expand their programming partnership to deliver exclusive awards season coverage, jointly developing, producing and distributing premium content. Building on Actors on Actors and a Timothée Chalamet–Matthew McConaughey town hall, the brands will spotlight Emmys through Oscars moments for CNN subscribers and Variety readers.
Key Takeaways
- Variety and CNN will develop, produce and distribute premium awards-season programming together.
- The expanded deal builds on Actors on Actors, a Chalamet–McConaughey town hall and Oscar red-carpet coverage.
- Actors on Actors earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program.
- Existing joint shows stream on cnn.com/watch and the CNN app for subscribers.
What did Variety and CNN announce?
Variety and CNN are expanding a strategic content partnership for awards season. After earlier collaborations, the two brands said they will develop, produce and distribute premium programming together throughout the season.
The move matters for viewers who follow Hollywood’s biggest nights on streaming and digital platforms. Coverage is aimed at CNN’s streaming subscribers and Variety’s readers, according to statements from both companies. For more streaming and TV alerts, BlasterPost tracks major programming partnerships as they land.
Why does this partnership matter for awards season?
Awards season packs Emmys, Golden Globes and Oscars into a short window of high-demand interviews and live moments. Variety co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh said the collaboration will produce “definitive, conversation-leading coverage,” giving audiences “front-row seats” from the Emmys through the Oscars.
Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development for CNN Worldwide, said the partnership expands how CNN serves audiences by bringing them closer to conversations and artists shaping entertainment. She also pointed to high-impact programming and cultural moments that resonate beyond the screen for subscribers.
What shows already come from the Variety-CNN alliance?
The expanded pact follows a strong year of joint projects. Those include “Variety & CNN Actors on Actors,” “A CNN & Variety Town Hall Event: Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey,” and “CNN & Variety Red Carpet Live” at the 98th Academy Awards.
Last week, “Variety and CNN Actors on Actors” received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program. The nod recognizes the first season of the franchise that premiered exclusively for CNN’s streaming subscribers. Past two seasons of the Emmy Award-winning Actors on Actors franchise are part of the growing slate.
Those programs are available to stream via cnn.com/watch or the CNN app for CNN streaming subscribers, Variety reported. Full details of the announcement are in Variety’s report.
What should viewers expect next?
Neither brand listed a full episode calendar in the announcement. The stated plan is more longform projects spotlighting major entertainment stars across awards season, building on the model already tested with Actors on Actors and the town hall special.
For fans, the practical takeaway is clearer access: exclusive and co-branded awards coverage routed through CNN’s streaming product and Variety’s platforms, rather than one-off specials alone.