CMT GREENLIGHTS 11 ADDITIONAL EPISODES OF HIT SERIES “DOG AND BETH: ON THE HUNT” TO BEGIN AIRING IN AUGUST
05/21/13
DOG AND BETH Ranks as CMT’s Current #1 Series and Has Ignited Highest Social Media Engagement in the Network’s History
LOS ANGELES – May 21, 2013 – Bounty hunters ‘Dog’, Beth and Leland Chapman will continue their nationwide crusade to hunt down America’s most dangerous fugitives, as CMT has picked up an additional 11 episodes of the first season of DOG AND BETH: ON THE HUNT, it was announced today by Jayson Dinsmore, EVP, Development, CMT. The full first season order will now total 22 episodes; production on the back 11 will begin immediately, and will air in August. DOG AND BETH: ON THE HUNT is currently premiering new episodes every Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CMT.
“We knew Dog and Beth would shake up the programming landscape at CMT and they’ve done just that, more than doubling our quarter-to-date prime average,” said Dinsmore. “In addition to ratings success, the show has seen the largest level of social media engagement of any previous CMT series, with an incredibly dedicated, impassioned fan base. Dog, Beth, Leland and Electus are fantastic to work with, and we look forward to getting them back on the road to continue the hunt.”
Chris Grant, Electus CEO adds: “CMT has been an amazing partner in bringing this new franchise to life. This is only the beginning of the next chapter in the incredible story of Dog, Beth and Leland’s mission, and we’re excited to continue this adventure.”
Through its first five weeks on air, DOG AND BETH: ON THE HUNT ranks as CMT’s top current series, growing substantially in Live +3, averaging over one million total viewers. Repeats of the show continually over-index on the channel, tracking at +42% above other CMT originals. On video-on-demand, the DOG AND BETH: THE PREVIEW SPECIAL (which originally aired on CMT April 14) is the highest performing long-form series ever offered by the network over a two week time span.
On social media, DOG AND BETH has garnered a rabid, faithful following on both Facebook via the CMT Dog and Beth page and via Twitter; using the hashtag #CMTDogAndBeth, which trended nationally during the show’s premiere. The show’s FB page has grown to over 260,000 “Likes” and fan responses to posts on the FB page have reached as high as 22,000 per post, marking an unprecedented level of engagement across the network’s social pages. The CMT-created FB app “The Dog Pack” has grown to almost 50,000 members, and provides super fans with exclusive content each week.
Dog and Beth are an iconic television duo and the most celebrated bounty hunters in the business today. In addition to eight successful seasons of their hit reality series, Dog Chapman is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book You Can Run But You Can't Hide and his follow-up memoir Where Mercy Is Shown, Mercy Is Given. DOG AND BETH: ON THE HUNT was created by Dog and Beth Chapman through their production company, Entertainment By Bonnie and Clyde. The series is executive-produced by Electus (Ben Silverman, Chris Grant and Jimmy Fox), Jeff Cvengros and CMT’s Jayson Dinsmore, Joe Livecchi and Eliot Goldberg.
For more of DOG AND BETH: ON THE HUNT, visit the official show page at CMT.com, join the conversation on Facebook or follow the latest updates via @CMT on Twitter using hashtag #CMTDogAndBeth. Additional information about Dog and Beth Chapman can be found on their website, www.dogthebountyhunter.com, or via Twitter at @DogBountyHunter (Dog Chapman) and @MrsdogC (Beth Chapman). More information on Leland Chapman can be found on his website, www.lelandbchapman.com, or via Twitter at @LelandBChapman (Leland Chapman).
About CMT
CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network’s digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.
About Electus
Electus is the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world, including: broadcast, cable, digital, OTT and various emerging technologies. The company connects advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be true partners in campaigns and content creation. Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, is responsible for all international sales and distribution for Electus' programming and its studio partners as well as programs and formats from other well-known 3rd party providers. Electus is an operating business of IAC [NASDAQ: IACI].
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PRESS CONTACT:
Cindy Finke (615) 335-8404 cindy.finke@cmt.com
