Social Media Sensation JoJo Siwa Tapped as Cannon's Sidekick
Share it: @Nickelodeon #LipSyncBattleShorties
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Nickelodeon announced today that multi-faceted entertainer Nick Cannon
will take the mic as host of Lip
Sync Battle Shorties, a spinoff of Spike's Emmy-nominated global
phenomenon, Lip Sync Battle. Joining him to provide commentary on
each performance is breakout star and social media sensation JoJo Siwa,
who will serve as Cannon's sidekick. The 10-episode series, which
features real-life kids lip-syncing pop songs in celebration of their
favorite artists, will premiere in early 2018, with Halloween and
holiday specials set to air later this year.
"I'm excited to host the first season of Lip Sync Battle Shorties.
It's always a pleasure to work with my family at Nickelodeon. It's going
to be a lot of fun watching the kids lip-sync their favorite songs and
perform like their favorites artists," said host Nick Cannon.
"Nick Cannon grew up on Nickelodeon and into one of the best hosts and
comedic actors on TV. Along with his passion for music, he brings with
him such an amazing understanding and enthusiasm for kid performers. We
feel very lucky to have Nick at the helm of Shorties, we're ready to
rock!," said executive producers Casey Patterson and Jay Peterson.
"With Nick Cannon at the helm, every episode of Lip Sync Battle
Shorties will be an over-the-top Nickelodeon event, with real kids
in the driver's seat, battling head-to-head in the ultimate competition
show," said Bronwen O'Keefe, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Live
Action and Movies.
Nickelodeon premiered an hour-long Lip Sync Battle Shorties
special in December 2016, which posted double-and triple digit gains
with kids and drew more than two million total viewers (Live+7). Content
from the special has garnered over 20 million views on Nickelodeon's
YouTube channel to date.
Created and executive produced by Casey Patterson Entertainment
and Matador Content, Lip Sync Battle Shorties lets three talented
real-life kid participants personalize their performances, allowing them
to make decisions on all creative elements, from song and costume
selection, to choreography and staging. Each episode will also feature
the Shorties Dance Crew, a 10-person, in-house backup crew who has
mastered all styles of dance from breakdancing to ballroom, and conclude
with a special celebrity appearance and final performance from all the
kids.
Based on the pop culture phenomenon of lip-sync battling, the original
Spike Lip Sync Battle series features celebrities going head to
head--lip-syncing the song of their choice--battling for the coolest
bragging rights on the planet. The series is a ratings and multiplatform
superstar for Spike and is the most-watched original series in the
network's history. The award-winning and Emmy-nominated series is
executive produced by Casey Patterson, Jay Peterson of Matador Content,
John Krasinski, Stephen Merchant and Eight Million Plus Productions.
James Sunderland will serve as executive producer and showrunner.
Nick Cannon has entertained audiences in film, on television, on record,
onstage and online for nearly 20 years. The talented artist continues to
dominate all facets of entertainment as a comedian, host, actor, writer,
director, executive producer, deejay, philanthropist and children's book
author.
Breakout-star and social media sensation JoJo Siwa inked an overall
talent agreement with Nickelodeon, a global consumer products program
and will star in her upcoming TV special, JoJo Siwa: My World,
airing on Nickelodeon on Aug. 12, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
The two-time Emmy®-nominated Lip Sync Battle on Spike TV is a
global multiplatform powerhouse than can be seen in over 140 countries
worldwide. The critically-acclaimed series has delivered over one
billion cross-platform views since launch, over two million YouTube
Channel subscribers, over two million fans on Facebook, and is the most
watched original series in Spike history.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 38th year, is the number-one
entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by
putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes
television programming and production in the United States and around
the world, plus consumer products, digital, recreation, books and
feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more
than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated kids' basic
cable network for 22 consecutive years. For more information or artwork,
visit http://www.nickpress.com.
Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks
of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA,VIAB).
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170801006072/en/
Nickelodeon
Lilah Kojoori, 310-752-8206
lilah.kojoori@nick.com
or
Ariana
Urbont, 310-752-8079
ariana.urbont@nick.com
Source: Nickelodeon
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