Today, the digital channels of The Ed Sullivan Show have surpassed one billion total views across all channels (including YouTube, Apple Music and Facebook) in tandem with reaching the 500K YouTube subscribers milestone. The long-running variety show expanded its reach exponentially via a global digital rights agreement between UMe and SOFA Entertainment Inc. with more than
250 million YouTube views since June 2020. The library encompasses the show’s historic 23-year primetime run on CBS. Scores of rarities were made available digitally for the first-time including iconic entertainers and influential figures from just about every category of cultural relevance, including music, comedy, sports, film, dance, opera and Broadway.
Across YouTube/Apple Music/Facebook, the most-viewed clips include The Jackson 5‘s “I Want You Back” (58.5M streams), Elvis Presley‘s “Hound Dog” (53.8M streams) and “Don’t Be Cruel” (47.6M streams), Ike & Tina Turner‘s “Proud Mary” (47.5M streams), The Temptations‘ “Get Ready/Stop! In The Name of Love/My Guy” (34.8M streams), Neil Diamond‘s “Sweet Caroline” (27M streams), Janis Joplin‘s “Maybe” (25.4M streams), and The Mamas & The Papas‘ “Words Of Love” (20.7M streams), “California Dreamin'” (17.8M streams), and “Creeque Alley” (16M streams).
“UMe and SOFA Entertainment’s goal was to bring the incredible performances from The Ed Sullivan Show to the streaming era and to new audiences,” comments Bruce Resnikoff, UMe President & CEO. “We are extremely proud to have reached these milestones as a result of our collaboration and we’re excited about the future.”
“Ed Sullivan was responsible for so many pivotal music and culturally significant television moments. These milestones underscore the overwhelming positive response we have seen as fans have embraced streaming these amazing performances and revitalized the brand,” adds Josh Solt, CEO of SOFA Entertainment.
“Our decades-long relationship with UMe has been crucial to successfully making these historic and memorable segments available for people around the world to enjoy,” adds Andrew Solt, Founder of SOFA Entertainment.
The popularity of the show could change the way marketers look at new media as a way to reach aging boomers as apposed to it simply being a sea of early adopting digital natives.
