USA Network Kicks Off Sizzling Summer with Entertainment Weekly and the Haagen-Dazs® Brand

NEW YORK, May 27 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Network announced today that is has teamed up with Entertainment Weekly and the Haagen-Dazs brand for the launch of its slate of summer originals with a multi-tiered program. This June, the number one cable network, will launch its biggest summer programming line-up to date with six original series -- four returning and two new franchises. To reinforce its position as the definitive home to originals and generate summer buzz for its premieres, USA is teaming up with Entertainment Weekly, America's leading consumer magazine in the entertainment category, and superpremium ice cream brand Haagen-Dazs for a multi-faceted summer campaign. The program will launch with an elaborate three-day outdoor screening event in NYC, offering audiences an exclusive opportunity to view USA's six summer originals before they air on USA in a completely customized outdoor environment complete with a DJ, lounge, and artisan snacks. Additionally, USA and Entertainment Weekly will co-present a promotional guide to summer fun in 10 cities, which will be distributed at various outlets throughout the summer. Ads for USA's original series will also be featured prominently in Entertainment Weekly's annual Best of Summer issue, on stands May 27.  

"At USA we are always looking for ways to elevate our series above the competition and align ourselves with partners who bring expertise and value," said Alexandra Shapiro, senior vice president, brand marketing and digital, USA. "In building excitement about our summer programming we couldn't have found a better partner than Entertainment Weekly, a brand that offers unparalleled access to the world of entertainment and a fun, celebratory summer spirit that perfectly complements our own."

"USA Network delivers such terrific programming and has become very well known for its unique tune-in campaigns especially these last few seasons," said Jason Wagenheim, Publisher of Entertainment Weekly.  "We pride ourselves on creating well-rounded and relevant marketing extensions for our best partners, so it made perfect sense for us to collaborate with the Haagen-Dazs brand to help launch USA Network's highly-anticipated summer line-up.  This program underscores everything EW and our Best of Summer issue is about -- celebrating the best in entertainment and helping our readers have more fun!"

The summer screening series, presented by USA Network, will feature premiere episodes of four returning favorites and two new originals over the course of three nights: WHITE COLLAR & COVERT AFFAIRS (Tuesday, May 31), ROYAL PAINS & NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (Wednesday, June 1) and BURN NOTICE & SUITS (Thursday, June 2). The "Summer on USA" celebration will begin each night at 6:30pm at New York's Hudson River Park's Pier 46, located at Charles Street and the West Side highway, which will be transformed into a deluxe outdoor screening area complete with branded seating, a lounge, sleek cabanas, and complimentary food & beverage stations. Screenings on the special 35-foot screen will commence at 8:00pm and attendees will be able to sample additional show content on-site via pre-loaded iPads.

Throughout the course of the screenings, guests will be treated to complimentary treats including the new, first-of-its-kind Haagen-Dazs Sundae cone now available at grocery stores nationwide.  Additional food and beverage offerings will include artisan franks from Brooklyn's beloved Bark Hot Dogs, sophisticated, all-natural icy treats from Kelvin Natural Slushies, San Pellegrino sparkling beverages and fresh popcorn. Awesome Dudes Screen Printers will be on-site creating custom-printed T-shirts featuring iconic USA Summer designs.

The USA/Entertainment Weekly promotional summer guide, a 32-page special supplement, will be distributed at the screening events via street teams. The 2011 promotional summer guide, which is also available online at EW.com/ew/inside/promotions, was created to help consumers navigate summer fun in their own cities across the following categories: Outdoor Fun, Festivals & Concerts, Food & Drink, Arts & Culture, Fashion & Shopping, and Family-Friendly, as well as music, films and books. The guide features 10 cities (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC) and includes ads from USA's six summer launches.

In conjunction with Entertainment Weekly and Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream, USA will continue the summer fun by taking to the streets of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston to distribute Haagen-Dazs ice cream cones and the USA/Entertainment Weekly 2011 promotional summer guide. Branded ice cream carts, bikes and scooters will make their way through these five cities on June 22 and 23 to promote the series premiere of SUITS and on June 28 and 29 to promote the new series premiere of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS.  

USA launches its biggest summer ever with its line-up of returning favorites and new originals.  WHITE COLLAR returns for a third season on Tuesday, June 7, at 9/8c followed by the second season premiere of COVERT AFFAIRS at 10/9c.  BURN NOTICE returns for season five on Thursday, June 23, at 9/8c followed by the series premiere of SUITS at 10/9c.  ROYAL PAINS returns for season three on Wednesday, June 29, at 9/8c followed by the freshman debut of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS at 10/9c.  For more information on USA's summer launches please visit: http://www.nbcumv.com/.  

ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY AND EW.COM

Entertainment Weekly helps readers have fun.  It is your all-access pass to Hollywood's most creative minds and most fascinating stars. The print weekly was introduced by Time Inc. in 1990 and is America's leading consumer magazine in the entertainment category, with a guaranteed circulation rate base of nearly 1.8 million and a combined audience of over 17 million loyal, engaged fans. It is a winner of four National Magazine Awards (two for General Excellence, one for Design and one for Special Interest) and in 2010 was named one of MIN's Most Engaged Media Brands.  Entertainment Weekly is the first to know about the best (and worst) in entertainment, and with sharp insight and a trusted voice, EW keeps readers plugged into pop culture. This is where buzz begins.

Each day, EW.com publishes dozens of online-only articles, blog posts, videos, and photo galleries -- plus a complete archive of Entertainment Weekly magazine.  Over the last year EW.com has received more than a half dozen industry awards including the 2010 Ad Age Media Vanguard award for Best Magazine App with a Purpose for the Must List App. In May 2010, the site set new records with 8.3 million uniques and 117mm pageviews and in 2009 eclipsed 1 billion page views in a calendar year for the first time ever.  

ABOUT USA

USA Network is the No. 1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. A division of NBCUniversal, USA is the cable-television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series, and entertainment events. The award-winning USA Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

SOURCE USA Network