Niels Schuurmans Named CMO for Viacom’s Paramount Network

Niels Schuurmans was named chief marketing officer for Viacom’s Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT.

Viacom plans to rebrand its Spike network in the U.S. as the Paramount Network in 2018. Viacom has Paramount networks in markets around the world.

Schuurmans—who has been chief creative officer and executive VP of creative and branded content for Viacom Velocity—will report to Kevin Kay, president of Spike TV, TV Land and CMT.

“I am so thrilled to welcome Niels back home to Spike—and to two new destinations for him, TV Land and CMT,” said Kay. “Niels is a marketing visionary with a keen sense of brand building through innovation and creativity. With a successful track-record of creating and developing new brand identities at Viacom, he will play a vital role in the evolution of Paramount Network, along with working to grow and evolve TV Land and CMT.”  

Schuurmans has been with Viacom for 25 years. He helped launch Spike as “The First Network for Men” in 2003. He began his career at Nickelodeon.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.