Release

PARAMOUNT+ ANNOUNCES SERIES ORDER FOR “PLAYERS”

Series Co-Created and Executive Produced by Peabody Award Winners

Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault (“American Vandal”)

Comedic Documentary-Style Series Will Explore the World of Esports

Through a Fictional League of Legends Team’s Pursuit of a Championship

Series Produced by CBS Studios in Association with Funny Or Die

August 27, 2021 – Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, today announced a new series order for PLAYERS. From the Peabody Award-winning creators of “American Vandal,” Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, PLAYERS is a comedic documentary-style series that follows a fictional pro League of Legends esports team, as they pursue their first championship after years of close calls and heartache. To win it all, they will need their prodigy, a 17-year-old rookie, and their 27-year-old veteran to put their egos aside and work together.

PLAYERS, produced by CBS Studios in association with Funny Or Die, reunites the Peabody Award-winning producing team behind Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda’s critically acclaimed freshman series “American Vandal.” In addition to co-creating and executive producing alongside Perrault, Yacenda will also direct. Funny Or Die’s Joe Farrell and Mike Farah also serve as executive producers alongside Tim McAuliffe, Riot Games, 3Arts’ Ari Lubet and Brillstein Entertainment Partners’ Todd Sellers.

Riot Games’ “League of Legends” is the most-played PC game in the world and generates billions of hours of gameplay per year. League of Legends is also the largest esport on the planet, with the 2020 League of Legends World Championship Finals generating a record-breaking 23.04 million average minute audience.

PLAYERS joins Paramount+’s growing comedic slate which includes iCARLY, NO ACTIVITY, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, the dark dramedy WHY WOMEN KILL, and animated adult comedies STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS and STEPHEN COLBERT PRESENTS TOONING OUT THE NEWS. Other upcoming comedy series include animated series THE HARPER HOUSE and more to be announced.

About Paramount+

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from ViacomCBS, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Streaming’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.

For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

About CBS Studios

CBS Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming with more than 70 series currently in production across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio’s expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, genre-defining franchises including the ever-growing “Star Trek” universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, and an extensive library of iconic intellectual property.

About Funny Or Die

Funny Or Die is a premiere entertainment brand and independent comedy studio that creates award-winning premium content in TV, digital and beyond. FOD reaches a global audience of more than 40 million people. Television credits include the critically-acclaimed Brockmire for IFC, Emmy nominated Billy on the Street, the Peabody award-winning American Vandal for Netflix, the Emmy nominated Sarah Silverman series I Love You, America for Hulu, and the feature films, Between Two Ferns: The Movie for Netflix, and Impractical Jokers: The Movie for Warner Media. Funny Or Die’s new true crime documentary series For Heaven’s Sake recently premiered on Paramount + as did the new animated season of No Activity. Over the past year, Funny Or Die produced two primetime specials, Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event for CBS, and Feeding America Comedy Festival on NBC.

About LoL Esports™

LoL Esports is a premier global sport that has attracted the attention of millions of fans around the world since 2010. More than 800 players on 100+ professional League of Legends esports teams compete across a dozen leagues globally. Within each regional league, teams compete against one another over the course of two seasonal splits in hopes of earning regional titles and championship points. LoL Esports boasts a roster of industry-leading global sponsors and best-in-class partners. For more information, visit: www.lolesports.com and www.lolesportsmedia.com.

* * *

Paramount+ Press Contacts:

Morgan Seal

646-424-4321

morgan.seal@cbsi.com

Eve Kenny

201-452-1831

eve.kenny@cbsi.com

CBS Studios Press Contact:

Kacy Barrasas

818-655-7220

kacy.barrasas@cbs.com

Riot Games’ LoL Esports Press Contact:

David Higdon

704-390-3802

dhigdon@riotgames.com

Funny Or Die Press Contact:

Carolyn Prousky

323-251-4227

carolyn@funnyordie.com