Byron Allen Acquires Popular African-American Digital News Platform

Entertainment Studios, Inc., (www.es.tv) one of the largest independent producers and distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations, and owner of seven 24-hour HD cable television networks (PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, and JUSTICECENTRAL.TV), proudly announces its acquisition of the New York-based African-American focused digital news platform TheGrio (www.TheGrio.com).TheGrio – which means’storyteller’ in Africa – is a digital video-centric news community platform providing compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national media outlets. TheGrio’s editorial mandate is focused on breaking news, opinion, politics, business, entertainment, health, sports, and events that have a unique interest and/or pronounced impact within the African-American community. TheGrio generates 3 million unique visitors per month, in addition to reaching a highly-engaged social media audience.”We are excited to have TheGrio join Byron Allen’s ever-expanding Entertainment Studios media empire,” says David A. Wilson, Co-Founder and Executive Editor of TheGrio. “Byron shares our vision of growing TheGrio into the leading video content creator and distribution platform for African-Americans. We look forward to developing the next iteration of TheGrio, and the fact that it will remain 100 percent African American-owned is very significant.””David Wilson and his founding partner Dan Woolsey have done an incredible job these past 7 years building TheGrio, and we are one thousand percent committed to continue expanding this digital news community’s reach across all global media platforms, including our broadcast television syndication programs, cable television networks, and motion picture division,” said Byron Allen, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Entertainment Studios. “We plan on investing heavily in digital publishing, and TheGrio has an excellent management team, making it the perfect asset to start our portfolio of online publishing.”