Sumner Redstone (born May 27, 1923, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.—died August 11, 2020, Los Angeles, California), was an American media mogul whose company, National Amusements Inc. (NAI), acquired leading film, television, and entertainment properties. He is credited with coining the term ‘multiplex’. At his peak, Redstone’s empire included CBS and Viacom (VIACA).
Sumner Redstone studied at the Boston Latin School and went on to attend Harvard College (B.A., 1944) and Harvard Law School (L.L.B., 1947). After practising law in Washington, D.C., and Boston, he joined his father’s company, National Amusements, Inc., in 1954, and in 1967, he became its president and CEO. He transformed NAI into one of the largest movie theatre chains in the United States. Redstone built new movie theatres near suburban shopping malls and acquired large shares in studio-owned theatres. Due to his contribution to the world of entertainment, he also received a star Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.
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In 1987, Redstone became head of Viacom when NAI took a controlling interest in the cable network. Thereafter ensued a series of acquisitions over the next 15 years, including Black Entertainment Television (BET), MTV Networks, United Paramount Network (UPN), publisher Simon & Schuster, and majority shares in Comedy Central and Blockbuster Inc. In 1999, Viacom purchased CBS for $37 billion—the largest entertainment merger up to that date. The combined company was known as Viacom, though the various CBS units retained their names. A reorganisation in 2006, however, restored Viacom and CBS as separate entities.
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