By Dawn Chmielewski

(Reuters) – ViacomCBS Inc president Shari Redstone, who in the past has hinted at other deals to strengthen the media empire, said on Wednesday the company would focus on organic growth and seek opportunities to global expansion.

In an interview with Reuters Next, she said the company remains open to “always look at the opportunities out there”, but has no immediate urge to merge.

ViacomCBS, with its market valuation of $ 20.1 billion, is one-tenth the size of Walt Disney Co. Publicity, the company’s relatively smaller scale sparked speculation that Redstone would seek another deal.

“I think our growth trajectory is actually pretty high at this point,” Redstone said. “Our capacity for growth both nationally and internationally is on track. “

Redstone said that ViacomCBS’s collection of traditional media assets – its CBS broadcast network, cable networks including Comedy Central and MTV – provide the company with the opportunity to retain its core audience even as it reaches younger audiences. cord cutters via its streaming service, Paramount +. The strength of the business, she said, is in its content, reminiscent of her late father Sumner Redstone’s famous phrase about content as “king.”

While Paramount + emerges as a central focus for the company, Redstone said ViacomCBS no longer sees itself as an “arms dealer,” selling movies and TV shows to other streaming services. Instead, it focuses its resources internally. So while his hit Paramount Network television show “Yellowstone” may air on NBCUniversal’s Peacock, his spin-off, “1883”, will air on Paramount +.

“There is a definite change in the business now that we are creating content for our platform,” said Redstone.

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)