Viacom International Media Networks To Launch "Comedy Central" Channel In Southeast Asia

From Examiner:

Comedy Central to launch in Southeast Asia

Next month, Viacom will launch Comedy Central in Southeast Asia. This comes after the station entered the Asian market in January with Comedy Central India. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Viacom is striving to make Comedy Central its #3 global network (after MTV and Nickelodeon). Already, it is available in over 200 million+ households globally.

Viacom also shares that content in foreign markets is different than what we see domestically. Many countries see local comedians, U.S. sitcoms, and local programming.

“Comedy Central is our fastest growing brand, and we want to ride that global momentum into our sixth continent, Asia, where we see a vibrant and growing population with a great hunger for new programming. We continue to expand the regional success of our adult-focused business internationally as ratings for Comedy Central improved 27 percent across the board, with double-digit increases in markets, including the U.K, Germany, Spain, Poland, The Netherlands, Sweden and Hungary," Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said on his company's quarterly earnings conference call in August. "Comedy Central is fast becoming our third global brand." Bob Bakish, CEO of Viacom International Media Networks“

Also, from The Hollywood Reporter:

Comedy Central Continues Global Expansion With Southeast Asia Launch

Comedy Central
The channel is fast becoming Viacom's third major global network brand after MTV and Nickelodeon.

LONDON - Viacom continues to push ahead with its plans to make Comedy Central its third major global network brand after MTV and Nickelodeon with a launch in Southeast Asia set for next month.

The move will mark the comedy powerhouse's broader foray into Asia, where other Viacom channels already have a solid presence, following the January launch of Comedy Central India.

Viacom says that Comedy Central, which debuted in the U.S. in 1991 and features somewhat different content abroad, including local shows, local standup and U.S. sitcoms, is the only global, multi-platform entertainment brand that is fully focused on comedy 24 hours a day.

Comedy Central's portfolio of comedy channels can be seen in such countries as the U.K., Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Hungary, Poland, Israel and Australia. Overall, Comedy Central can be seen in 200 million-plus households in more than 70 territories. Overall, Viacom has 23 comedy channels, including Paramount Comedy in Russia and Spain and a slew of Comedy Central-branded channels.

Over the past six months, Comedy Central has launched in Latin America, India and Africa. It has also added Comedy Central Extra in such countries as the Netherlands and a network branded as Paramount Comedy in Russia.

Next up, Comedy Central Asia is set to launch, debuting in such key Southeast Asian markets as Singapore, the Philippines and Cambodia on November 1.

Among the programming on Comedy Central Asia will be The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, South Park, The Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff, such sitcoms as Happily Divorced, Workaholics and Mind Your Language, sketch comedy show Key & Peele and Asian comedy highlights, such as The Noose, a top-rated Singapore-produced comedy series spoofing news shows.

“Comedy Central is our fastest growing brand, and we want to ride that global momentum into our sixth continent, Asia, where we see a vibrant and growing population with a great hunger for new programming," said Bob Bakish, CEO of Viacom International Media Networks.

"We continue to expand the regional success of our adult-focused business internationally as ratings for Comedy Central improved 27 percent across the board, with double-digit increases in markets, including the U.K, Germany, Spain, Poland, The Netherlands, Sweden and Hungary," Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said on his company's quarterly earnings conference call in August. "Comedy Central is fast becoming our third global brand."

Earlier this year, the channel launched in Latin America. Comedy Central Latin America offers 24-hour entertainment targeted at the Latin-American audience, including sitcoms, animation fare, movies, acquisitions and local productions. Shows include Mr. Sunshine, Married With Children, The Sarah Silverman Show and local originals such as The Spooky Show.

Among other recent launches, Viacom at the start of August brought Comedy Central Extra to more than 1 million homes in the Adria region, which includes Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Macedonia, via cable operator and Internet provider Serbian Broadband.

Comedy Central Extra is a network dedicated to Comedy Central's original U.S. programming. It first launched in the U.K. in 2009, followed by The Netherlands in Nov. 2011.

"We have recently launched Comedy Central Extra in a couple of markets as an additional brand," said Dan Ligtvoet, chair of the Comedy Central International brand team and executive vp, managing director of the Viacom International Media Networks north Europe cluster. "It's more like comedy for specialists - it's closer to the Comedy Central you know from the U.S. with South Park, The Daily Show, Colbert Report and Workaholics. We are looking at Comedy Central Extra and are seeing increasing demand from our affiliate partners."

The Comedy Central global growth push is part of Viacom's, and other entertainment conglomerate's attempt to add growth drivers outside the more mature U.S. market.

"Last year, we did about $200 million of operating income in our international media networks," Dauman said earlier this year. "And I expect that to at least triple to quadruple over the next five years."

International Viacom Comedy Central Philippe Dauman MTV Nickelodeon

Also, from Media Research Asia.com:

Comedy Central Rolling Out To 8 Asian Markets

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) is set to launch the first 24-hr all-comedy channel, Comedy Central Asia on Thursday, November 1 at 12pm (SG/PH) in seven territories with nine providers – Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Mongolia. The eighth territory, Thailand, will begin transmission of Comedy Central Asia on December 1 via IPTV operator TOT IPTV.

Comedy Central Asia will kick off with one feed on November 1 reaching subscribers of Singapore’s StarHub, the Philippines’s SkyTel, Cambodia's PPCTV Co., LTD and One TV, Myanmar’s SkyNet DTH, Papua New Guinea’s Channel 8 and HiTRON, Samoa’s Bluesky Moana TV and Mongolia’s SkyMedia. Singapore’s MediaCorp will launch the channel in the first quarter of 2013 via its Over-The-Top (OTT) interactive service, Toggle. Comedy Central Asia will air 24 hours a day, seven days a week in both standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD). Viewing platforms include cable, IPTV, OTT, MMDS, DVBT, DTH, as well as online and mobile simulcast.

Comedy Central Asia’s programming line-up will feature Primetime Emmy® award-winning political talk show The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Peabody® prize-winner South Park and Charlie Sheen’s latest comedy hit Anger Management, which is exclusive to Comedy Central Asia.

The Channel will debut with Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff, part of the Emmy-nominated COMEDY CENTRAL Roast series where a special roastee is hand-picked to sit on the hot seat and take it on the chin for the evening with good-natured ribbing from colleagues and comics. This is followed by the sitcom Happily Divorced and the first run of stand-up special Jo Koy: Lights Out. Localized programming during the weekend includes a two-episode marathon of The Noose, a top-rated, Singapore-produced news spoof comedy.

Classic titles Just for Laughs and Mind Your Language, original sketch-comedy Key & Peele, sitcoms Workaholics and The Sarah Silverman Program, gag show Boiling Points and the celebrity special Comedy Central Roast of Roseanne will also be aired on the Channel.

“Launching the Channel in seven markets at one shot is an amazing feat and is proof of the confidence that operators have in the Channel. With less than a week to go, we are eagerly awaiting the launch of Comedy Central Asia. Viewers will laugh out loud with our hilarious programmes from the U.S., the U.K. and Asia,” said VIMN’s Executive Vice President/Managing Director Asia, Indra Suharjono.

Comedy Central Asia will be the platform to showcase Asian comedy and comedic talent. In addition to subtitling, localisation initiatives in the pipeline include local productions, commissions and more acquisitions.

Comedy Central is VIMN’s third global brand (after MTV and Nickelodeon) and expands VIMN’s current offerings in Asia by moving into the adult-skewed entertainment sphere, targeting viewers aged 18 to 34 years old with comedy content round-the-clock.

Comedy Central is the only 100% global comedy network, currently seen in more than 200 million homes in over 70 countries around the world. Comedy Central Asia joins the portfolio of comedy channels for Viacom International Media Networks, which are seen in various markets such as Latin America, Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Holland, New Zealand, Hungary, Poland, Israel, and Austria.

Source: Viacom