Tag: Comedy Central

  • Apple TV gets Disney Channels app, Microsofts Xbox offers Time Warner Cable

    Apple TV gets Disney Channels app, Microsofts Xbox offers Time Warner Cable

    MUMBAI: Apple and Microsoft have added new channels to their streaming video devices that boost their available content. It’s a step forward for both gadgets but doesn’t break the a la carte wall just yet. Apple TV was upgraded to include apps for Disney channels – pay TV subscription required – Vevo and the Weather Channel, while Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console added a subscription-contingent Time Warner Cable app. The latter offers access to 300 TV channels including CNN, AMC and Comedy Central.
        

    Blair Westlake, corporate VP of Microsoft’s media and entertainment group, told the Wall Street Journal’s Digits blog that his company had considered licensing channels directly from media companies to create a service similar to the kinds of online cable TV products planned by Intel and Sony. “We looked at it and said if we can deliver an app or apps like the one we are lighting up today” with Time Warner Cable, that’s “really what people expect.”

  • Celebrate this Friendship Day with Comedy Central and Gloria Jean’s Coffees

    Celebrate this Friendship Day with Comedy Central and Gloria Jean’s Coffees

    Mumbai, July 26, 2013: ‘Two is company, three’s a crowd’… as goes the famous saying but Comedy Central India’s new sitcom ‘Threesome’ is here to change that view. The sitcom is all about friends and to promote this, Comedy Central India and Gloria Jean’s Coffees has launched awesome ‘Threesome’ offer- ‘Buy 2 Get 1 Free’ on Café Latte. So, head to Gloria Jean’s Coffees for gourmet coffee experience with your best buddies this friendship day.

    The famous American sitcom ‘Threesome’, recently launched by Comedy Central India, is an award winning sitcom which is about three inseparable friends- one girl, two boys and three possibilities. 

    Hence, this friendship day the channel celebrates the spirit of best friends by indulging in the special offer at the city’s best hangout café.

    Grab you Awesome Threesome Offer – ‘Buy 2 Get 1 free’, From August 1st 2013

  • Get ready for a primetime filled with laughter this August only on Comedy Central

    Get ready for a primetime filled with laughter this August only on Comedy Central

    National, July 29, 2013: This August, gear up to laugh it off with three exciting shows on India’s only 24×7 laughter destination – Comedy Central. The channel offers the best & freshest comedy from all over India, month after month and this month it’s ready to introduce three of the most hilarious shows as part of its primetime line-up. Receiving worldwide acclamation and making their way into your home to take you on a laughter riot, ‘Hot in Cleveland’ premiers 5th August at 10pm with ‘Outsourced’ & ‘Mindy Project’ premiering on 12th August at 10.30pm and 11pm, every Monday to Wednesday on Comedy Central India!

    ABOUT THE SHOWS:

    Hot In Cleveland:

    Hot in Cleveland is a series based on three 40-something best friends who are flying from Los Angeles to Paris when their plane makes an emergency landing in Cleveland. They realize that all the norms from Los Angeles doesn’t apply anymore, they decide to celebrate a city that values real women.

    The show has won many awards from Best Television Episodic Comedy in EMA Awards in 2011 to Favorite Cable TV Comedy in The People’s Choice Awards in 2012 and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor (Betty White) at Screen Actor Guild Awards for three consecutive years.
    Celebrate the spirit of being a woman from August 5, 2013, Monday – Wednesday at 10.00pm only on Comedy Central.

    Outsourced:

    Outsourced is an American sitcom that is set in an Indian workplace. The show focuses on Todd Dempsey, an American novelty products salesman who heads to India to train a group of customer service representatives, after his entire department is outsourced. The frolic begins when his employees working for the Mid America Novelties call center clash with other call center managers in the same building. Cultural differences and love-hate relationship between the employees and manager brings the comic quotient to the show.
    The show was nominated in 2011 at People’s Choice Awards, NAMIC Vision Awards and Art Directors Guild under various categories.

    Outsourced will premiere on August 12, 2013, Monday-Wednesday at 10.30pm only on Comedy Central

    Mindy Project:

    The sitcom reflects the life of a young gynaecologist, Mindy Lahiri. Her struggle to balance her personal and professional life is portrayed with a comic twist. She is surrounded by quirky co-workers who consistently add to the fun factor to her already adventurous life.
    Nominated this year at prestigious awards like Writer’s Guild of America, Television Critics Association Award, Teen Choice Award and the most prominent- The People’s Choice Award in the category of Favorite New TV Comedy, the show has blown the minds of the audience throughout the globe with its witty one liners. The show also won the Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Producer.

    Witness the joyride, starting August 12, 2013, Monday – Wednesday at 11.00pm only on Comedy Central.

  • Sandeep Dahiya appointed as director and biz-head – brand extensions with The Times Group

    Sandeep Dahiya appointed as director and biz-head – brand extensions with The Times Group

    MUMBAI: Sandeep Dahiya who was sr VP and business head – consumer products at Vaicom 18 has moved on to The Times Group as director and biz-head – brand extensions where he would report to Bennet, Coleman and Co‘s COO Shrijeet Mishra.

    The Times Group, director and biz-head – brand Sandeep Dahiya

    At Viacom18 Sandeep spent eight years across various functions – communications, corporate affairs and consumer products. Over the last five years, he was heading the consumer products business for all Viacom18 brands namely – MTV, Vh1, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Sonic and Nick-Junior and Colors as well as communications. At the consumer products end, Vaicom 18 ended the last financial year with a retail turnover of close to Rs 260-265 crore around MTV and Nickelodeon products, with a presence in over 50 categories and over 65 licensees.

    Dahiya stated, “The reason for shift was a greater challenge and an exciting opportunity. The Times Group has a portfolio of brands that resonate extremely well with their respective consumers. The idea is to extend some of these brands beyond their core businesses, thus driving more engagement and growth. It feels great. It is one of the only media companies that has stayed ahead of the industry growth curve, by virtue of sheer innovation, differentiated way of looking at the business and a great team.”

  • Comedy Central US launches a stand-up app for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

    Comedy Central US launches a stand-up app for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Comedy Central has announced the launch of CC: Stand-Up, a free app for iPhone and iPad, available exclusively on the App Store. This video App is a stand-alone extension of the channel that brings comedy fans a new stand-up channel, a tool to discover new comics and a platform for sharing comedic content.

    Comedy Central adds that it has a history with stand-up. The genre has been a part of the brand since its launch in 1991. As home to the largest stand-up library in the world, the brand‘s CC: Stand-Up App features over 700 comedians, giving fans deep access to a constant stream of content. The App‘s tool for discovery, “Six Degrees of Stand-Up”, uses a recommendation algorithm that will enmesh fans into a web of comedic connections to discover new comics.

    For example, after viewing Pete Holmes, Six Degrees generates a web of additional comedians based on similar sensibilities (alternative comedy), topics (animals) and relationships (love of Ryan Gosling).

    With comedy content being the social currency in which young men connect, the App also gives fans the ability to watch curated playlists and share videos via Facebook and Twitter.

    Viacom Entertainment Group executive VP multi-platform strategy, development Erik Flannigan said, “At its simplest, CC: Stand-Up is a digitally distributed, pure stand-up channel, in which fans can immerse themselves for hours with just one touch. Layered onto that is an intuitive on-demand and recommendation platform, which makes the discovery of new comedians something fun to explore. It‘s got the whole ‘lean forward, lean back‘ thing people always talk about, only for real.”

    The CC: Stand-Up App content will be promoted on all the broadcaster‘s brand extensions including the linear channel, cc.com, Comedy Central Certified Clubs, Comedy Central Radio and Comedy Central Live Entertainment.

    Axe Face is the official launch sponsor and has created a “Laugh Your Face Off” featured playlist.

  • Amazon, Viacom announce multi-year video licensing agreement

    Amazon, Viacom announce multi-year video licensing agreement

    MUMBAI: Online retail major Amazon.com and US media conglomerate Viacom have announced an expanded multi-year, multi-national digital video licensing agreement to bring hundreds of TV shows and thousands of TV episodes from Viacom to Prime Instant Video.

    This deal includes a collection of TV shows that customers won‘t find on any other digital video subscription service. Prime members will now have unlimited instant streaming access to popular kids programming such as ‘Bubble Guppies‘, ‘The Backyardigans‘, ‘Team Umizoomi‘, ‘Blue‘s Clues‘ and ‘Victorious‘, along with shows from MTV and Comedy Central like ‘Awkward‘, ‘Tosh.0‘ and ‘Workaholics‘. Prime members will also have access to future episodes of ‘Dora the Explorer‘, ‘SpongeBob SquarePants‘, ‘Fairly Odd Parents‘ and ‘Fresh Beat Band‘. Lovefilm customers in the UK and Germany will get some of the same shows later this summer.

    Select shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. will be available in Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, a service built just for kids that gives them the freedom to explore books, games, educational apps, movies and TV shows, while providing parents with the tools they need to manage their kids‘ screen time.

    Amazon VP of digital video and music Bill Carr said, “Kids‘ shows are one of the most watched TV genres on Prime Instant Video. And this expanded deal will now bring customers the largest subscription selection of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. TV shows online, anywhere. With programs like ‘Dora the Explorer‘, ‘SpongeBob SquarePants‘, ‘Bubble Guppies‘ and ‘The Backyardigans‘ there are hundreds of great shows for kids and parents to choose from. In addition, we are bringing customers popular shows from MTV and Comedy Central like ‘Key and Peele‘, ‘Workaholics‘, ‘Awkward‘ and ‘Teen Mom 2‘, with the promise of more shows from these networks in the future.”

    Viacom president and CEO Philippe Dauman said, “We are thrilled to be extending and deepening our relationship with Amazon. This innovative agreement will provide Prime members with access to even more of our best programming from our major television brands, including many digital video subscription streaming exclusives. Amazon has created a unique, brand-friendly environment for streaming entertainment and consumer products and we are excited to work with Amazon to bring customers shows they love.”

    Prime Instant Video offers more than 41,000 movies and TV episodes for Prime members to stream on Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Roku, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Wii U, among other connected TVs and devices-all at no additional cost. Also as previously announced, later this month Prime Instant Video will become the exclusive home to PBS series ‘Downton Abbey‘ as well as the CBS summer series ‘Under the Dome‘, with each episode of the latter added just four days after initial broadcast.

  • Comedy Central US teams up with Twitter to celebrate comedy

    Comedy Central US teams up with Twitter to celebrate comedy

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Comedy Central and Twitter have announced the launch of #ComedyFest.

    This is a celebration of comedy and comedians to be programmed on Twitter. The five day festival, which runs from 29 April 29 to 3 May, kicks off with comedic icon Mel Brooks setting up a Twitter account at an event at LA‘s Paley Center featuring comedy legend Carl Reiner and moderator Judd Apatow.

    The event will be live-streamed in Brooks‘ first tweet, and can also be viewed on CC.com. #ComedyFest will feature an all-star roster of comedic talent including 16 programmed events with more than 50 comedians. The aim of #ComedyFest is to bring the channel‘s audience – closer to comedic talents across genres and generations.

    Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless said, “Twitter has become an essential medium for comedy and comedians. #ComedyFest will exist in the twittersphere – creating comedy that lives on social media. It‘s a great extension for our brand; it‘s where our audience lives.”

    Twitter head of TV Fred Graver said, “Awesome to have @ComedyCentral on-air and on Twitter celebrating comedians and the rise of 140 character comedy. Please RT.”

    #ComedyFest events will be live on Twitter, and fans can follow at @ComedyCentral and #ComedyFest for up-to-the-minute event coverage. Additional information including festival lineup can be viewed at CC.com, CC Tumblr, and on the CC Facebook page.

  • MTV, Lenovo launch integrated social platform

    MTV, Lenovo launch integrated social platform

    MUMBAI: Lenovo has collaborated with MTV to launch Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB, an integrated social platform that will enable talented youths from seven countries – India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – to share stories about their communities through music.

    Winning participants will connect and collaborate using their different skill sets in order to showcase their talents through an original MTV music video production relating to the theme of the ‘Pulse of the World”.

    Leveraging the resources provided by Lenovo and MTV, the concept of the six-month platform is to enable Gen-Y in the seven countries to connect with like-minded individuals with different artistic skills across DJs, Vocalists/Instrumentalists, Film Makers or Motion Graphic Artists, where the winning talents across these four categories are determined by public votes through the Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB website and regional mentors.

    The platform that will go across TV and online will be run simultaneously across the seven countries.
    Building on Lenovo’s “For Those Who Do” brand campaign, and MTV’s deep knowledge of music, lifestyle and the Millennial generation, Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB will inspire and encourage audiences to take action, connect, collaborate and create music using technology.

    To help support participants, Lenovo and MTV have assembled a panel of local and regional mentors, each of whom are established leading individuals in their respective areas of expertise. Mentors will play an important role throughout the entire campaign, sharing their valuable experience and knowledge in order to guide and inspire country and regional winners.

    Acclaimed contemporary design and art collective, PHUNK and renowned international DJs, Brendon P (The DJ Dispensary) and Matty Wainwright (The DJ Dispensary) will act as regional mentors throughout the campaign, as the public vote for their favourite talent.

    “Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB aims to inspire Millennials to take action and turn their dreams to reality,” said Lenovo Asia Pacific & Latin America VP Marketing and Communications Howie Lau. “Both Lenovo and MTV are innovative companies, with dynamic brand personalities, that are focused on the Millennial generation who don’t just dream about achieving, but go out there and do. We chose to collaborate with MTV because it is the iconic destination for global Millennials and represents the sweet spot for music and entertainment for this unique target audience.”

    “We take pride in making the right connections as we engage with the Millennials, the youth today. The collaboration with Lenovo on Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB, reflects a clear brand synergy between us as we continue to promote and reflect local cultural tastes and music talents. MTV’s wealth of research has shown that technology is an enabler for our audience. Technology doesn’t make Millennials who they are, but it lets them be who they are. Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB is a great initiative that shows how we make that happen as we bring together technology and creative, talented young people,” said Viacom International Media Networks Asia VP of MTV & Comedy Central Brands Tan Sian Ju.

    In order to engage and excite audiences across the seven countries, a full-scale promotional campaign will be run by Lenovo and MTV throughout this collaboration. This will culminate in MTV airing the final music video as a showcase of the winners’ talents for a period of eight weeks over the participating countries. In addition to having access to mentors, attending a five-day workshop and being part of a regional promotional campaign, regional finalists will also have the opportunity to be profiled in local and regional media.

  • Comedy Central US unveils division to create content for digital medium

    Comedy Central US unveils division to create content for digital medium

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Comedy Central has created CC Studios, a new, in-house creative initiative that will develop content, concepts and talent for digital platforms.

    The announcement was made by Comedy Central president, content development, original programming Kent Alterman and Viacom Entertainment Group executive VP, digital media Erik Flannigan. Allison Kingsley has been named Comedy Central VP of digital development, and will oversee CC Studios and the development of original digital content for the #1 brand in comedy.

    CC Studios will serve as a destination where comedy and technology collide across multiple platforms to produce original shareable content for millennials. The goal is to provide a creative playground for the comedy community where comedians, directors, writers and animators can develop and cultivate their passion projects and further engage their peers and fans. CC Studios will offer a home for established talent, as well as strive to nurture new voices, concepts and future franchises, all with social strategies integrated into every stage of development. Kingsley and her CC Studios team are additionally responsible for developing and initiating branded entertainment projects in collaboration with Comedy Central‘s integrated marketing and sales teams.

    Alterman said, “Allison uses techy words I don‘t understand, so I know she‘s the right person for the job”. Plus, as an added bonus, she has a great comedy sensibility.”
    Flannigan said, “Allison not only gets the Comedy Central filter, but she is helping to expand it by developing content beyond video as well. CC Studios talent will be playing with everything from animated GIFs to voice mail to comic strips.”

    Kingsley said, “CC Studios is an outlet for veteran and upcoming comedians to develop and incubate their ideas for whichever platform best serves the content. We‘re excited to launch a supportive environment where the talent community can be inspired by social media and technology to create the work they love.”

    Projects currently available for viewing and in development include:

    “Couched” Host Ben Hoffman spends a weekend crashing in a house full of college dudes. Ben‘s mission: get to know the typical Comedy Central fan as he prepares for production of his own show — “The Ben Show” (debuting February 28 on Comedy Central).
    “Bro-Dependent”Michael Croner and Greg Worswick of the Groundlings comedy troupe play Zack and Anderson — best friends who are equal parts douchebag, idiot and hopeless bromantic.

    The Lucas Brothers – Co-hosts Keith and Kenny bring their laid back twist to a morning show.
    Featuring sketches, interviews and guests like NBA stars Reggie Evans, Andray Blatche and Iman Shumpert, the show will tackle the guys‘ favorite subjects – sports, music and video games.

    ‘Behind Amy Schumer’ This web series that gives “behind the scenes” insight into the life of burgeoning superstar Amy Schumer as she creates and stars in her first TV series ‘Inside Amy Schumer’ premieres on Comedy Central in April.

  • Comedy Central expands presence in Asia

    Comedy Central expands presence in Asia

    MUMBAI: Comedy Central Asia, Asia‘s only all-comedy channel, will be available to Thailand‘s Me Television (MeTV) subscribers from 16 January.

    The launch marks the latest expansion of Comedy Central across Asia, following launches in seven territories like Singapore and Myanmar last year.

    MeTV subscribers will enjoy the exclusive free preview of Comedy Central Asia, available on MeTV‘s Total Choice Extra Group in high-definition (HD) Channel 318.

    The channel will feature a programming schedule designed specifically for Asian viewers overflowing with original programming, stand-up and sketch comedy plus offbeat comedy TV series like Emmy and Peabody award-winning content, such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

    Viacom International Media Networks MTV & Comedy Central Brands VP Tan Sian Ju said, "We are pleased to launch Comedy Central Asia in Thailand and complete MeTV‘s consumer offering with a 24/7 all-comedy channel. Everyone needs a good laugh now and then, and we are delighted that all MeTV subscribers will be able to enjoy Comedy Central‘s programming and see that it is truly the funniest channel around."nvenience remain our primary market."