Viacom comedy central launches in Middle East, North Africa

Viacom’s Comedy Central will launch in the Middle East and North Africa on pay TV giant OSN on May 7.
The company and Viacom International Media Networks unveiled a carriage deal on Tuesday, stating that it will make the channel available exclusively on OSN in the region, but Financial details weren’t disclosed.
Raffaele Annecchino, executive vp and managing director of VIMN South Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “We are thrilled to work with OSN to further expand our distribution footprint in MENA and bring Comedy Central and Spike to the region.” He added that “we are committed, as in all of our regions, to growing the local comedy scene and investing in local productions, and we will be focusing our energies on this from the first year.”
“Comedy Central HD is the third brand for VIMN in the region, complementing the existing presence of MTV and Nickelodeon/NickJr,” the companies said. “To effectively satisfy local appetites for comedic entertainment, 100 percent of the content premiering in the region on Comedy Central HD, including animated programs, will be subtitled in Arabic.” The network will also feature a dedicated block of Spike content.
Among the shows that the network will air in the region are The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, Tosh.0, Comedy Central Presents…, Inside Amy Schumer, and South Park, as well as Spike hit show Lip Sync Battle.
Comedy Central has a presence in more than 120 countries. Said Emad Morcos, senior vp media partners & digital at OSN: “Everybody loves a good laugh, and OSN is offering great value with the addition of Comedy Central HD, a perfect fit to the entertainment preferences of people in the region. We are confident that the wide range of comic series, sitcoms and reality competitions will appeal to all.”
All the shows premiering on Comedy Central HD will be available on OSN’s catch-up service, OSN Play, and via OSN on Demand.