COMEDY CENTRAL(R) Signs Multi-Year, Multi-Platform Output Deal for Stand-Up Specials and DVDs With Levity Entertainment Group
NEW YORK, April 7, 2009 -- COMEDY CENTRAL and Levity Entertainment today announced that they have signed a multi-year, multi-platform output deal for a series of stand-up specials that will premiere on the all-comedy channel in 2009 and 2010, followed by the release of several of the specials on DVD to be distributed by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment, it was announced today by David Bernath, senior vice president, programming, COMEDY CENTRAL and Stu Schreiberg, Levity Entertainment.
The deal includes six stand-up specials from Christopher Titus, Gabriel Iglesias, Pablo Francisco, Jim Breuer, Mitch Fatel, Pete Correale that will air on COMEDY CENTRAL in 2009 and six additional stand-up specials that will shoot in 2009 to air in 2010, including one from Jeff Dunham, whose recent stand-up special, "Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special," drew 6.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched telecast in COMEDY CENTRAL's history. At least eight of the upcoming stand-up specials will be released on DVD by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment.
"COMEDY CENTRAL has been in business with Levity for several years and we are thrilled to be taking our relationship to the next level with this output deal and the opportunity to release many of the specials on DVD," said Bernath. "Stand-up specials have been an incredible success on our channel, exemplified by the record-breaking performance by Jeff Dunham's Christmas special and we look forward to giving our audience the first chance to see Levity's great product and amazing roster of comedians."
"COMEDY CENTRAL is the premiere stand-up comedy network and we've shared a lot of success together," said Schreiberg, a senior partner at Levity. "We are very excited about extending our partnership that will allow us to accelerate development of comedians across all platforms."
COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 95 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is www.comedycentral.com. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Press Central, COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at www.comedycentral.com/press.
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.
SOURCE COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications
http://www.comedycentral.com