Comedy Central

Comedy Central

History and Ownership

Comedy Central was launched in 1990 after Time Warner merged Comedy Channel, which had been part of HBO, with Viacom's, MTV Network's "Ha!". The new channel was owned 50/50 by Time Warner and Viacom. Throughout the 90's the popularity of the channel grew rapidly. Originally the channel was known as CTV, but following a dispute with the Canadian Network CTV, the channel was re branded as Comedy Central. Though its budget was smaller than other channels of the parent companies, such as MTV and HBO, the channel was given more freedom. As a result, the channel, through original programming such as "South Park", became known for its crude brand of humor. In April of 2003 Viacom bought out Time Warner's (now AOL Time Warner) 50% stake in the channel for $1.225 billion. Comedy Central joined Viacom's growing cable line-up that also included MTV, Nickelodeon, VH-1 and TV Land.

Marketing

Target Audiences

Comedy Central's targets audiences ranging from the ages of 18-49, highly concentrating on adults and men. Viewers are not distracted easily, ranking Comedy Central among the top cable networks in key demos where the viewers are "paying full attention” to its programs.   

Advertising Strategies

Comedy Central uses paid search to build brand association around its prize program assets.  It buys Google ads for searches for shows such as South Park.  Comedy Central is paying for ‘association.’ Besides trying to gain viewers of the show, they are trying to establish loyalty around the web-based services that relate to the shows.  Claudia Setini-Samuels, head of branding and online "It’s unusual for a channel to this but it makes sense. We’re tracking what’s being searched for based around comedy and that will have a direct influence on our content – the site must be based on what people are looking for right now." 

Comedy Central also looks to reach viewers through mobile applications.  Comedy Central was using a SMS/text-based delivery jokes service before they developed an iPhone app that allows users to subscribe to their Joke of the Day service through the downloadable application. 

Branding

Comedy Central, known as the only all-comedy network, is the #1 provider of surprising, laugh-out-loud programming. Comedy Central "connects with a young adult audience thirsting for fearless, outrageous originals with The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, South Park, The Colbert Report....along with stand-up specials and can't-miss events like the annual Comedy Central Roast."  Comedy Central's original programs help with the reinventing of classic genres such as news, animation, and comedy variety.  Along with Comedy Central's airing of their blockbuster Roasts and annual Last Laugh, the network also offers original specials and stunt programming that viewers won’t find anywhere else.

Specific Partnerships

Comedy Central has partnered with live entertainment firms such as Live Nation. The partnership includes the launch of "Comedy Central's House of Comedy Live from House of Blues," in House of Blues venues nationwide. Live Nation has said the cooperations have drawn more than 1 million fans to Comedy Central-branded tours. And Senior VP of Comedy Central Live Entertainment, Mitch Fried, said "With Live Nation and its House of Blues venues, we have found the perfect companions to expand our thriving touring business and grow the Comedy Central brand outwards and off channel." As a part of the deal, Comedy Central will be integrated throughout the venues and retail shops of the House of Blues, including that of on and off stage, and also in show marketing. Comedy Central, likewise, will give advertisers the opportunity to become official sponsors of the comedic series. 

Scheduling & Promotional Techniques

Comedy Central uses a variety of platforms including TV, print online, and mobile to get the word out. Back in 2005, Comedy Central was promoting a new show 'Stella,' through the uses of "influencer" mailings from Cornerstone Marketing (New York), street teams, at clubs and bars, and among other places. Comedy Central also gave Verizon Wireless members preview clips of the show and ran text-based tune-in alerts for Sprint PCS users. Glenn Ginsburg, formal VP of interactive ad sales, said, "Working cross-platform maximizes the reach for an audience, especially with Stella. Hopefully, this will generate a lot of interest."

Signature Programing and General Trends

Current Programming

The Daily Show (1996-)

premiered in the summer of 1996 and was initially hosted by Craig Kilbourn. In 1999 Jon Stewart who had previously worked at MTV news took over as the show's anchor. The Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11pm. Episodes are reaired several times during the week during daytime. Even though the show is dubbed "fake news" it has been recognized as an influential political commentary.  During the period of the 2008 presidential election the show averaged about 2 million viewers every night, a level the show has since then maintained. The show fares particularly well with male audiences from 18-34. The show is currently renewed through June 2013.  The show's structure is a mixture of newscast and late night talkshow. Stewart discusses current political events and features "mock" political commentators as well as real pundits. The show also features guests outside the political arena such as actors and musicians. The show has garned broad critical acclaim and has won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series every year since 2003, for a total of seven wins.

The Colbert Report (2005-)

premiered in the fall of 2005. It is a spin-off from The Daily Show, where Stephen Colbert had previously contributed as a news correspondant. Colbert's on-screen persona is widely seen as a parody right-wing commentator Bill O'Reilly. Subsequently, The Colbert Report is mocking his Show "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News. It airs Monday through Thursday at 11.30 pm following The Daily Show and usually retains most of its lead-in audience. Reruns are several times a day. Similar to Jon Stewart, Colbert fares particularly well with male audiences in the 18-34 demographic. Currently the show averages about 1.5 million viewers per night.  The Colbert Report has been renewed through December 2012.

South Park (1997-)

premiered in the summer of 1997 and is Comedy Central's longest-running and highest-rated scripted show. The show is currently airing its 14th Season and airs everyday of the week in various timeslots, only during prime time and nighttime though. So far more than 200 episodes have been produced. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the animated series is set in the fictional town of South Park. The show features various character but mostly revolves around a group of young boys. South Park pokes fun at controversial topics, mocks celebrities and is known for its profane humour. It was an instant success and drew record numbers during its first three seasons. As buzz died done, ratings have somewhat eroded but the show continues to attract an average audience of over 3 million viewers. The Show has won four Emmys for Outstanding Animated Series. In 1999 a feature film was released: South Park: Longer, Bigger & Uncut, which grossed more than 80 million Dollars.

Other notable Shows and Programing

Comedy Central produced several shows of commercial and cultural significance throughout the 2000s. Chapelle's Show (2003-2006) was a critical and ratings success alike but ended when the show's star Dave Chapelle exited despite being renewed for a third season. Comedienne Sarah Silverman brought The Sarah Silverman Program (2007-2010) to Comedy central which enjoyed considerable success and earned her an Emmy nomination in 2009. Recently Daniel Tosh has emerged as one of the networks most successful new stars. His show Tosh.O (2009-) draws up to 3 million viewers per episode. 

As most Cable networks do, Comedy Central rebroadcasts many of its programs throughout the week. The network also airs specials of stand-up comedians and feature films.

General Trends

Since its launch Comedy Central has established itself as a popular destination for young male audiences in the 18-34 demographic. Most of their shows rely less on concept but rather the personalities of their stars. These Stars such as Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert have branched into other lucrative venues (books, high-profile appearences on other networks) and by that have helped to raise Comedy Centrals profile. Comedy Central has catered to the internet affinity of its young male audience by offering a lot of content such as clips and even full episodes on their website before this practice was as common as it now is.