Dubai – April 19, 2016 – Further strengthening its roster of world-class and exclusive comedy content, OSN, the region’s leading pay-TV network, has signed an agreement with Viacom International Media Networks to add the number one global comedy brand, Comedy Central, to its offering of entertainment channels.

Comedy Central HD is the third brand for VIMN in the region, complementing the existing presence of MTV and Nickelodeon/NickJr.

From May 7th, Comedy Central HD (OSN Channel No. 207) will be available exclusively on OSN in the Middle East and North Africa region, adding to the distinctive ‘nowhere else’ value proposition that the network provides to its subscribers. To effectively satisfy local appetites for comedic entertainment, 100 percent of the content premiering in the region on Comedy Central HD, including animated programmes, will be subtitled in Arabic.

Comedy Central is the undisputed leader in funny around the globe with a presence in more than 120 countries, a deep library of international content and an increasing commitment to local productions. Among the popular programmes the brand will be airing in the region are The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Comedy Central Presents…, Inside Amy Schumer, Lip Sync Battle and the animated hit, South Park.

Emad Morcos, SVP Media Partners & Digital at OSN, said: “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. Comedy Central contributes to the diversity of exclusive entertainment choices we have added to OSN this year. Complemented with a host of edgy programmes from Spike, Comedy Central is also creating the opportunity for local talent to showcase their skills through our planned local programming.”

Raffaele Annecchino, EVP and MD 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. At Viacom, we are committed to creating content that resonates locally and internationally, and we are certain that viewers will love the unique editorial mix on OSN. Delivering this balance of premium international and local comedy content is our expertise and we look forward to working with OSN to bring laughter and satisfaction to MENA audiences, who we know are passionate about comedy. Furthermore, 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.’

Fans of talk show TV will be delighted to learn that The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, currently on OSN Play, will also be featured on the new channel. The Emmy- Award winning show hosts a star-studded line-up of celebrities including actors, authors, singers and presidential hopefuls as guests under the sharp comic wit and smart observations of South African host Trevor Noah.

Comedy Central favorites Tosh.0 and Inside Amy Schumer will also be featured on OSN. Fans won’t miss a thing as both of the long-running series will be aired from their first seasons starting in April. The weekly Tosh.0 delves into all aspects of the social media landscape, featuring razor-sharp humour and biting commentary from comedian Daniel Tosh. The show, now in its 8th season, is an international hit and will air its 200th episode this summer. Emmy-Award winning Inside AmySchumer features the famous, edgy comedian performing a variety of hilarious sketches, stand up, interviews and musical performances.

Further bolstering the quality of its premium programming, the new channel will feature a dedicated block of Spike content. Spike is a general entertainment brand offering original productions created to inform, engage, inspire and above all push the boundaries of the unexpected. Shows from Spike will include the global smashhit and YouTube viral sensation Lip Sync Battle, as well as the popular Catch a Contractor, an original non-scripted series that sees host Adam Carolla on a mission to track down shady, evasive contractors and drag them back to the scene of their crimes to face the music and fix the disasters they left behind..

Stand-up lovers will find The Half Hour, featuring some of the exciting names in stand-up comedy, irresistible, while Nathan For You, a factual show that sees host Nathan Fielder going as far as it takes to make his business ideas come true. Internationally produced shows include I Live with Models, a hilarious sitcom where newly ‘discovered’ hand model Tommy must ‘live his dream’ with three experienced fashion models.

Competition reality series Frankenfood follows New York executive chef and restaurateur Josh Capon as he discovers new flavours; while Framework explores the compelling world of furniture design and construction. Sweat Inc. is another reality-competition series featuring 12 aspiring fitness entrepreneurs competing to prove that they have developed the next ground-breaking exercise programme.

Finally, the all-new Comedy Central HD exclusively on OSN will include domestically produced programmes that will lend a crucial and authentic local feel to the channel. Comedy lovers will enjoy a mix of popular international comedy series and docureality programmes, as well as join Comedy Central in celebrating the thriving local stand-up comedy circuit on Comedy Central Presents…

All the shows premiering on Comedy Central HD will be available on OSN’s awardwinning catch-up service, OSN Play and via OSN on Demand.

OSN continues to strengthen its portfolio of premium exclusive channels. New and exclusive channels launched this year include: OSN Yahala Cinema HD, OSN Movies Family HD, OSN First HD Home of HBO, H2 HD, BBC First HD, Discovery Family HD and IDX HD. In addition, six new Filipino channels were launched recently – CineMo, Lifestyle Network, GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, GMA News TV and PBO (live streamed on OSN Play). More exclusive channel launches are planned this year.

Contacts:

Zahabia Motiwala, Communications Director, OSN, Dubai Media City,  UAE Dubai: +971 (0) 4 367 7084 / zahabia.motiwala@osn.com

Nivine William, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, Dubai: +971 (0) 4 450 7600 / nivine.william@bm.com

Ben Thompson, Communications Manager, VIMN, Corso Europa 5, Milan, IT: +39 276 211 7296 / Robertbenjamin.thompson@vimn.com

About OSN:

OSN is the ultimate destination for the widest choice of brand new premium Western, Arabic, South Asian (Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam and Tamil) and Filipino entertainment in the Middle East and Africa. OSN is the home to over 150 channels and services filled with great value entertainment, offering viewers in the MENA region exclusive access to the latest blockbuster movies, top rated series, sports, documentaries, news, kid’s entertainment and live talk shows. The movie offering includes over a 100 uncut and uninterrupted movie premieres a month. OSN boasts the most comprehensive portfolio of exclusive rights from all the major studios including Warner Brothers, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM, NBC Universal, HBO and DreamWorks and offers access to the world’s leading television brands including Disney channel, Sky News, Discovery Network and National Geographic. Launched in August 2013, OSN Pehla brings the best of Bollywood movies and premium cricket, including exclusive telecast rights of international tournaments such as the ICC Cricket World Cup and Indian cricket, through leading sports channels OSN Sports Cricket HD and Ten Cricket. As the leader in innovation, OSN has changed the TV viewing experience by bringing quality entertainment through 64 High Definition channels and is currently the only network offering a full HD bouquet of channels as well as 3D entertainment in the region. OSN was the first to launch the OSN DVR HD; the regions first online TV platform, OSN Play; the regions first 3D, HD, internet enabled satellite receiver and recorder, OSN Plus HD and the region’s first VOD service, OSN on Demand offering viewers the opportunity to watch over 1000 movies and 52 latest seasons of the top series, all available in full HD quality and Dolby Digital sound. September 2012 saw the launch of OSN’s rewards programme, OSN Privileges, offering subscribers money can’t buy experiences, special offers and premium prizes all year round. Addressing the changing viewing habits of consumers across the region, in May 2014, OSN launched ‘GO’, an online TV service providing subscribers access to thousands of hours of premium entertainment, contract and commitment-free. The OSN platform is owned and operated by Panther Media Group Limited; a company registered in DIFC, and is owned by KIPCO and Mawarid Group Limited.

About Viacom International Media Networks:

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), is comprised of many of the world’s most popular multimedia entertainment brands, including MTV, MTV LIVE HD, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, Paramount Channel, and more. Viacom brands reach more than 3.4 billion cumulative subscribers in 180+ countries and territories via more than 200 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties, in 40 languages. Keep up with VIMN news by visiting the VIMN PR Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/VIMN_PR. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com, blog.viacom.com and the Viacom Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

About Comedy Central:

COMEDY CENTRAL, the world’s number 1 comedy network, has been making audiences laugh since it first launched in the United States in 1991. Renowned for exclusively featuring exclusive and tailor-made local and international comedy, the brand has become the ultimate destination for all kinds of humor, from traditional to satire to sketches to popular sitcoms. Outside of the United States, Comedy Central is part of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. VIMN’s Comedy brands are seen in more than 70 territories via more than 20 locally programmed and operated TV channels.