Bell Media Signs Long-Term Content Licensing Agreement with Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) for Comedy Central Content in Canada

– Deal delivers exclusive rights to Comedy Central content across multiple platforms including broadcast, digital, EST, and SVOD, along with  Comedy Central digital apps –
– Comedy Central programming block coming to The Comedy Network later this year –

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TORONTO, June 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Bell Media announced today that it has reached an exclusive deal with VIMN that builds on the company's existing relationship with Comedy Central.  The multi-year deal secures Comedy Central's entire library and all new programming with an expanded suite of rights across multiple platforms, ensuring that Bell Media will remain the broadcaster of marquee Comedy Central programming such as THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH, SOUTH PARK, INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, @MIDNIGHT WITH CHRIS HARDWICK, BROAD CITY, and the famed Comedy Central Roasts for years to come.

"VIMN continues to be a valued partner for Bell Media, and we were thrilled to work with them to extend our relationship with Comedy Central," said Tracey Pearce, Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media.  "Comedy Central sets the bar for relevant, sticky, comedy content, and we're happy to bring that to audiences via The Comedy Network, Much, and CraveTV."

"We're very happy to continue supplying Comedy Central's award-winning programming to Canada via our friends at Bell Media," David Bernath, General Manager, Comedy Central. "In the event there is a mass exodus this fall to north of the border it is reassuring that American ex-pats will still have access to their favourite shows across a multitude of platforms."

"We are very excited to finalize this deal with Bell Media, one of our long-term partners in delivering VIMN's high quality content in Canada," said Pierluigi Gazzolo, President of VIMN Americas. "We will now be able to further expand our presence in this important market and provide our audiences with even more ways to access Comedy Central's renowned programming."

The agreement, a significant expansion of Bell Media's previous agreement with VIMN, reached in 2007, delivers exclusive rights to Comedy Central's first-run original programming as well as its extensive library of scripted and unscripted series and specials, including rights to international Comedy Central original productions for multiple platforms, including broadcast, digital, EST, and SVOD. These rights will be exploited across Bell Media brands including, The Comedy Network, Much, and CraveTV. As part of the agreement, Bell Media has retained rights to Comedy Central's branded app, Comedy Central Play, which offers clips, full episodes, and exclusive content from hit programming and stand-up specials.

Comedy Central programming is foundational on both The Comedy Network and Much. On Comedy, where a Comedy Central branded programming block will debut later this year, THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH continues to make The Comedy Network the most-watched entertainment specialty channel in its late-night timeslot across all key adult demos. On Much, Comedy Central programming makes up nearly all of the Top 10 programs in the target 12-34 demo, with @MIDNIGHT WITH CHRIS HARDWICK, SOUTH PARK, TOSH.O, and BROAD CITY amongst the strongest performers.  

Comedy Central produces content from some of the biggest names in comedy and has helped to turn many comedians into household names including Jon Stewart, Amy Schumer, Stephen Colbert, and Trevor Noah. In 2015, Comedy Central received 25 Emmy nominations – the most ever for the network, including nods in the key comedy acting categories.

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About Bell Media
With passion and an unrelenting commitment to excellence, Bell Media creates content and builds brands that entertain, inform, engage, and inspire audiences through the platforms of their choice. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's #1 television network; 34 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, Canada's most-watched specialty channels in English and French; and four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran. Bell Media is also Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 106 licensed radio stations in 54 markets across Canada. Bell Media owns Astral Out of Home, one of Canada's most dynamic and innovative out-of-home advertising companies with a network of more than 30,000 advertising faces in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites; delivers TV Everywhere with premium subscription on-demand streaming service CraveTV, as well as its innovative GO video streaming services including CTV GO, Discovery GO, TMN GO, and TSN GO; operates multi-channel network Much Digital Studios; holds an equity stake in digital startup Hubub; is partners in Cirque du Soleil Media, a joint venture with Cirque du Soleil; and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca.

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, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Channel, VH1, VIVA, COLORS, Game One and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más. Viacom brands are seen globally in more than 700 million households in approximately 170 territories and 37 languages via more than 200 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties. 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.

SOURCE Bell Media

Sara McLaren, Bell Media, 416.384.6104 or sara.mclaren@bellmedia,ca