Channel
Comedy Central
Owner
MTV Networks International
What's happened?
Paramount Comedy has rebranded
Comedy Central already exists in nine markets and has existed in the US since 1991. The US version is a very different beast to Paramount Comedy though. It's "Blokey"; Comedy MTV if you like. But with shows like Sex and the City and Rules of Engagement, Paramount Comedy in the UK could never have been labelled a "boys" channel. Sliding in line with a homogeneous global identity appears not to be the motivation.
So what is? Paramount Comedy has great content. Not so long ago it was winning awards for Best General Entertainment Channel and Best Channel Marketing. However, standing still is the precursor to failure in this market, so change is timely.
Paramount Comedy's problem was twofold. One, confusion with the Paramount brand per se, associated as much with epic movies as comedy. Two, Frasier and Mash (both brilliant, but from a different century) have dominated schedules, giving the station a "US Comedy Archive" feel, hiding the fact that it is home to some of the very best contemporary sitcoms, such as Two and a Half Men and South Park.
Taking a "Ronseal" approach, leaving consumers in no doubt about what they're getting, is the right one.
We have a surfeit of choice every time we reach for our remote, so unmistakeable positioning is a smart move. And with some of the older material excluded from peak time, it will feel less like the US comedy archive of yesteryear and more like a contemporary comedy channel. Clever.
What's good?
High quality, smart feel.
What could be better?
Too early to say.
Would I book my clients into this?
Yes.
Paul Rowlinson, Investment director AV media, Mindshare