Comedy Central has launched an in-house production studio, Comedy Central Productions, it announced on Wednesday.
The new studio will be led by Kent Alterman, who heads up Comedy Central as well as fellow Viacom cable networks Paramount Network and TV Land.
The studio has already signed a slew of development deals, which will create programming for buyers across all TV and digital platforms. These include Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs’ production company Paulilu (“Broad City,” “The Other Two”); Anthony King; Daniel Powell and Alex Bach’s Irony Point (“Inside Amy Schumer”) and Stuart Miller (“Klepper”).
The CCP development deals join existing development deals for the Comedy Central network with Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, Roy Wood, Jr., Jim Jefferies and Chris Distefano.
“For years we’ve been successfully expanding the trustworthy Comedy Central brand beyond linear, extending to digital, social, podcasts, radio and live events. The next logical step is to establish Comedy Central Productions,” Alterman said. “By leaning into our development expertise and production capabilities, and by partnering with some of the smartest and funniest talent in comedy, this is another way we can thrive. And putting more great comedy in the world couldn’t hurt.”
Comedy Central becomes the latest Viacom network to launch its own in-house studio, following Awesomeness, BET, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount TV and Viacom International Media Networks. In 2013, Comedy Central launched a digital studio.