Comedy Central Creates Live-Entertainment Division

NEW YORK, October 17: Comedy Central’s new live-entertainment
division will focus on stand-up tours, comedy
festivals, performance DVDs and CDs, under the leadership of Mitch Fried,
formerly the senior VP of promotion marketing.

Fried will also spearhead the
network's efforts to maximize live-performance exposure and revenue across
already established business lines. One of the first projects to be developed
under this new division is a deal with comedian Stephen Lynch, who starred in
Broadway's The Wedding Singer and has
been featured in two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials. The agreement
encompasses a U.S. stand-up tour and an international stand-up tour that will
visit London, Ireland, Sweden, Holland and other cities. The deal also includes
a one-hour stand-up special with Lynch that will premiere on Comedy
Central before being released, unedited, on DVD via Comedy
Central Home Entertainment.

"Creating the
live-entertainment division is the next step in the evolution of the Comedy
Central brand that has been steadily growing and
expanding out of our viewers' living rooms and into their everyday lives,"
said Michele Ganeless, Comedy Central’s president.

"By providing talent, whether
they're just starting out or are already household names, with the strength and
power of the Comedy Central brand we will be
able to maximize their exposure and revenue by reaching their fans across
multiple platforms, be it through a tour, a special, a CD, a DVD or all of the
above, making Comedy Central an even more
appealing home for the top comedians in the industry," said Fried.
"We're very excited to be able to announce our new deal with Stephen
Lynch, which will see us launch our first international stand-up tour, as well
as produce our first one-hour special with this incredibly talented comedian."

—By Kristin Brzoznowski