Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Comedy Central on DStv adds The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon from 5 June as Viacom Africa gives the American late night talker a second try.


Comedy Central (DStv 122) is continuing its content investment spend to improve the channel's offering and is adding The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon from 5 June in a second try-out from Viacom Africa.

From Monday 5 June at 22:00 South African and African viewers will be able to watch The Tonight Show again but this time on the Comedy Central channel that's supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform by Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa).

After CNBC Africa (DStv 410) dumped The Tonight Show in April 2014 following the exit of Jay Leno, VIMN Africa quickly picked up the new The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in September 2014 for its MTV channel in Africa.

The show's broadcast however was short-lived as VIMN Africa didn't keep the show on MTV for very long before it quietly disappeared.

Now VIMN Africa is trying again as it's busy boosting the content spend and programming line-up of Comedy Central with Viacom Africa that will be giving The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon a second try, this time placing the show, from NBCUniversal International Distribution, on a channel where the late night American talk show naturally fits better.

Paired with The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central, VIMN Africa is also closing the broadcasting gap of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Where it previously was 36 hours when it was on MTV, episodes of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon will now be shown on Comedy Central on weekdays 24 hours after broadcast in America.

"We are delighted that Jimmy will be joining our stellar line-up as star of The Tonight Show, and thrilled to bring the show to our audiences within 24 hours of the US premier to make life funnier," says Dillon Khan, Comedy Central Africa vice president.