GECs
Viacom confirms Comedy Central acquisition
NEW YORK: Viacom Inc has announced today that it has reached an agreement with AOL Time Warner to acquire AOL’s 50 per cent interest in Comedy Central, for a total of $1.225 billion.
After the transaction is completed by the second quarter of 2003, Comedy Central will be wholly owned by Viacom and will join MTV Networks’ lineup of basic cable channels. Larry Divney will remain president of Comedy Central and the network will continue to be based in New York and Los Angeles, according to Viacom.
This is the first asset sale by AOL Time Warner as executives try to revive growth at the world’s largest media company and to restore investor credibility by cutting its approximate $29 billion in total debt, according to Reuters. Comedy Central, which airs shows like bawdy, animated South Park and the nightly satirical newscast The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, has thrived financially for the competing media titans.
Also included in the transaction is comedycentral.com, which features original programs, schedule information, advanced technology, games, downloads and an online store. Comedy Central, which reaches 82 million US homes, was launched on April Fool’s Day 1991 after Home Box Office, owned by AOL Time Warner, merged its Comedy Channel with MTV Networks’ HA! comedy network, owned by Viacom.
Te network, one of the few examples of a successful media joint venture, has gained a reputation for continuing to push the limits of what can be broadcast on TV with sharp political satire and increasingly popular gross-out humour.
It has humorously covered political events and introduced original shows, such as “Mystery Science Theater 3000” and “Politically Incorrect,” each of which garnered Emmy Award nominations and eventually landed on other networks.
Viacom chairman and CEO Sumner Redstone has been quoted as saying, “Expanding our interest in cable networks, one of the fastest growing and most promising areas of the media industry, remains a priority for Viacom. Bringing one of the top cable networks brands fully into our family is a significant and important transaction both financially and creatively that will bring significant benefits to Viacom and its shareholders.”
GECs
Z launches ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ to boost brand engagement across screens
New omnichannel format blends TV characters, storytelling and digital reach to boost engagement and affinity
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (‘Z’) has unveiled ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a new omnichannel media format designed to help brands cut through the clutter and turn audience attention into brand love.
With media access increasingly democratized, visibility alone no longer drives results. Shrinking attention spans and rising content noise have made memorability, emotional connection and action the real currency. Dilfluencer Moments addresses this by embedding brands into character-led, culturally resonant storytelling that travels seamlessly from TV to digital, social and creator ecosystems.
The format debuted with the “TumHoLovely” campaign on National Girl Child Day. Anchored in Hindi and Marathi shows, the campaign’s narrative extended organically across digital platforms, amplified by creators and community participation. A brand film featuring Sanya Malhotra further showcased how TV-originated cultural cues can spark broad engagement and virality. Within 24 hours, the campaign racked up 35 million total impressions, 20 million digital views, 2.5 million engagements and over 1,000 comments.
Laxmi Shetty, head – advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said, “As consumers turn away from interruption-led communication, advertisers need moments that feel culturally earned and emotionally authentic. Dilfluencer Moments delivers reach at scale through character-first content systems that connect with audiences personally, transforming storytelling into brand love.”
Kartik Mahadev, chief marketing officer, ‘Z’ & Zee 5, added: “Access alone is no longer an advantage; affinity is. Affinity comes from storytelling, familiar characters and moments that stay with audiences across screens. Dilfluencer Moments lets brands participate meaningfully in moments audiences already love, travelling organically across linear, digital and social platforms at scale.”
By anchoring campaigns in high-trust television moments and extending them into digital and social ecosystems, Dilfluencer Moments enables brands to generate organic engagement, amplify virality and convert attention into long-term emotional equity.
With its national scale, deep emotional storytelling and character-first approach, Z is offering marketers a powerful new way to build affinity, cut through clutter and create culturally resonant brand moments that stick.
