VIMN grows originals in SE Asia

Got Game: Face Off sees celebrities compete in eSports

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) is set to expand the development and production of original content for MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Channel and Nickelodeon in South-East Asia.

VIMN is launching eSports show MTV Got Game, which will run across the MTV brand’s platforms in the region, offering shortform content about gaming produced in-house.

A new Got Game Weekly series will focus on news from gaming, eSports and popular culture, while Got Game: Face Off will see celebs compete on consoles with each other. The shows will be available on MTV Asia’s website and on its linear channel.

Other originals on the slate include the fourth season of video dance tutorial show OK Danceoke, which launches on MTV in the region in June, while Comedy Central’s original stand-up series Stand-Up, Asia! will also be renewed for a fourth year.

The show mixes stand-up comedy and character sketches and focuses on Asian cultural touchpoints.

VIMN is also launching shortform series for its Paramount Channel in South-East Asia, with personalities from film, TV, music and sport sharing their passions in film.

Kids’ channel Nickelodeon will also air original shortform content centred on fitness and crafts including Nickified Sports, which sees kids attempt different sports by using regular household items, such as a broom instead of a javelin.

“Aligned with Viacom’s global mission of creating entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture, we are scaling up our content production in Asia for every screen across our flagship brands,” said Paras Sharma, senior VP and general manager for VIMN in South-East Asia.

“We know that Asia originals appeal to our audiences, evidenced by strong viewership, and conceptualised fresh formats to resonate with our fans and evolved existing ones to grow share of viewership.”

MTV Asia has rebooted hip hop show YO! MTV Raps and ramped up original content in Asia Pacific over the past 12 months. Shows include MTV Unplugged in Australia and Japan, Nick Jr’s Ready Set Dance in Australia and Comedy Central’s Comedians Solve World Problems Asia.

In related news, VIMN has announced that it is launching its Nick+ on-demand service for kids on Greek pay TV platform Cosmote TV, with more than 400 hours of programmes from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr available to watch any time.

Yesterday, VIMN revealed it will launch its Paramount+ SVoD service in Brazil via telecoms firm NET at the start of May.

The service, which is already available in the Nordics and CEE, will then be rolled out across Latin America over the coming months with Claro Video, part of telco giant America Movil.

Lat Am’s Paramount+ will offer on-demand access to shows including The Handmaid’s Tale, Yellowstone and more than 150 movies, as well as over 2,000 episodes from Viacom brands such as Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.