As Cable TV Fades, Many Fear ‘the End of Comedy Central’

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/17/business/media/comedy-central-tv-streaming.html

While Comedy Central’s signature program, “The Daily Show,” has remained relevant with Mr. Noah at the desk, and the new sitcom “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens” has scored good ratings, the network’s schedule is heavy on reruns of one of its longest-running hits, “South Park,” and old shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.” That lineup may not give the world the next Chappelle or Sedaris, but viewership totals for the network have trended upward in recent months.

Despite the repeat-heavy schedule and the cuts to the development team, Mr. McCarthy said Comedy Central would embrace new content, particularly movies, animated projects and unscripted shows.

“We remain deeply committed to our talent and partners as we work together to grow existing hits and develop new ones that define culture across adult animation, scripted series/original movies and topical shows — the hallmarks of the Comedy Central brand for almost 30 years,” Mr. McCarthy said in his statement.

The changes at the network have come at a bleak time for comedy in general. Standup comics, talent managers and club owners are worried that the touring business, wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic, may never be the same. Making the situation more grim is what they see as the diminution of a network that was once at the center of the comedy universe.

It is also a challenging time for cable, however. While the pandemic has led to increased viewing, it has also shut down production. And even before the world changed, Comedy Central, like other cable and network channels, was fighting to stay relevant.

Streaming has been on the rise for a decade, and the number of streaming subscribers around the world (613 million) surpassed the number of cable subscribers (556 million) two years ago, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. The change in viewing habits set off a scramble in the media, tech and telecommunications industries. The Walt Disney Company and AT&T bulked up in mergers. Along with Comcast and Apple, they also rushed to build streaming services.

At the same time, Netflix moved in on Comedy Central’s turf, spending millions to lock down Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Mr. Chappelle. The platform also took the star-maker role away from the network when it shined its spotlight on rising comics like Hannah Gadsby and Ali Wong.