Key Points
- Comedy Central officially launched in 1991 as a joint effort between Viacom’s MTV Networks and Time Warner.
- The channel has expanded globally and is available in multiple countries, with around 150,000 weekly viewers.
- Comedy Central’s sister stations are MTV and CMT, with MTV known for its music videos and CMT focusing on country music.
- The channel offers a variety of programming, including popular originals like South Park, syndicated shows, stand-up comedy, and talk shows.
- MTV has shifted from music programming to reality TV shows, while CMT plays country music videos and offers reality TV options.
One of the world’s best medicines, at least according to some experts, is laughter. Even if it’s not a true medicine, it does feel good to laugh, which is why thousands of people watch Comedy Central on a weekly basis. If you’re trying to find Comedy Central on DirecTV, we have the channel number, as well as information on the programs you can watch.
Best for Families  | Best Overall  | Best Budget Option  |
From $4.99.mo. | From $64.99/mo. | $25/month |
Description: Pick your choice of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Plans start as low as $4.99/month for ESPN+ only. | Description: Free trial available. Watch 75+ channels, including local channels and special premium channel offers. | Description: Take a 7-day free trial and stream more than 70 channels live. Record your favorites with unlimited DVR. |
Pick your choice of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Plans start as low as $4.99/month for ESPN+ only.
Free trial available. Watch 75+ channels, including local channels and special premium channel offers.
Take a 7-day free trial and stream more than 70 channels live. Record your favorites with unlimited DVR.
Comedy Central Channel Guide
| Channel Name | DirecTV Channel Number |
|---|---|
| Comedy Central | 249 |
| MTV | 331 |
| CMT | 327 |
The History of Comedy Central
Comedy Central officially launched in 1991, a joint effort channel created by Viacom’s MTV Networks and Time Warner. The two companies agreed to join forces instead of launching competing comedy cable channels. By 1995, Doug Herzog became the president and CEO of Comedy Central. He worked on developing new shows, including The Daily Show and South Park, two shows that have been incredibly popular since their debuts.
Since the 2000s, Comedy Central has been able to expand globally as well. The channel is available in multiple countries, including India, Australia, New Zealand, and more. Around 150,000 people watch the network weekly.
Comedy Central Sister Stations
Comedy Central has two main sister stations — MTV and CMT. MTV is well-known as one of the original music channels and used to air music videos almost all day until the early 2010s. CMT is also a music station, although it focuses more on the country music genre.
Comedy Central Programming
Comedy Central has been around for about 30 years and has released some incredibly popular shows. As of 2023, the channel has a multitude of offerings.
Originals
If you’ve watched South Park at any point since its launch in 1997, you can thank Comedy Central for that. This is the channel’s main breadwinner. The show is incredibly popular and is still releasing new episodes each year. Other originals on the network include Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Key & Peele, Alternatino with Arturo Castro, and Futurama, just to name a few.
Syndicated
Comedy Central has also been able to acquire shows from other production companies, including Beavis and Butt-Head, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Reno 911. Many of these shows have reruns that air on the channel often.
Stand-Up Comedy Shows
While stand-up comedy was a popular portion of the Comedy Central channel in the 1990s and early 2000s, there haven’t been many new releases since then. However, some shows still have reruns for fans. Some of these recorded shows include Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, The Comedy Jam, and Bill Burr Presents: The Ringers.
Talk Shows
There have been many talk shows that had their start on Comedy Central, including The Colbert Report, Tosh.0, and The Opposition with Jordan Klepper. The most popular talk show is The Daily Show, which first aired in 1996. While the original host is no longer on the show, it has been taken over by guest hosts until the end of 2023, when a new leading man or woman will be chosen.
MTV Programming
While MTV started as the channel to watch if you wanted the latest and greatest music, it’s become a channel of reality TV shows since the 2010s. Regular programming includes Catfish: The TV Show, 16 and Pregnant, and Ridiculousness. If you’d like to hear some music, you can tune into MTV Unplugged online and hear acoustic and live versions of songs from current popular artists.
CMT Programming
CMT focuses on playing country music videos during early mornings, around 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. EST. After the early morning hours, you can catch reruns of Reba, King of Queens, and Roseanne, just to name a few shows. Prefer reality TV? Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team and Redneck Island are two popular options to watch throughout the week.
Comedy Central on DirecTV Wrap-Up
Comedy Central and its sister channels have quite a few popular genres available, including comedy, music, and reality TV. If those are your favorite types of shows to watch, these channels can easily be found on DirecTV using our guide!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©monitcello/Shutterstock.com.
