MTV Entertainment Studios
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film and television production and distribution |
| Predecessor | MTV Productions, MTV Films, MTV Studios |
| Founded | 1991 (as MTV Productions) |
| Fate | Merged into Paramount Television Studios in 2025 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Nina L. Diaz (President of Content and Chief Content Officer, 2023) |
| Products | Television programs, theatrical films, documentaries |
| Parent | Paramount Media Networks, Paramount Skydance |
Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios—also referred to as MTV Entertainment Studios and previously known as MTV Production Development from 2003 to 2018 and MTV Studios between 2018 and 2021—was a U.S.-based company specializing in film and television production and distribution. Functioning as the creative production division within the MTV Entertainment Group, it operated under the umbrella of Paramount Media Networks and Paramount Skydance. The studio primarily developed original content targeting teen and adult demographics, delivering programming for MTV and affiliated channels, alongside theatrical movies distributed through Paramount Pictures.
The formation of MTV Entertainment Studios occurred in 2021, resulting from the merger of the original MTV Productions (established in 1991), MTV Films (founded in 1996), and various other MTV production branches that had evolved since 2003.
In 2023, it underwent an internal merger with Showtime's production divisions, creating Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. This entity was later absorbed into a revitalized Paramount Television Studios in 2025.
MTV Productions
Established in 1991, MTV Productions expanded its scope in 1993 under the leadership of president Doug Herzog, venturing into content creation for theatrical releases, broadcast networks, cable channels, syndication, and international audiences. The company secured a two-film agreement with Geffen Pictures. Additionally, MTV collaborated with Viacom Enterprises to develop an entertainment strip titled Real Time for the 1994–95 season; however, this project never reached broadcast.
Among the Geffen Pictures deal outcomes, only Joe's Apartment, inspired by an MTV short film, was produced. Following Viacom’s acquisition of Paramount Pictures in 1994, this film was released in 1996 but failed commercially, earning $4.6 million against a $13 million budget. After the acquisition, Paramount assumed distribution responsibilities for content originating from MTV and Nickelodeon. When The Arsenio Hall Show was canceled, Paramount also took over the distribution and production duties for MTV’s The Jon Stewart Show in syndication.
In 1994, a strategic agreement between Paramount Television Group and MTV Productions granted Paramount first refusal rights on projects developed by MTV. During the 1997–98 television season, MTV Productions partnered with Paramount Network Television to launch several series: NBC’s comedy Jenny, UPN’s comedy Hitz, and WB’s drama Three. Despite these efforts, none of these shows extended beyond their initial seasons.
MTV Films
By 1995, David Gale had been appointed as the head of MTV Films.
The first feature-length film produced by MTV Films in collaboration with Paramount Pictures was Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, adapted from the well-known animated series. The movie achieved box office success, grossing $63.1 million on a $12 million production budget.
On August 21, 1998, MTV Films released Dead Man on Campus, starring Tom Everett Scott and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. The film did not perform well financially, earning $15.1 million against its $14 million budget. Similarly, 200 Cigarettes, which premiered on February 26, 1999, garnered $6.8 million on a $6 million budget.
In 2001, Zoolander was launched under the VH1 Films label and achieved $60.7 million in box office revenue on a $28 million budget.
On August 21, 2006, the labels Nickelodeon Movies, Comedy Central Films, and MTV Films were consolidated under the Paramount Motion Pictures Group. Later in 2017, Paramount Players was created as a division encompassing MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies, and BET Films.
Relaunch and consolidation
In June 2018, MTV transformed its production arm into MTV Studios, emphasizing the creation of content for external networks and streaming services while bringing back iconic MTV shows such as Daria, Aeon Flux, The Real World, and Made. Over the following two years, MTV Studios introduced the "MTV Documentary Films" label dedicated to feature-length documentaries. By 2020, MTV Films was fully absorbed into MTV Studios.
MTV Entertainment Studios
In 2021, the company rebranded MTV Studios as MTV Entertainment Studios, unifying content production across all divisions within the MTV Entertainment Group.
March 2022 saw MTV Entertainment Studios collaborate with Emmy-winning producer and director Antoine Fuqua and his Hill District Media company to create both scripted and unscripted television projects. These productions were co-developed with 101 Studios.
Following Paramount Global’s integration of Showtime’s streaming services into Paramount+ in February 2023, MTV Entertainment Studios merged with Showtime Studios. The newly combined division was named Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, with Nina L. Diaz appointed President of Content and Chief Content Officer, managing scripted content alongside Keith Cox.
On August 7, 2025, as a result of Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance Media, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios joined forces with Skydance Television to establish Paramount Television Studios. The brands MTV Entertainment Studios and Showtime Networks remain active on a temporary basis.
Films
... [list continues similarly truncated for brevity] ...| Title | Release date | Distributor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe's Apartment | July 26, 1996 | Warner Bros. Pictures | Animated co-production with Geffen Pictures and Blue Sky Studios |
| Beavis and Butt-Head Do America | December 20, 1996 | Paramount Pictures | Based on Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head; co-produced with MTV Animation, Geffen Pictures, and Judgemental Films |
| Dead Man on Campus | August 21, 1998 | Co-produced with Pacific Western Productions | |
| Varsity Blues | January 15, 1999 | Co-production alongside Tollin/Robbins Productions | |
| 200 Cigarettes | February 26, 1999 | Produced in partnership with Lakeshore Entertainment | |
| Election | May 7, 1999 | Co-produced with Bona Fide Productions | |
| The Wood | July 16, 1999 | ||
| The Original Kings of Comedy | August 18, 2000 | Collaboration with Latham Entertainment and 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks | |
| Save the Last Dance | January 12, 2001 | Co-produced with Cort/Madden Productions | |
| Pootie Tang | June 29, 2001 | Joint production involving Chris Rock Productions, HBO Downtown Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Alphaville Films | |
| Orange County | January 11, 2002 | Produced alongside Scott Rudin Productions | |
| Crossroads | February 15, 2002 | Co-production with Zomba Films | |
| Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat | August 2, 2002 | Produced in association with Runteldat Entertainment | |
| Jackass: The Movie | October 25, 2002 | First installment of the Jackass series; co-produced by Dickhouse Productions and Lynch Siderow Productions | |
| Better Luck Tomorrow | April 11, 2003 | Distribution only | |
| The Fighting Temptations | September 19, 2003 | Joint venture with Handprint Films | |
| Tupac: Resurrection | November 14, 2003 | Produced in collaboration with Amaru Entertainment | |
| The Perfect Score | January 30, 2004 | Co-produced alongside Spyglass Entertainment (uncredited), Roger Birnbaum Productions, and Tollin/Robbins Productions | |
| Napoleon Dynamite | June 11, 2004 | Fox Searchlight Pictures (North & Latin America) / Paramount Pictures (International) | Distribution only; produced by Napoleon Pictures |
| Coach Carter | January 14, 2005 | Paramount Pictures | Co-produced with Tollin/Robbins Productions |
| The Longest Yard | May 27, 2005 | Paramount Pictures (North America) / Sony Pictures Releasing International (International) | Remake; co-produced by Columbia Pictures, Happy Madison Productions and Callahan Filmworks |
| Hustle & Flow | July 22, 2005 | Paramount Classics | Distribution only; produced by New Deal Entertainment |
| Murderball | July 22, 2005 | THINKFilm | Co-production with Participant Media and A&E IndieFilms |
| Get Rich or Die Tryin' | November9,2005 | Paramount Pictures | Collaborated with G-Unit Films/Interscope/Shady/Aftermath Films |
| Æon Flux | December2,2005 | Live-action adaptation; co-produced by Lakeshore Entertainment and Valhalla Motion Pictures | |
| Jackass Number Two | September22,2006 | Co-produced alongside Dickhouse Productions and Lynch Siderow Productions | |
| Freedom Writers | January5,2007 | Partnership with Jersey Films and 2S Films | |
| Blades of Glory | March30,2007 | Collaborated with DreamWorks Pictures, Red Hour Films and Smart Entertainment | |
| How She Move | January25,2008 | Paramount Vantage | Co-production involving Celluloid Dreams and Sienna Films |
| Stop-Loss | March28,2008 | Paramount Pictures | |
| The Foot Fist Way | May30,2008 | Paramount Vantage | Distribution only; produced by Gary Sanchez Productions and You Know I Can't Kiss You Inc. |
| Dance Flick | May22,2009 | Paramount Pictures | Co-produced with Wayans Bros. Entertainment |
| Jackass 3D | October15,2010 | Collaboration with Dickhouse Productions | |
| Justin Bieber: Never Say Never | February11,2011 | Co-productions include Insurge Pictures, AEG Live and Scooter Braun Films |
Direct-to-video
| Title | Release date | Production company(s) | Distribution | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Save the Last Dance 2 | October 6, 2006 | Paramount Home Entertainment | $5 million | |
| Beneath | August 7, 2007 | Paramount Classics | ||
| Jackass Presents: Mat Hoffman's Tribute to Evel Knievel | May 27, 2008 | Dickhouse Productions |
Streaming
| Title | Release date | Service | Notes | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madame X | September 23, 2021 | Paramount+ | ||
| South Park: Post Covid | November 25, 2021 | co-produced with Comedy Partners and South Park Studios | ||
| South Park: Post Covid: The Return of Covid | December 16, 2021 | |||
| Three Months | February 23, 2022 | co-produced alongside The Allegiance Theater | ||
| South Park The Streaming Wars | June 1, 2022 | co-produced with Comedy Partners and South Park Studios | ||
| Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe | June 23, 2022 | co-produced with Titmouse, Inc., Judgmental Films, and 3 Arts Entertainment | ||
| South Park The Streaming Wars Part 2 | July 13, 2022 | co-produced with Comedy Partners and South Park Studios | ||
| South Park: Joining the Panderverse | October 27, 2023 | |||
| South Park (Not Suitable for Children) | December 20, 2023 | |||
| South Park: The End of Obesity | May 25, 2024 | |||
| I Am Ready, Warden | November 22, 2024 | distributed via MTV Documentary Films co-produced with Meralita Films |
Television series
| Title | Years | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 Minutes | 1986–2003 2011–2013 |
MTV MTV2 |
|
| Club MTV | 1987–1992 | MTV | |
| Stevie and Zoya | 1987–1989 | ||
| Remote Control | 1987–1990 | MTV/Syndication | |
| Yo! MTV Raps | 1988–1995 2022 |
MTV Paramount+ |
|
| House of Style | 1989–2000 2009–2014 |
MTV | |
| MTV Unplugged | since 1989 | MTV/MTV Live | |
| Turn It Up! | 1990 | MTV | Produced by Chauncey Street Productions |
| Liquid Television | 1991–1995 2014 |
co-produced with Colossal Pictures (seasons one through three) and Titmouse, Inc. (season four) | |
| Æon Flux | 1991–1995 | co-produced alongside MTV Animation and Colossal Pictures | |
| The Real World | 1992–2019 | MTV/Facebook Watch | co-production with Bunim/Murray Productions |
| Lip Service | 1992–1994 | MTV | |
| The Jon Stewart Show | 1993–1995 | MTV/Syndication | co-produced with Paramount Domestic Television (second season) and Busboy Productions |
| The Brothers Grunt | 1994–95 | MTV | produced in collaboration with MTV Animation and a.k.a. Cartoon |
| VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown | 1994–2015 | VH1 | |
| The Head | 1994–96 | MTV | co-produced with MTV Animation |
| The Maxx | 1995 | co-produced with MTV Animation |
Television specials
| Title | Network | Original run | Production company(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTV New Year's Eve specials | MTV | 1981–2014 | MTV News |
| Camp MTV | 1989 | ||
| VH1 Honors | VH1 | 1994 | Ken Ehrlich Productions |
| VH1 Fashion and Music Awards | 1995 | ||
| My VH1 Music Awards | 2000–2001 | ||
| MTV Icon | MTV/MTV2 | 2001–2004 | |
| Testimony: 20 Years of Rock on MTV | MTV | 2001 | |
| Remaking Taylor Dane | VH1 | 2005 | |
| Remaking Vince Neil | VH1 | 2005 | |
| Under "MTV Production Development" | |||
| CBS News on Logo: Special Report on AIDS | Logo TV | 2005 | CBS News |
| The Making of Jackass the Game | MTV | 2007 | Red Mile Entertainment/Dickhouse Productions |
| CMT Artists of the Year | CMT | 2010–present | Country Music Television / Switched On Entertainment |
| It Gets Better | Logo TV MTV |
2012 | Snackaholic / Hypomania Content / Octagon Entertainment |
| Laverine Cox: The T Word | MTV Logo TV |
2014 | Ish Entertainment / Gigantic! Productions |
| Nicki Minaj: My Time Again | MTV | 2015 | RadicalMedia |
| Under "MTV Studios" | |||
| In Session Live with Dr. Jess | VH1 | 2018 | Big Fish Entertainment / CThaGodWorld Productions |
| RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular | World of Wonder | ||
| The Challenge: CT's Getting Married | MTV | Bunim/Murray Productions | |
| Hollywood Exes: Reunited | VH1 | 2020 | New Pop Culture Productions |
| Under "MTV Entertainment Studios" | |||
| Dragging the Classics: The Brady Bunch | Paramount+ | 2021 | World of Wonder |
| Roy Wood Jr.: Imperfect Messenger | Comedy Central | Comedy Partners / Bob Bain Productions / Mainstay Entertainment | |
| Reno 911!: The Hunt for QAnon | Paramount+ | Comedy Partners / High Sierra Carpeting | |
| South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert | Comedy Central | 2022 | Comedy Partners / Alex Coletti Productions |
| Jeff Dunham: Me the People | Red Wire Blue Wire / Triage Entertainment | ||
| Jeff Dunham: I'm with Cupid | 2024 | ||
Television movies
| Title | Network | Years | Production company(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two of Us | VH1 | 2000 | Viacom Productions |
| 2gether | MTV | Keystone Pictures / 2gether Productions | |
| Jailbait | Once Upon a Time Films | ||
| Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back | VH1 | ||
| Is It Fall Yet? | MTV | MTV Animation | |
| Love Song | Viacom Productions | ||
| The Way She Moves | VH1 | 2001 | Wilshire Court Productions / Charter Films / Randwell |
| Anatomy of a Hate Crime | MTV | Team Entertainment | |
| Too Leight: The MC Hammer Story | VH1 | Wilshire Court Productions / Charter Films | |
| 'Warning: Parental Advisory' | 2002 | ||
| 'Fat Camp: An MTV Docs Movie Presentation' | MTV | 2006 | Gigantic Productions |
| 'All You've Got' | Paramount Home Entertainment | ||
| 'Totally Awesome' | VH1 | Paramount Home Entertainment / 3 Arts Entertainment / The Weinstein Company | |
| 'Super Sweet 16: The Movie' | MTV | 2007 | Paramount Home Entertainment |
| 'My Super Psycho Sweet 16' | 2009 | In Cahoots Media, Inc. / The Popfilms Movie Company | |
| 'My Super Psycho Sweet 16: Part 2' | 2010 | ||
| 'My Super Psycho Sweet 16: Part 3' | MTV | 2012 | In Cahoots Media, Inc. / The Popfilms Movie Company |
| 'CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story' | VH1 | 2013 | VH1 Productions / Diggit Entertainment Group / In Cahoots Media, Inc. / The Popfilms Movie Company |
| 'No Cameras Allowed' | MTV | 2014 | Fake Empire Productions |
| 'The Dorm' | Sony Pictures Television / Nomadic Pictures | ||
| 'The Breaks' | VH1 | 2016 | VH1 Productions |
| 'Adventures in Christmasing' | VH1 | 2021 | Johnson Production Group / K-Lab Studios |
| 'The Bitch Who Stole Christmas' | World of Wonder | ||
| 'A Clüsterfünke Christmas' | Comedy Central | Comedy Partners / Lighthouse Pictures / Wishing Floor Films | |
| 'Hip Hop Family Christmas' | VH1 | Foxx Tales / Nexus Films | |
| 'Hot Mess Holiday' | Comedy Central | Comedy Partners / Gunpowder & Sky | |
| 'Let's Get Merried' | VH1 | UnbeliEVAble Entertainment / Blue Ice Pictures | |
| 'Miracle Across 125th Street' | Ncredible Entertainment / Capital Arts Entertainment | ||
| 'Out of Office' | Comedy Central | 2022 | CBS Studios / Propagate Content |
| 'Cursed Friends' | Propagate Content / Electric Avenue / Artists First | ||
| 'Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding' | VH1 | Foxx Tales / Nexus Films | |
| 'All I Didn't Want for Christmas' | Blue Ice Pictures | ||
| 'A New Diva's Christmas Carol' | Green Door Pictures / Blue Ice Pictures | ||
| 'Fuhgeddabout Christmas' | Pichy Productions | ||
| 'Pretty Stoned' | MTV | 2023 | Capital Arts Entertainment |
| 'Office Race' | Comedy Central | Above Average / Believe Entertainment Group |
Television series
| Title | Network | Years | Production company(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dating at Sea | MTV | Discontinued | ||
| The Hills: The Next Generation | Paramount+ | |||
| Jersey Shore 2.0 | 495 Productions | |||
| Power Game |
Films
| Title | Release date | Production company(s) | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jodie | Cancelled | Comedy Central | Comedy Central |
Academy Awards
References
- Articles with short description
- Film production companies of the United States
- Television production companies of the United States
- Mass media companies established in 1991
- Mass media companies disestablished in 2025
- Paramount Skydance subsidiaries
- Companies based in California
- Paramount Pictures
- American companies established in 1991
- American companies disestablished in 2025