New York ? Dreams of world domination must be hard for MTV executives to avoid when they are host to a party at the Kremlin, with a Russian diva and Queen dueting on “We Will Rock You” and Russian soldiers performing a hip-hop dance routine.

MTV Networks will reach a milestone in February when the turn of a switch starts an MTV outlet in Africa, the company’s 100th channel worldwide and first based on that continent.

Most of its American audience is probably unaware of the extent to which MTV and its sister networks have blanketed the world in an aggressive expansion drive. That may soon change.

Much of it is the work of Bill Roedy, who joined MTV shortly after its first international network, MTV Europe, opened in Amsterdam in 1987.

“It seems easy now,” Roedy said. “Back then it was not as easy. I don’t think anyone imagined it would be like it is now.”

Of the 100 worldwide networks, 43 are some variation of MTV — like Africa’s new network MTV Base, which is an offshoot of a European channel focusing on urban music. Twenty-three are Nickelodeon offshoots, 15 are VH1s and the rest includes local networks that MTV’s parent company Viacom has acquired.

MTV estimates that at least one of their networks is available in one-third of the world’s homes with televisions. About 80 percent of its viewership now is outside of the United States.

The logic is simple: the United States is a “mature” market now with limited expansion possibilities, said Larry Gerbrandt, a television analyst for AlixPartners LLC. “The long-term future is international. So from a strategic viewpoint, it’s where MTV and Nickelodeon can reap the most rewards.”

That’s why there’s a Nickelodeon in Nepal and a Nickelodeon Nordic dubbed in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. Launched last year, MTV Guangdong is available to 77 million homes in China and Hong Kong. MTV Indonesia includes a regular call to prayer for its Islamic audience. MTV Australia films a version of “Total Request Live” from Sydney Harbor.

The theory is to make each channel reflect the local culture, Roedy said. MTV in Japan is very edgy, very tech-oriented, for example, while the stylistic MTV in Italy even has food shows.

Programming is a mix of American shows, local versions of formats developed in America and original material unique to the individual cultures.

Probably the most popular MTV offering internationally is the outrageous auto makeover show “Pimp My Ride.” MTV in Germany is even making a pilot for a local variation: “Pimp My Bicycle.”

Some of this worldwide content is making its way here. MTV announced last week that it would start three new customized channels for the United States aimed at ethnic audiences. MTV Desi will target Americans with roots in the Indian subcontinent. MTV China and MTV Korea are also planned, using much of the programming produced overseas and showing it here.