Why Streaming Platforms Want Comedians
By Movieguide® Contributor
A war for laughs is being waged between streaming platforms like Hulu, Amazon, Max, YouTube TV and Netflix.
The Hollywood Reporter calls the phenomenon “an arms race for stand-up specials, one of few bright spots in an otherwise bleak entertainment landscape.”
“The same companies that have slashed budgets and cut back on series orders are now ponying up as much as eight figures for stand-up comedy,” the outlet added. “In fact, Hulu is said to have shelled out roughly $15 million for [comedian Bill] Burr’s hour, the result of an increasingly common, multiplatform bidding war.”
Streamers’ hunger for more comedy is boosting the comedians’ fan bases as well.
Clean comedian Nate Bargatze, for example, found massive success after his Prime Video special.
“Bargatze’s ‘clean comedy’ hour was big, racking up 2.9 million viewers in its first month alone. Soon after, he jumped from theaters to arenas, where he now routinely smashes records at 19,000-seat venues like the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Thus far this year, he’s said to have grossed nearly $90 million on the road, also boosted by a SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE viral hosting gig,” THR wrote.
“To date, Nate’s the most undeniable example that Amazon has had, and the industry’s watching really closely to see if it was a one-time thing or if it can happen with other artists,” Levity Live founder Judi Marmel said.
Movieguide® previously reported on why Bargatze keeps his comedy clean:
While most standup comedians rely on raunchy material as the backbone of their shows, Nate Bargatze has made a name for himself off of clean content. Bargatze is also known as ‘the nicest man in comedy.’
“I think it’s always been just trying to be a nice person,” Bargatze told NPR Illinois. “I’m not a perfect person by any means. Being nice is very easy. I always say, it’s the easiest thing you can do. I think it can take you the farthest in any career, just be a nice person, just because you want people to want to be around you.”
Being nice also draws in nice people. Bargatze loves going to his shows and meeting with his fans because his fanbase is full of people that are as kind as he is. His family-friendly humor has brought together a family-friendly crowd.
But why exactly are comedy and streaming specials exploding?
Marmel points to the lack of quality comedy movies.
“They’re not making funny movies the way that they used to, so people no longer have that relief,” she said. “So, they’re coming to live stand-up and specials because that desire to laugh is still very much there.”
Earlier this year, Deadline noted that COVID and social media also led to the “explosion” of comedians.
“Comedians were able to build their brand on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and on podcasts [during COVID],” said Caroline Hirsch who owned a comedy club. “These platforms really put comedians on everybody’s phone. That’s what has helped make these younger comedians into their own big brands.”
With more eyes on comedy generally, streamers see the specials as a relatively affordable way to get audiences to their platforms, as the AV Club explains.
“Paying a comedian $10 million to license a special might sound like a lot, but it’s actually a bargain compared to, say, making a TV show or movie, especially since most such specials have ridiculously low overhead, and comparable viewing numbers,” the outlet noted.
Different platforms are using different pitches to entice comedians. But they’re all banking on the success of — and people’s desire for — comedy specials not going away soon.
