If you spend any time in the comedy world, you will certainly hear criticism about Netflix, which for almost a decade has established itself as the main destination for stand-up.
Among the complaints are: the streaming service has saturated the market with specials. Its algorithm favors the famous more than the funny. Netflix promotes transphobia. It pays women less than men. Your promotion and marketing don’t do enough. The platform does not share audience information with comedians. After signing huge contracts with superstars, the platform has become increasingly stingy with other artists. And there are many others. However, complaints often end with a simple question: what is the best alternative?
Amazon () has already explored streaming stand-up specials, but hasn’t gone much further than that. Apple () was left out. A , which this year released specials by Adam Conover and Courtney Pauroso. HBO Max has recently stood out as an interesting alternative, offering specials from Jerrod Carmichael, Alex Edelman and Ramy Youssef.
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However, no significant competitor has managed to pose a real challenge to Netflix. Until now.
Walt Disney () is entering the stand-up market in a big way, hot on the heels of its . The company, through Hulu, is investing significantly in the stand-up comedy market, commissioning more than a dozen specials. Among the comedians involved are big names like Bill Burr and Sebastian Maniscalco, as well as emerging talents like Ralph Barbosa. Most importantly, they have a consistent vision and a clear counterprogramming strategy.
Hulu will release one special per month. The goal is to turn each special into a major event by leveraging Disney’s extensive marketing resources. Jim Gaffigan kicked off the series with his new special, “The Skinny,” full of his signature, funny, family-friendly jokes, touching on topics like religion and children, among others. Perhaps the biggest surprise today is that Gaffigan, known for his jokes about food and exaggerations at the table, has lost a lot of weight thanks to the use of an appetite suppressant.
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In the coming months, “Human Magic,” by Ilana Glazer, and “Lonely Flowers,” by Roy Wood Jr. will be released.
Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, said competition from Netflix is beneficial for comedy and emphasized his focus on “curation, not volume.”
“We’re not trying to do a hundred things, you know,” Erwich said on a Zoom call. “We’re trying to do a few carefully selected things that we really believe in. I think, frankly, that helps with quality control.”
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He says he is willing to share audience data with comedians, something Netflix has been reluctant to do. Netflix’s stance has frustrated some artists who want to better understand their audience, whether to plan tours or negotiate future contracts. He also promises to use the old marketing strategy. “We don’t believe that success depends solely on the algorithm to position content at the right time and place,” he said.
The last time a major competitor tried to challenge Netflix was in 2019, when Amazon Prime implemented a specials strategy. Turns out it all started with Gaffigan. The comedian says this effort feels different. “From a promotional point of view, there is no comparison,” he explained via Zoom. “I was grateful for the opportunity, but it felt more like an experiment, whereas Hulu has a 12-month to two-year plan.”
It features several popular comedians in nightclubs and theaters, including Zarna Garg, Andrew Santino, Atsuko Okatsuka and Matteo Lane. When asked about his dream cast, Erwich mentioned duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who were recently on tour with a live comedy show.
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Hulu’s challenge is to get consumers to develop new habits. However, there is some skepticism about combining Disney’s family-friendly brand with the sometimes controversial nature of stand-up comedy. When asked about the possibility of programming Dave Chappelle’s “The Closer,” in which transgender people are the main focus, Erwich responded, “It probably wouldn’t be something we would choose to do.”
More broadly, he stated that he would deal with controversial comedy in the following way: “What we would consider is, ‘Does it seem gratuitous and intentionally offensive or provocative?’ “Or purposely controversial? No, we would probably stay away from that.”
“This has nothing to do with Disney,” he explained. “Our desire is for as many people as possible to enjoy these comedies, without the need to intentionally provoke controversy to attract attention.”
Netflix doesn’t seem to care about controversy. And she has drawn large audiences for live events, such as the Tom Brady insult comedy and the Chris Rock special covering the incident in which he was slapped by Will Smith. But as the platform consolidates, it appears to compete more with YouTube’s vast output than with any traditional producer.
A few years ago, Netflix started licensing ready-made specials from comedians. This approach helps keep costs low (comedians pay for production and marketing) while allowing Netflix to keep its content volume high. Comedian Chris Distefano, who has gained a large following in recent years, signed such a deal with Netflix. But for his next hour, “It’s Just Unfortunate,” he’s signed with Hulu for a February release.
In justifying the decision, Distefano emphasized marketing and promotion, stating that Hulu “felt closer, like part of their family.” In a later message he said: “It’s an honor to be on the same network as ‘The Bear’ as that’s how I’m known in most communities.”
