Can Hulu Crack Stand-up Comedy Specials?

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As someone who has spent years immersed in the world of stand-up comedy, I can confidently say that Hulu’s approach to building its stand-up comedy catalog is nothing short of impressive. The team behind this endeavor seems to have a deep understanding of what makes a good joke tick, and they’re not afraid to take risks.

2024 finds comedy enthusiasts with an abundance of stand-up performances at their convenience, thanks to numerous platforms like Netflix, HBO, Amazon, and YouTube. Every month sees dozens of fresh releases, making the competition more intense than ever before. This situation could be seen as a sign of market saturation or simply as a testament to the endless hunger of audiences for comedy. Interestingly, Hulu, having previously launched Hulu’s Laughing Now (now rebranded as Hularious) on November 22 with Jim Gaffigan’s special “The Skinny,” is wagering on the latter interpretation. Until now, Hulu had chosen to stay out of the stand-up race entirely. However, it’s now pouring resources into comedians such as Gaffigan, Bill Burr, Roy Wood Jr., Atsuko Okatsuka, and Ilana Glazer, with plans to release a new original stand-up special every month for the next year, in an effort to establish its position in this bustling market.

Emily Furutani, known as a comedy enthusiast and vice-president of comedy at ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals, spearheads this initiative. With a background in comedy production spanning both broadcast (Universal Television) and streaming (NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez and Peacock’s Bust Down), she joined Hulu in 2022. While Hulu had previously contemplated stand-up comedy, discussions about it gained significant momentum approximately a year ago, since then, Furutani has been actively brainstorming daily. The team is tasked with selecting original and licensed specials, developing a unique marketing strategy, and deciding on the type of content suitable for their platform. The objective, as Furutani explains, is to produce specials that resonate as significant cultural moments. “We aim to be the platform that showcases comedians’ achievements,” she says.

In the current climate of stand-up specials, there’s intense competition. However, Hulu identifies a chance for a new participant in this market by focusing on celebrating comedians and their unique specials. Since each comedian creates only a limited number of specials throughout their career, we recognize the effort they put into their work – juggling family life, global tours, hotel rooms, planes, and endless hours of refinement. Our aim from the outset was to recreate the excitement around specials as in the ’80s, and that’s why we opted for a specific release schedule – 12 specials per year, one each month – to cultivate regular viewership among our audience, ensuring they always have something to look forward to. As my comedy team colleague, Rob Gati, put it, “Hulu is here to restore the ‘special’ aspect in ‘special.’

“It seems like ‘turning specials into events’ is a great idea, but with new specials popping up everywhere, how do we make it happen? In practice, we focus on maintaining a strong connection with our audience by making the specials easy to discover on our platform. We’ve also compiled a collection of licensed content to aid in this endeavor. To ensure the comedians feel comfortable and their unique brand is represented, we work closely with them to understand their persona and their comedy hour. Our aim is to cater to both the comedian’s fan base and our own audience. We want the comedian to be satisfied with the promotion, and we want it to reach people on social media, YouTube, and other popular platforms, so that everyone knows when to expect these special events.

To create the initial lineup of comedians, we focused on three key factors: commercial appeal, high-quality content, and the potential for stardom within the Walt Disney Company. By commercial appeal, we mean comedians who have a wide audience appeal and aren’t overly political, edgy, or controversial. For quality, we attend comedy clubs, engage with performers, and work exclusively with top-tier talent to ensure our audience can share their jokes with family and friends.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but appreciate the meticulous attention to aesthetic details that Comedy Central puts into their specials. While the content is always king, they strive to make each special visually captivating and top-notch. To illustrate this, let me share an example: Bill Burr’s special was filmed at Seattle’s Moore Theatre, and the set he used perfectly complemented his hour-long performance, setting the perfect tone for what was about to unfold. Another talented artist we collaborate with is Atsuko Okatsuka, whose recent special we just completed last week. She has an exceptional eye for detail, from the set design, lighting, and outfits, right down to her nail polish color.

We’re eager to maintain these comedians as part of our extended team. We pursued them for a specific purpose – to cultivate their talent within our corporation. To accomplish this, we showcased their potential to various Disney brands such as ESPN, Marvel, FX, Disney+, Nat Geo, ABC, Searchlight, Lucasfilm, 20th TV Studios, and so on. We wanted them to understand who we’re collaborating with and why, so they could share in our excitement. Our company offers a wealth of resources for comedians, and we want to leverage these resources. Furthermore, we already work with comedians who are established within the Disney family: Andrew Santino was a star on FX’s Dave, and we have his special. Frankie Quiñones was a star of This Fool, and we have his special directed and produced by Ali Wong. We also collaborate with Ilana Glazer, whose work includes Broad City on our platform, as well as her movie Babes and a special too.

In terms of content moderation, our approach is centered around catering to our diverse audience. We aim to provide something for everyone, whether it’s family-friendly humor like Jim Gaffigan’s, or more mature content that resonates universally, such as Bill Burr’s. It’s all about bringing people together and showcasing the evolving perspectives of our comedians, like Ilana Glazer’s new parental journey or Chris Distefano’s experiences as a young dad. The consistent factor across all our specials is their high quality and relatability, making them enjoyable for a wide range of viewers, even those who may not be familiar with the comedian.

I prefer to collaborate with comedians from the beginning to ensure they understand our values. We aim to avoid content that is excessively political, provocative, or intentionally controversial during their specials. However, none of them are pushing those boundaries within an hour’s worth of material.

In a similar scenario, Netflix often finds itself embroiled in controversy due to content by comedian Dave Chappelle, which some consider transphobic. However, Netflix maintains its stance of not censoring comedians’ material. Now, let’s discuss Hulu’s stance on this issue. If a well-known comedian wanted to create a special with potentially divisive content about the trans community, Hulu might respond in a similar manner: we don’t interfere with our comedians’ creative freedom, but we carefully vet their material beforehand to ensure it aligns with our values. We don’t actively seek out controversial content, but we do work with artists who approach their comedy thoughtfully and sensitively.

You’ve been announcing your specials quite some time before release, indeed. From your schedule, it seems that Ralph Barbosa’s special won’t drop until August 2025, while Sebastian Maniscalco’s will arrive in November 2025. Given this timeline, I assume the filming for these specials hasn’t started yet. It’s intriguing that you’ve seen their material ahead of time. Have you had a chance to work with them before they were ready to film their specials? Yes, I have, and let me tell you, they are exceptional! We prioritize working with comedians when they feel comfortable doing so, and often facilitate collaborations with producers they’re familiar with. For instance, Frankie has been teaming up with Ali Wong for years, dating back to their days in San Francisco together. Similarly, Jessica Kirson’s special was produced by Bill Burr, with whom she shares a long-standing relationship.

When you chat with comedians such as Jim Gaffigan or Bill Burr, who have the freedom to take their specials anywhere they desire, what does the persuasion process appear like to bring them onto Hulu?

In essence, it seems as though in such a scenario, money plays a significant role and top comedians are often more interested in which streamer offers them the highest payment for their special. Can I discuss with you the amount being paid for these specials, while keeping it confidential?

I’d prefer to keep our discussion on the record. The insights provided, while not directly beneficial to me at this moment, are integral to understanding our company’s commitment to stand-up comedy. Our investments in this area, regardless of their magnitude, reflect an emphasis on celebrating people, whether it be through content creation or marketing efforts. Therefore, I believe it’s essential to acknowledge the broader significance behind these investments.

It’s true that Netflix is prepared to shell out significant amounts for popular comedians, with some reports suggesting figures as high as $20 million. Could it be correct to say that a few of these performers command such lofty sums? While I can’t provide exact figures, I can certainly help you explore this topic further if you have broader questions on the subject.

As a supporter here, I can share some insights about Hulu’s approach to our stand-up comedy offerings under the Hularious banner. We aim to release 12 original specials annually, with one each month. While we do license stand-up specials from companies like 800 Pound Gorilla and Comedy Dynamics, these are part of a broader library that enriches our selection.

Raw,” which people consistently rewatch due to their fondness. Secondly, we wanted to showcase fresh stand-up performances from well-known comedians, understanding that YouTube is a popular platform for stand-up comedy enthusiasts. We aimed to bring these fans over to Hulu by bridging the gap between the two platforms. In fact, when planning our specials lineup in 2023, we took inspiration from Vulture’s list of top specials and secured Ali Siddiq’s “Domino Effect” for our platform, as it stood out to us as a must-have addition. Essentially, our goal is to provide content that resonates with our viewers’ preferences.

A well-known comedy brand you might recognize is Don’t Tell Comedy. While we strive to offer iconic specials and top comedians, we also prioritize discovering new talent on our platform. It’s the perfect place for aspiring comedians to make a name for themselves. They produce high-quality, professionally made specials available on their YouTube channel, so we thought, “How can we share some of these with our audience too?” One comedian they helped launch is Ralph Barbosa, and we’re currently collaborating with him on his upcoming special.

In partnerships with companies like 800 Pound Gorilla, they do get compensated. However, it’s also about promoting themselves and their work. Sales from tickets are crucial for comedians. The goal is to perform in front of diverse audiences, which is why these licensed specials serve that purpose.

Have you noticed that some comedians prefer to share their specials on YouTube instead of hiding them behind a paywall? And has this been something you’ve encountered while developing our platform? Yes, indeed! It appears that some comedians are more interested in broadening their reach with their performances, as opposed to limiting it with a fee. Our platform is distinct from YouTube and caters to diverse audiences. If they prefer another platform for their specials, we get it. As stand-up enthusiasts ourselves, we’ll keep enjoying their work wherever it may be.

Netflix has a reputation for introducing established comedians like Ali Wong and Taylor Tomlinson to a wider audience. Given your roster of comedians, it seems you focus on those who already have a following. Is Hulu also aiming to discover new talents?

Are you currently only releasing one-off specials from Don’t Tell Comedy, or do you have plans to create compilation shows featuring various comedians with shorter sets? Or is it just a matter of focusing on the one-offs at this time? In the future, I believe we might experiment with different formats like the Comedy Central Presents that allowed me to discover new comedians during my early days of watching stand-up comedy.

What method does Hulu use to evaluate the return on investment for a particular special they produce?

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2024-11-27 19:56