YouTube Sparked the Demise of Comedy Central & May Do the Same for Netflix

For decades, landing a special on Comedy Central was the pinnacle for standup comedians -- but today, it's nowhere to be found.

Image created by the authorPhoto byHudson Rennie

Many comedians see the network's lack of foresight as its downfall. Others, an unwillingness to adapt to the times. But, regardless of the reasoning, it's clear changing times have forced major television networks to pivot or die.

Many streamers, Like Netflix, HBO, or Amazon have become popular hubs for standup comedians to house their work. But today, the biggest comedy specials aren't seen on Comedy Central or even Netflix, but on YouTube. On a recent episode of the Take Your Shoes Off podcast, popular standup comedian, Mark Normand, talked about his experience working with all 3:

"I did a half-hour on Comedy Central... I did a half-hour on Netflix... they [Netflix] gave me what Dave Attell calls the 'white guy gig' -- 200K and you own it in 2 years."

Of course, talking about budget rather than earnings, Mark breaks down how filming a Netflix special is the same amount of work as posting it on YouTube -- only instead of owning it right away, you take a one-time payout to have it posted on Netflix for the first 2 years.

As has been a popular trend, many comedians are choosing to post their specials directly to YouTube, gaining full reign to sell sponsors and reach a wider audience. But perhaps most important, is the lack of censorship posting a special oneself gives.

Today, the biggest comedy specials are being posted on YouTube, available for free:

• Andrew Schultz - 16 million views
• Mark Normand - 12 million views
• Shane Gillis - 12 million views

And, it's leading to a boom in comedy around the world.

Without gatekeepers making notes, censoring jokes, and with public opinion driving demand, more and more stars are choosing to produce their own content, forcing major entities, even streamers, to pivot or face extinction.

Hey, I'm Hudson! I write about social media, marketing, and modern entrepreneurship. Hit follow for more stories like this one.