David Farnor | On 06, May 2018

Stand-up comedy platform NextUp has launched on Apple TV.

Specialising exclusively in stand-up comedy specials, the subscription VOD service features over 80 full length comedy specials from household names such as Richard Herring, Tommy Tiernan and Simon Munnery as well as championing rising stars such as Rachel Parris, Jordan Brookes and Tiff Stevenson. It regularly films comedians’ shows and releases a new special every week, with recent releases including Tommy Tiernan’s ‘Crooked Man’ and Tiff Stevenson’s critically acclaimed ‘Mad Man’, and Bill Hicks’ ‘Relentless’ and Paul Sinha’s ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ launching soon.

After launching in November 2016, the service has gone from strength to strength, having been chosen by Amazon as one of their ‘Prime Channels’ in both the US and UK. Now, it’s expanding its reach with an app on Apple TV, bringing its stand-up selection to an additional 21 million users worldwide. The NextUp App has been featured as Apple’s ‘App of the Day’ and has a five-star rating in both app stores.

Sarah Henley, one of the founders of NextUp, says: “We’re really excited to have launched on Apple TV. One of the biggest aims at NextUp is to get as much exposure as possible for great comedy. We want to reflect the diversity of comedy out there, and being on Apple TV means more people than ever before will have access to our app.”

NextUp also supports comedians in numerous ways including a Spotify-style revenue share and supporting community projects including the Care Home Tour.

A NextUp subscription is just £3.50 a month with a 30-day free trial.
 

Netflix for stand-up? Comedy streaming site NextUp launches

16th November 2016

This week sees the launch of NextUp, a brand new subscription VOD platform dedicated entirely to stand-up comedy.

Stand-up has been a rapidly growing area for streaming services. Netflix has signed a whole host of US talent to record specials exclusively for its line-up, with one deal for Chris Rock’s return to the stage recently hitting $40m – a record high, fuelled by intense bidding between rival networks.

While Jimmy Carr has recorded a Netflix show, though, and Ricky Gervais has inked several deals with the streaming giant, British talent is slower on the uptake, with seasonal DVDs for the biggest names still lining the shelves in the run-up to Christmas. Unless a tour comes directly to their hometown, meanwhile, fans can miss out on seeing other comedians they would love to see.

Enter NextUp, a site designed to bring stand-up to comedy lovers across the UK. The platform hosts a mix of new and established comedy names, including Tony Law, Lou Sanders, Richard Herring, Luisa Omielan, Simon Munnery, Fern Brady, Lloyd Langford, Miles Jupp, Brendon Burns and Tim Renkow. Shows both past and present are available to stream, giving audiences access to recorded shows that are no longer on tour, as well as new shows caught by the NextUp team before they vanish into the ether.

NextUp is founded by the team behind the YouTube Channel and live comedy night, ComComedy, working with Stuart Snaith of BBC Worldwide and 2Entertain. NextUp have also partnered with independent comedy producers Turtle Canyon Comedy who have curated and filmed a special Best of the Fringe playlist on the NextUp platform.

Co-founder Sarah Henley says: “The idea for NextUp arose because we as a team found it exceptionally sad that we would come to the Edinburgh Fringe every year and see incredible, lovingly crafted shows, which would maybe tour, but then disappear completely, with only a small handful of comics getting DVD deals. We personally know hundreds of people who would have loved to have seen those shows but couldn’t make it up to the fringe or don’t live in the towns the tours visit, – and our research tells us there are many thousands more who feel the same. NextUp will support comic talent and share comedians’ extraordinary work with a worldwide audience of stand-up comedy fans. With our production arm they’ll be able to resurrect their favourite retired shows, or record their new ones as well as gain new fans from existing recordings. Audiences may be brought in by their favourite one or two big names but we hope they will quickly be encouraged to discover the breadth of great comedy the industry has to offer.”

A subscription costs £3.50 a month, with all shows available to download and watch offline. The site also includes curated playlists, such as Rising Stars, Most Watched, Household Heroes and Contemporary Greats, to help members discover new acts they may not have seen before.

Alongside the online content, members will be able to link though to ticketing info for acts’ current live performances, thereby helping to drive audiences not only to discover acts they may not have come across before, but also out into the live circuit. Members will also receive other membership benefits and offers, including voting options on future site content, competitions, access to live shoots for the channel, and exclusive editorial by Ben Williams (former Time Out comedy Editor and Edinburgh Comedy Award Judge).

For comedians, the site offers a chance to reach a new audience, build a new fan base and encourage those fans to see new live work. They’ll also open up a new revenue stream, receiving a percentage of the platform’s income for each view their content generates.

“Selfies in the Grand Canyon is my favourite special to date. I was involved in every aspect of production on this one, from how it looked right down to the final edit, and I loved every second of it. So I’m properly thrilled that Next Up comedy have selected this, my first real foray into production and direction, as one of the frontrunners on their new streaming service,” says Brendon Burns.

“This means my Mum can see it and yours too, adds Lou Sanders. “Also great for agoraphobics.”

Update: November 2017

NextUp is now available on Amazon Channels in the UK.

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