Not to mention he has total control over the look and presentation of the material (editing, lighting, no commercials) because it's his money.
The content provider used to pay for the special, but now comedians are paying that cost up front and then selling the rights to air it. The next step is that the comedians just distribute their material themselves. (I'm sure there's a start-up opportunity there!)
This is inevitable because comedians are realizing that podcasts, not mass media TV or radio, are the best way to reach their audience for live shows, merch and record content income. In my opinion it's also because comedians can foster engagement with their fans on a deeper level than musicians because they are talking right to them.
The content provider used to pay for the special, but now comedians are paying that cost up front and then selling the rights to air it. The next step is that the comedians just distribute their material themselves. (I'm sure there's a start-up opportunity there!)
This is inevitable because comedians are realizing that podcasts, not mass media TV or radio, are the best way to reach their audience for live shows, merch and record content income. In my opinion it's also because comedians can foster engagement with their fans on a deeper level than musicians because they are talking right to them.