Netflix has one of the largest libraries of streaming standup comedy specials on the web, and it’s going get bigger every week for the rest of this year. The company is continuing their quest to be a go-to source for streaming comedy with a recent announcement that they plan to release a new standup special every single week for the rest of 2017. The streaming giant released 25 original standup shows in 2015, and more than 50 are planned for 2017.
The company has been all in on stand up in recent month, doling out huge paydays to some of comedy’s top names like Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld (including his hit show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee), Amy Schumer, Patton Oswalt, Dana Carvey, and others. The average price for the high profile names in this list is $10 million to $20 million per show, with the “second tier” names getting an average of $3 million to $10 million. Of course, while they’re paying a hefty price for these shows, it’s still a lot cheaper than producing an original show, which can often have a cost that runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
A specific lineup of names hasn’t been released yet, but it’s clear that Netflix is taking their efforts seriously. By signing names like Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle into multi-show deals, they’re ensuring a relationship that will last a while.
This move is just a part of Netflix’s bigger plan to double their original content in 2017, with an ultimate goal of originals being more than half of their catalogue. They’ve shared plans to not just expand their comedy offerings, but also original reality TV shows (with more than 20 new shows planned), movies, and documentaries. As a general rule, the company is changing their focus from licensed shows and films to original content. And it looks like it’s a bet that’s paying off.
