Veeps Launches New Comedy Vertical to Streaming Platform, Led by Acclaimed Industry Veteran Bart Coleman
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veeps, a Live Nation-affiliated company and the premier destination for live and on-demand entertainment, today announced the launch of the platform's new comedy vertical. This expansion coincides with the company's appointment of industry veteran Bart Coleman as Head of Comedy. Comedy fans can expect live and on-demand airing of specials from a wide range of comedians including David Cross, Brad Williams, Katherine Ryan, Reggie Watts, Mo Welch, Blair Socci, Jessi Cruickshank, and the likes of SF Sketchfest (The San Francisco Comedy Festival), Pod Meets World, and more to be announced.
Subscribers to Veeps All Access, the platform's subscription offering announced in October, will have free and unlimited access to all of the comedy content on Veeps, or people can purchase tickets to individual specials.
Similar to Veeps' innovative approach for connecting artists and fans through a wide variety of live performances, the company approaches comedy with curation, discovery and creative license at its core, offering a solution to specials that get lost in an overwhelming sea of content, or algorithms that serve only a small percentage of acts. The Veeps platform is able to cross-pollinate from a significant and wide-reaching music catalog, bridging fans into comedy content and connecting them with other comedy fans enjoying the same streams.
"People around the world love to laugh, even if they're not able to attend their favorite shows in-person as much as they'd like to and I'm honored to be playing a role in bringing the comedic performances we all love direct to fans in their homes," said Bart Coleman, Head of Comedy at Veeps. "Veeps is unique in that it offers a premium viewing experience, a lot of artistic flexibility and we're high touch in helping artists bring their unfiltered creative vision to life and connecting them with a community of viewers globally — in my opinion it's a much-needed, fresh approach when it comes to broadcasting comedy content."
Coleman will partner closely with Live Nation's President of Comedy, Geof Wills, to integrate Veeps as a new value add-on for comedy shows Wills' and his team currently book. The additional option for comedians to choose to livestream their shows via Veeps opens up new ways for comics to connect with their audiences. This partnership also opens up distribution opportunities through Ticketmaster partners including Meta, Spotify and TikTok.
"It's exciting to see Veeps' investment in comedy and the hiring of Bart. This expansion will help comics reach audiences in entirely new and different ways than what has traditionally been done before," said Geof Wills, President of Comedy, Live Nation.
Veeps, which has already streamed performances to millions of viewers worldwide for thousands of artists, is poised for growth. This new vertical dually ensures live comedy content reaches a global audience, without losing the intimacy or connectivity of beloved clubs and venues. Comedians can expect the same industry-leading partnership and customer service from team Veeps - high-quality production and flawless streaming technology, with options for Dolby 4K and Atmos video and high-definition sound.
"I'm excited about working with Live Nation and their platform, Veeps. The team has been very artist friendly and given me the freedom to present the show in the exact way it was intended. Anyone can join an already successful platform, but it's extra inspiring to know that I'm a part of something that many people are saying will be an industry game-changer," said Brad Williams, who recently announced his special Starfish, airing exclusively on Veeps 12/21.
The current line-up of comedy specials that will be exclusively available on Veeps (free to All Access subscribers or via a paid ticket to individual shows) is as follows:
- David Cross: Worst Daddy in the World special airing 11/27; tickets on sale now; press pics/show assets.
- Brad Williams — Starfish special airing 12/21; tickets on sale now; press pics/show assets.
- Katherine Ryan — Missus special airing 11/17; tickets on sale now; press pics/show assets.
- Reggie Watts — special coming in Q1, 2024
- Mo Welch — Dad Jokes docu-special, airing/onsale details to come; press pics/show assets.
- Blair Socci — Live from the Big Dog special airing 12/1; tickets on sale 11/15; press pics/show assets.
- SF Sketchfest — Multiple sets Jan/Feb, 2024; onsale details to come
- Pod Meets World — The Kids Wanna Jump!; airing/onsale details to come
- Jessi Cruickshank — special coming in Q1, 2024
For full information on featured comedians and upcoming specials, please visit https://veeps.com/browse
About Veeps: Veeps is the world's leading streaming platform for live music and entertainment where fans can connect with their favorite artists through live and on-demand concerts, comedy shows, and more. Launched in 2018 by Joel and Benji Madden, Veeps has streamed performances to millions of viewers worldwide for thousands of artists including Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters, and Kings of Leon. Veeps has been named a Fast Company World's Most Innovative Company, nominated for an Emmy, and holds the Guinness World Record for the world's largest ticketed livestream performance by a solo male artist. The platform recently debuted All Access, a revolutionary subscription offering unlimited access to an extensive library of premium-quality musical content. Veeps content is available via Veeps.com and apps on Apple TV, Roku, iOS, and Android. Veeps is a part of Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE:LYV).
Bart Coleman Bio: Bart Coleman is Head of Comedy for Veeps. Prior to joining, he was Head of Comedy for Moment where he oversaw stand-up specials and podcast events, including the platform's highest performing special, Andrew Schulz's "Infamous" global premiere. Formerly, he was Comedy Lead for Spotify Studios overseeing original podcasts including Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith, The Sketch Factor with Fred Armisen, and An Oral History of The Office. As Director of Talent for Comedy Central, Coleman worked on stand-up specials, series casting, and The Roast franchise. Continuing with Comedy Central as an independent producer, his credits include The Burn with Jeff Ross, The Jeselnik Offensive, John Oliver's New York Stand-up, Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, and 600 episodes of @midnight with Chris Hardwick. Previous stints as a stand-up booker include NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, CBS's The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and HBO's US Comedy Arts Festival. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Coleman mentors students at UTLA's Moody School of Communications every semester.
Media contact: Crystal Henderson [email protected]
