Your guide to the world of comedy — June 7, 2026
This week:
Punchup CEO on Direct-to-Fan Comedy
Late Night's $55M Real Estate Swap
Comedy Headlines
Specials, Jobs, Fests, and Submissions
Danny Frenkel thinks comedians should own their audiences. That's the idea behind Punchup Live, a platform that combines comedy content, audience analytics, ticketing, and merchandising tools in one place. Today, comedians from Bill Burr to Jordan Jensen use it to connect with fans.
The idea came when Danny noticed how Louis C.K. sold specials directly through his website rather than traditional distributors.
"I thought it was such an interesting model," Danny says. "We identified that you need a way to collect emails, then you need to be able to use that to sell tickets. Then you need a network where everybody can pull their audiences together and mutually benefit. If we consolidate it all in one place, then we can help them sell more merch, content, and tickets."
What began as a direct-to-fan platform expanded into other parts of the comedy business. In March 2025, Punchup acquired ticketing platform Tixologi, bringing ticketing infrastructure in-house and allowing comedians and venues to sell tickets directly through Punchup rather than third-party providers.
This comes as ticketing systems face new scrutiny. In April 2026, a federal jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster unlawfully maintained monopoly power in live entertainment ticketing through anticompetitive practices. The ruling could open the door to more competition and opportunities for alternative ticketing platforms.
A $6 George Carlin ticket in 1972 (On eBay for $16!) versus a $79 ticket for Josh Johnson in 2026, with over $19 in service fees.
Punchup's growth has accelerated. In April 2026, the platform surpassed 1.5 million monthly active users. This comes at a time when more top comedians like Ali Siddiq bypass traditional distributors to release specials directly on YouTube and other platforms. We spoke with Danny about the future of comedy ticketing and Punchup’s value to comedians.
Comics Are Taking Over Late Night, But They're on a Tight Leash
The debut of Byron Allen's Comics Unleashed on CBS drew just 995,000 viewers, down 85% from Stephen Colbert's 6.7 million-viewer finale. The business model for CBS is different: The Wall Street Journal reported that The Late Show was losing roughly $40 million annually, while Allen is paying CBS $15 million per year to lease the 11:35 p.m. hour and sell ads himself.
Notably, Allen's vision is different from modern late-night television: he’s built the show around advertisement-friendly comedy, which will avoid jokes on politics, racial controversy, and other topics that could alienate sponsors.
The Scene
A new unaired interview of Bill Hicks was posted on YouTube (here) this week by We Are Funny Project.
Sam Tallent's novel Running the Light is included on Spotify Premium as an audiobook. The novel follows road comic Billy Ray Schafer across the American Southwest as he battles addiction, loneliness, and a collapsing career, with readings from Doug Stanhope and Marc Maron. Listen here.
Matt Ruby reshares a Vice documentary on Norm Macdonald that explores the comedian's long-hidden gambling addiction and health struggles.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says that YouTube is no longer a stepping stone to traditional media but is the entertainment industry itself, as creators build shows and businesses directly on the platform.
However, Kayla Cobb argues that many of these creators already have strong fan bases and don't need the traditional Hollywood system. She says the lesson is learning how to partner with creators who can mobilize audiences.
Hacks, HBO’s fictional comedy about a partnership between a veteran comic and young writer, earns praise from columnist David French for finding friendship across difference.
Actors and comedians including Ken Jeong and Joel McHale are using viral clips from their old TV and movie roles to build social media audiences, sell tickets, and launch new projects.
BBC comedy chief Jon Petrie is leaving his role overseeing the BBC's comedy programming and commissioning strategy to join Hat Trick Productions.
TV & Film
Marcello Hernández will host the 2026 ESPYS on July 15.
Saturday Night Live closes its 51st season as TV's top comedy among adults 18-49, its seventh straight year as the highest-rated comedy series in the demographic.
Conan O'Brien's final NBC Late Night desk, which he used from 2001 to 2009 during his Late Night run, is now up for auction, and you can bid on it here.
Jack Shep led SNL UK's inaugural season in screen time with 19% of all cast screen time, followed by George Fouracres (17%) and Annabel Marlow (13%).
Jimmy Kimmel admits he's uncertain about his future at ABC, saying the network has not yet begun talks about extending Jimmy Kimmel Live! beyond his current contract, which expires in May 2027.
Scary Movie is projected to open to $40 million domestically and $70 million worldwide, one of the strongest comedy openings in years.
Dewayne Perkins is developing a new TV comedy series for Hulu about a friend group that lets a "dating jury" vote on each other's romantic decisions.
Specials, Signings, Tours
New specials from Alaina Bamfield (YouTube, June 7), Madeleine Murphy (Prime Video/Apple TV, June 9), Francisco Ramos (Prime Video/Apple TV, June 9), Tony Hinchcliffe (Netflix, June 9), and Patton Oswalt (YouTube via 800 Pound Gorilla, June 9).
UpDating creators Brandon Berman and Harrison Forman announce a new 21-city US tour for their live comedy dating show, which has amassed more than 5 billion views across social media.
Geoffrey Asmus announces 2026 tour dates.
KevOnStage signs a creator partnership with Tubi, which includes new seasons of Safe Space, a stand-up special, and two feature films.
Scott Aukerman's improv comedy podcast Comedy Bang! Bang! signs a three-year deal with SiriusXM.
Festivals This Month
Jersey City Comedy Festival · June 9–13 · Jersey City
Philly Sketchfest · June 5–13 · Philadelphia
2nd Best Fest · June 11–13 · Richmond
Hollywood Fringe Festival · June 11–28 · Los Angeles
Submissions
Full list of festival submissions on our site here. We’ve also partnered with Inside Comedy to track festival submissions!
Comedy Jobs
Associate Producer, Comedy · SiriusXM · New York, NY. Full-time hybrid. $51,200–$54,650/year.
Associate Producer, Comedy & Entertainment Programming · SiriusXM · Los Angeles, CA. Full-time. $51,200–$54,650/year.
Comedy Touring Rotational Assistant · WME · Beverly Hills, CA. Full-time. Salary not listed.
Music and Comedy Booking Assistant · CAA · Los Angeles, CA. Full-time. $20–$22/hour.
Comedy Touring Agent Trainee · UTA · Los Angeles, CA & New York, NY. Full-time. $130,000/year.
Improv Comedy Instructor · Jersey Improv Lab · Somerville, NJ. Part-time contract. $40–$60/hour.
Open Mic MC · Indica Cafe LLC · Tampa, FL. Contract. $50–$70/hour.
Town Heckler (lol) · Sterling Renaissance Festival · Sterling, NY. Part-time seasonal. $250–$500/day.
Casting Calls / One-Offs
Bedroom Host – The Bed Show – Los Angeles, CA. Seeking a bedroom large enough for 10+ people to host a touring comedy show June 25 and/or 26. Revenue share (70% host / 30% show producers).
Collaborator – Independent Comedy Night – New York, NY (Lower East Side). Seeking comics, producers, and venues to launch an amateur comedy showcase. Partnership opportunity. Compensation TBD.
Improv Comedy Teacher / Coach – Pittsburgh Sketch Comedy Collective – Pittsburgh, PA. Co-founder/co-creator opportunity for an improv coach helping build a sketch comedy troupe and content studio, with studio access and potential future compensation. Compensation TBD.
Live Comedy Show Photographer – Atlanta, GA (June 19) & Santa Barbara, CA (June 14). $200 freelance gig. Must provide own camera equipment; no editing required.
Sketch Improv Actors – San Diego Comedy – San Diego, CA. $100–$150 flat. Casting comedic performers for a short-form comedy sketch in late June/early July.
That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected].