“You only do [late-night] now for the fun of it…for the love of the game,” says Mark Normand. “The Tonight Show: you get the suit on, you go to 30 Rock…and then it comes out and you’re like, ‘Hey, that got maybe 100,000 views.’ But then you can just shoot a video of yourself at a comedy club, post it, and it’ll get a million...it’s a great comedy day…But at the end of the day, it doesn’t deliver. It doesn’t put butts in seats.”
Late-night television has been a pivotal platform for American comedy for decades. But in the new world of bite-sized vertical content, what is the value of a late-night appearance for comedians? It certainly adds to a comic’s credentials and can help with discovery. But new online shows can reach viewership levels that rival traditional TV institutions.
One new comedy-forward digital show is Standup Desk, created just this year by media brand NowThis. In the show, comedians perform in an office studio to real employees with laptops who are trying not to laugh.
Standup Desk is NowThis’s fastest-growing show ever. The show ballooned to 100,000 followers in just days and now has nearly 300K Instagram followers after featuring around 70 comedians so far. YouTube videos are 2-8 minutes and average about 36K views per episode; across platforms they reach tens of millions of views as videos are clipped into shorter bits.
Shows like Standup Desk raise a question for comedians: are audiences more likely to discover me through late-night TV or through a show like Standup Desk? And while the late-night audiences skew older, NowThis Editor-in-Chief Michael Vito Valentino tells me their audience “skews Gen Z and female”.
How Comedians Get Booked on Standup Desk
Freddie Shanel, a New York comedian who recently performed on Standup Desk, tells me they got booked after doing a different NowThis show (Are You Okay). “Most of the time producers will know comics through the local scene, in this case the Brooklyn/Manhattan standup scene,” says Shanel. Another comic recently booked, Nore Davis, says, “The producer knew my work since I was on Survival of the Thickest on Netflix so they just DM’d me.” NowThis Head of Talent Marjorie McCurry says they stay “up-to-date on breakout names from festivals and trade lists, like JFL's New Faces and Vulture, Variety, and Deadline's Comics to Watch lists…we regularly scout shows all over NYC & LA to discover up-and-coming talent.”
What Happens to Comedy
Standup Desk YouTube videos are longer, but their vertical content geared for the short-form-verse has major momentum. What happens when comedy discovery increasingly lives in a bite-sized world? Matt Ruby says, “When I started standup comedy, the goal was to do either five minutes or 30 minutes. That’s how you got ahead. Now, the goal is to do either 30 seconds or three hours.” The question is whether short clips simply change how comics get discovered, or begin to change the comedy itself.
Nate Bargatze tops Billboard’s August comedy touring rankings with $6.5 million from seven shows and 87,000 tickets, ahead of Matt Rife’s $6.2 million and Max Amini’s $5.9 million.
Comedian Jad Sleiman shares his approach to reaching 100,000 Instagram followers using stand-up clips.
Posters for shows by Li Jin Hao and Hannah Platt win this year’s Comedy Poster Awards.
Tony Dunn estimates that Jimmy Carr generates $58,000–$173,000 annually before tax from Facebook video views.
AI-generated bot accounts are copying comedians’ stand-up material word for word.
Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş receives a 19-month prison sentence over stand-up material.
Comedian Jeffrey Wilson-Boykin faces a campaign to halt his roast performances near the Santa Monica Pier.
Nate Bargatze stars in a new Ford advertising campaign.
Sam Morril earns praise from New York Times critic Jason Zinoman for his Netflix special Incorrect.
Nathan Fielder discusses living with Elizabeth Holmes while filming You Can See Everything.
Netflix releases the trailer for Who Is Martin Mull?, a documentary exploring the comedian and actor’s career.
Dane Cook discusses Funny Money, a documentary examining his half-brother’s theft of $12 million from him.
Former Late Show writers launch a new podcast, Jokes On News.
Ariel Dumas and Asher Perlman join the writers’ room at The Tonight Show following their work on Colbert.
Saturday Night Live draws 4.6 million viewers for its Jalen Brunson-hosted Season 52 premiere.
Saturday Night Live UK announces Danny Dyer, James Norton and Cynthia Erivo as hosts for October.
Andrew Schulz joins Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler in Joseph Kosinski’s Miami Vice ’85.
Mark Normand argues that late-night television appearances no longer offer comedians the career payoff they once did.
Jo Koy explains why he still flyers for his shows.
Maria Shehata summarizes the changes in comedy over the years.
Bobby Smith explains the business model and profitability of the comedy club he owns.
Gianmarco Soresi says he turned down an AI ad partner that offered $750,000 for an ad placement in his podcast.
Barry Katz gives advice for breaking into comedy at an older age.
Mark Normand says that comedy is mostly failure.
Jason Sudeikis recounts Chris Rock’s unexpected appearance during his Saturday Night Live audition.
Specials, Festivals and Tours
New specials from Chris Hardwick (October 5, Gorilla Comedy+), Tayler Yarish (YouTube, October 6), Mojo Brookzz (Netflix, October 6), Jamie Foxx (Hulu, October 7).
Festivals this week: Denver Sketch Festival (Denver, CO, October 8–10), Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival (Gypsum, Breckenridge and Georgetown, CO, October 8–10), Trailhead Comedy Festival (Frisco, Silverthorne and Breckenridge, CO, October 8–10), Rogue Island Comedy Festival (Newport area, RI, October 8–11), Atlantic City Comedy Festival (Atlantic City, NJ, October 9–10).
Festival Submissions
Wicked Funny Laugh Off • November 13, 2026 • Auburn, ME. Eight comedians compete with 10-minute sets for a $1,000 prize. Submission fee: $10. Deadline: October 4. Submit here.
Liverpool Improvisation Festival • May 6–9, 2027 • Liverpool, England. Submission fee: Free. Deadline: October 5. Submit here.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival • March 24–April 18, 2027 • Melbourne, Australia. Apply for a festival-managed venue. Submission fee: Not listed. Deadline: October 5. Submit here.
Montclair Comedy Festival • November 18–21, 2026 • Montclair, NJ. Submission fee: $25 for individuals; $45 for groups. Deadline: October 10 (regular submissions; late submissions close October 24). Submit here.
(Full list on our website here, updated weekly)
Comedy Jobs
Zanies Comedy Club Rosemont · Rosemont, IL. Shift Supervisor. Part-time/Full-time. From $25/hour.
On The Spot Dating · Los Angeles, CA. Event Producer and Host. Contract. 25% of net show profit after expenses, with a $150 minimum guarantee per show.
United Talent Agency · Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Nashville, TN. Comedy Touring Agent Training Program — 2027. Full-time. $23/hour.
The Stand Up Comedy Club · Bellflower, CA. Sales Representative. Part-time. $18–22/hour.
Comedy Works · Denver, CO. Door Staff — Downtown Larimer Square. Part-time. $19/hour.
Casting Calls / Gigs
Private Birthday Party · South Hampton, NH. Magician/Comedian. One-time. $50, negotiable, plus food and possible travel reimbursement.
Upwork Client · Remote. Comedy Commercial Writers for Professional Services. Freelance. $50–$200/hour.
Upwork Client · Ottawa, IL. Comic Actor for Dunk Tank Spot. One-time. $800 fixed price.
Upwork Client · Remote. Illustrator for Humor Book. Freelance. $1,000 fixed price.
Improv Theatre LLC · New York, NY. Improv Performer — Eight Is Never Enough!. From $50/gig plus per diems for out-of-town jobs.
The Pack Theater in Los Angeles opens volunteer opportunities in front-of-house, technical and administrative roles, offering credits toward free comedy classes in exchange for helping run its theater.
Squatty Potty · Remote. Short-Form Video Content Creator & Editor. Freelance. Compensation not listed.
(Full list on our website here, updated weekly)
That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected]rg