Spoken Giants Signs Tom Segura, Tiffany Haddish, Jeff Foxworthy, Patton Oswalt & More For Royalty Representation


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Spoken Giants – the first royalty administration company for spoken-word including comics, podcasters, lecturers and speakers – has announced new signings including Tom Segura, Tiffany Haddish, Jeff Foxworthy, Patton Oswalt, Bob Newhart, Jo Koy, Roy Wood, Jr., Christopher Titus, Lisa Lampanelli and Paula Poundstone. With Robert Dubac, Ian Bagg, John Heffron, Maz Jobrani, Alycia Cooper as well as the estates of Tim Wilson and John Pinette also on board, the Nashville-based company now represents a significant percentage of the comedy market. 

Jim King, CEO and co-founder of Spoken Giants, points to comedy creators as even worse off than songwriters in being able to monetize their art. King says, “We are fortunate to represent comedy’s most iconic estates, marquee names, and emerging talent, which affords us the collective bargaining power to track and pay previously unpaid royalties. Over the course of an unprecedented year without touring revenue, our work has helped artists continue to create and as online consumption continues to grow, membership remains a ‘must’ for authors of comedy.”  
Spoken Giants has particularly been vigilant about how the DSPs and other digital platforms use their clients’ intellectual property. 

Tiffany Haddish
Getty Images/Getty Images for Verizon – Tiffany Haddish
peaks during the Verizon Big Concert For Small Business broadcast on Feb
“Historically, these underlying composition royalties have gone unpaid due to the sector’s lack of representation,” says King, a former BMI executive who formed the company as CEO in 2019 with Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman, founders of the comedy-record label, 800 Pound Gorilla.
In addition to royalty tracking and transparent, quarterly pay-outs, Spoken Giants prioritizes advocacy and member services. Previously announced members include the estates of Bob Hope, Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz, Don Rickles, and Ralphie May, as well as Gabriel Iglesias, Larry the Cable Guy, Elayne Boosler, Nephew Tommy, Mike Birbiglia, Lewis Black, Dan Cummins, Kathleen Madigan, Leanne Morgan, Theo Von, as well as tens of thousands of individual spoken word copyrights and comedy works.
Spoken Giants partners with Muserk, Inc. and Exactuals for its access to industry data analytics along with a transparent approach to operations. Members retain all rights to their work and gain access to deep market knowledge, copyrights administration and repertoire management.

Recent reports submitted to Pollstar‘s Boxoffice for Tom Segura incldue an Aug. 27 show at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., that sold 7,147 tickets and grossed $404,723. Pollstar Boxoffice data for Tiffany Haddish includes a Feb. 29, 2020, show at Theater At MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., that sold 2,760 tickets and grossed $231,811.