Unmanageable: 2024’s Comedy Survey, The Year In Management

Since the introduction of social media, discovering new talent has completely transformed. No longer do aspiring comedians have to hit the clubs on a nightly basis in hopes the right manager or booking agent is sitting in the audience and sees something in them. Managers themselves don’t even need to leave their houses as a simple scroll through TikTok or Instagram reels can introduce them to their next great client.
At least, that’s what some managers say in Pollstar’s 2024 Comedy Survey.

Last year, Pollstar surveyed top agents in the comedy business. This time around, we got the point of view of some of comedy’s most accomplished managers. Their clients have topped our comedy charts since this special issue began two years ago and continue to be some of the industry’s top power houses.

With big-name clients such as Nate Bargatze, Bert Kreischer, Reggie Watts, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Leanne Morgan, cover artist Tony Hinchliffe and more, these managers know how to get a laugh. Here, they talk about the importance of streaming and social media, whether the comedy market has slowed down at all since Pollstar first declared The Golden Age of Comedy two years ago, and the successes and challenges found in this year’s Netflix Is A Joke Fest.

Participants
Kara Baker
Avalon Management
Clients: Iliza Shlesinger, Rob Delaney, Reggie Watts, Sam Jay, Zainab Johnson
Years In The Biz: 19

Judi Marmel
Levity Talent
Clients: Bert Kreischer, Leanne Morgan, Jeff Dunham, Taylor Tomlinson, Fortune Feimster, Dusty Slay, Felipe Esparza, Loni Love, Charlie Berens
Years In The Biz: 35 Years
Favorite Comedian You Don’t Manage: Bill Hicks

Joe Meloche
Arsonhouse Entertainment
Clients: Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Jo Koy,
Becky Robinson, Steve Trevino, ISMO, Pete Lee
Years In The Biz: 30 years

Alex Murray
Brillstein Entertainment Partners
Clients: Nate Bargatze, Jim Gaffigan, Nikki Glaser, Tony Hinchliffe, David Spade, Jim Jefferies, John Crist, Justin Willman, Jeff Arcuri, Ari Matti, Trevor Wallace, Derrick Stroup, Chris Hardwick
Years In The Biz: 24
Favorite Comedian You Don’t Manage: John Mulaney

How did you get into the comedy biz?
Kara Baker: I focused my career goals around comedy while I was in college. I didn’t know anyone in the business or what job I wanted, I just knew I wanted to work in comedy (to be clear, not do comedy). I worked any and all comedy jobs I could, from interning at NBC 30 Rock to working the door at a comedy club in Boston near my parents’ house on school breaks.
Judi Marmel: I started working in a club in Colorado Springs called the Comedy Corner as a ticket taker.
Joe Meloche: I started as an assistant at WME & ICM and loved comedy so much I started promoting my own shows in 1997.
Alex Murray: I was an assistant to Steve Levine at ICM in 1996. He represented music acts and great comedians like Chris Rock, Ellen Degeneres, George Carlin, Bob Saget and Jay Leno. I quickly gravitated toward those comedians and immersed myself into the comedy scene.

What’s your take on the comedy market in 2024? According to Pollstar’s mid-year data, there’s been some cooling in the overall touring market with lower attendances per show, but higher ticket prices and more shows, which helped keep revenue roughly on pace with last year, which was record-setting. What’s your take on the comedy market for bigger and smaller acts?
Baker: That feels like an accurate assessment. Audiences have options. There’s a real appetite for comedy big and small, which is awesome. But with unprecedented volume it can expose some unexpected challenges in some markets where others are totally fine.
Marmel: The market exploded in the post-COVID era, ushering a new generation of comedy fans, but now we feel that the spike is leveling out as new fans develop taste and affinities for specific talent. Consumers are much more aware of the “comedy scene” so younger talent has much more exposure than they have before. Conversely, more recognizable and established names must continuously output new material to sell tickets.
Meloche: We have hit the golden era for comedy and there has never been more touring acts than before. However, there is an over saturation in the comedy space and it’s starting to show with the lower attendance per show. It’s hard to sustain these types of sales when fans only have so much entertainment dollars to spend, and this is a pattern that is expected to continue through 2025.
Murray: My clients have not slowed down at all. Nate Bargatze finished his “Be Funny” tour in June selling over 1.2 million tickets and grossing $88 million. Jim Gaffigan set records sitting in markets doing multiple theater runs. Tony Hinchcliffe’s “Kill Tony” podcast sold out the YouTube Theater in 10 minutes and sold out the Forum. He then went on to sell out two shows at Madison Square Garden. Nikki Glaser is adding second and third shows to her fall schedule. Jeff Arcuri is crazy hot as well, adding shows to his fall theater tour.

How important is streaming to your business? Is there something of a glut and is it becoming harder to break through with more platforms and comedians?
Baker: It’s important, it means something, but it’s not everything. Sure, some things are harder, but I also think some things are easier. We like to romanticize the past and talk about how “the biz” was this or that, but it’s always been competitive and it’s always been hard. I think what’s really changed is that the audience is savvy. In order to break through, the focus needs to be on the consumer and how you can best reach them, whether it’s streaming, socials or direct via the artist.
Marmel: Streaming has been pivotal for our clients in terms of scaling their business and garnering a loyal fanbase. The landscape is continuously changing. While there is an oversaturation of specials in the market, the material itself must be the true foundation for any content on a streaming platform. For a comic to break through the competing volume, it’s important that there is intention and thought to every aspect of their material.
Meloche: Streaming is very important as it can grow the brand and fanbase from around the world since it has such a large global reach. We’ve seen a direct correlation with ticket sales right after a special has dropped on a platform. However, it’s getting harder to see that impact from the earlier days of streaming now that there is so much comedy content available on streamers and other online platforms.
Murray: Having a special on a streamer is very important. But clipping that special and having those clips all over TikTok and on social media is just as important.

Social media seemingly presents a myriad of opportunities for comedians, especially for a younger generation. How are you approaching social media with your clients?
Baker: You cannot survive without it. You can no longer be a comedian without it. It has to be a part of the bigger plan. I want to work with comedians who it’s not the only thing going for them. There are comedians who are just influencers and social is all they do. I want to work with folks who use it to amplify their voice and reach their audiences, but ultimately we approach it as a part of the bigger plan and (it) needs to be watered like any other plant within their multi-hyphenate ecosystem.
Marmel: We embrace social media as a tool for clients to both define their brand and market directly to their fans.
Meloche: Social media is one of the best marketing tools to reach fans directly and help sell tickets. Most clients now have a social media manager to help maximize exposure across platforms and make sure their content is being reached by fans.
Murray: We make sure that all of our clients have a social media team that helps them manage all of their posting. We need social media to create awareness but we also need it for digital marketing to promote live shows. Traditional marketing is not as effective as a defined digital strategy.

How do you discover new talent, and how has it been breaking new talent these days?
Baker: Live, socials, TV/film, word of mouth and recommendations from various industry connections. I still find breaking new talent fun. It’s hard, but it’s fun. As I mentioned before, albeit things are hard, some things are easier. There is more opportunity to create that connection with the audience directly earlier in an artist’s career than when I started. Because of that, it’s exciting to have the ability to push forward without waiting to be anointed by “Hollywood.”
Marmel: With the increase in the digital landscape, discovering new talent has become an entirely new process. In the past, it was dependent upon word of mouth, and a consistent presence in the clubs, while now there is an added element of digital exposure via social media. In turn, word of mouth travels faster than ever. Breaking talent hasn’t changed other than there are new avenues for exposure. If the material is refined and there is a defined point of view with a story to be told, it’s simply a matter of proper marketing.
Meloche: Obviously social media is a great tool to discover emerging talent, but the old- school way of word of mouth and going to clubs is still a viable source.
Murray: My colleagues at Brillstein Entertainment do a great job of tracking up-and-coming clients. The popularity of “Kill Tony” has also been a great resource to identify comedians like Ari Matti.

Netflix is a Joke Festival this year was bigger than ever. What were your thoughts on it?
Baker: To be honest, I enjoyed myself. I loved the sense of community. The challenge, living on the eastside and having to go to Inglewood multiple times over a two-week period.
Marmel: Netflix is a Joke Festival successfully helped in exposure of emerging talent and solidifying comedy as a viable live business. However, the challenge that remains is an over-saturation of the market. With so much competing programming for acts with fan crossover, ticket sales inevitably suffer.
Meloche: It’s the top-tier festival for comedy as we have never seen so many high level comics performing at one festival before. However, at most festivals you can buy a pass to see multiple shows and NIAJ only does hard tickets, which creates its own challenges.
Murray: I thought Netflix did a great job producing that festival. Kicking off the festival with Nate Bargatze, Jim Gaffigan, Sebastian Maniscalco and Jerry Seinfeld with two sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl was amazing. And ending the festival with the Roast of Tom Brady where Nikki Glaser and Tony Hinchcliffe got to shine in a big way was a perfect ending to a hectic week.

How important are podcasting, film/tv and private events to your business?
Baker: Very important, as a source of revenue, a creative outlet, and as a way to amplify their brands/work.
Marmel: Comics are more accepted as a part of the mainstream than ever before. In turn, podcasting, film, and TV allow for comics to tap into new fan bases and flex different creative muscles. These act as extensions of that comic’s overall brand.
Meloche: They all play an important role in a comedian’s overall career. Podcasting today has more viewers than most broadcasts and has shown to impact specials and other projects. Film/TV are important for the longevity of a career, which is why most comics have that as a goal to crossover into that space.
Murray: All of it is important. You can’t just tour forever so those other vertices help broaden the artists audience.

What do you predict will be the opportunities and challenges for the comedy market in 2025?
Baker: Audiences will continue to want the live experience. The challenge will be to make sure your show stands out from the pack.
Marmel: The continued opportunity in 2025 will consist of a world in demand of comedy, however the challenge will be competition in a saturated marketplace. It will become more important than ever to broaden reach and tap into new markets.
It’s hard to predict what next year will bring, but I think the industry will be looking at things a little more closely in 2025 as we see how the fall tours perform.
Murray: I think 2025 will be a continuation of what we are a part of right now. The Artist has a direct connection with their audience and does not have to rely on the traditional TV/film business to reach them. With that said, I do believe there will be more comedy feature films being made next year. Hulu is jumping into the specials business, which is great. We have a lot of big things already planned for 2025 that will make it another record year for our clients.