NextUp is Netflix for UK stand-up comedy
It costs £3.50 a month and is available on iOS, Android, Roku and Chromecast.
With huge catalogs of movies and TV shows, of which an increasing share are now original, Netflix and Amazon do a good job of catering for most subscribers' tastes. However, their broad focus means that some customers quickly consume the content that is most interesting to them and are left wanting more. This opens the door for streaming providers that focus on a niche or a specific genre, like comedy, which is exactly what UK company NextUp intends to do.
NextUp brings together dozens of stand-up specials from established and up-and-coming comedians in a Netflix-like package focused on delivering the best in British comedy. Richard Herring, Simon Munnery, Stewart Lee, Miles Jupp, Luisa Omielan and Sean Hughes are all available on the service, offering shows that go beyond the traditional DVD special.
Unlike Netflix, which either licences content via a major producer or commissions content itself, NextUp aims to give back to comedians. It splits viewing revenue 50/50 with acts, provides links to each comedian's gigs, provides rehearsal space in its London office and includes comedians' older works, preserving them for streamers who want to trawl through a specific act's back catalog.
Over the last year, there's been a steady rise in comedy-centric streaming services. US TV network NBC launched Seeso, an on-demand platform that centres on TV comedy shows than stand-up, and Laugh.ly took its catalog of big-name US comedians worldwide.
NextUp costs £3.50 a month following a free 30-day trial and is supported on the web, iPhone (AirPlay compatible), Android, Roku and Chromecast. Videos can be streamed on demand or downloaded and viewed offline.
