The chapter emphasizes the impact of OTT media on the comedy industry. A comprehensive exploration of various OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video along with social media platforms, we highlight how OTT has transformed distribution and consumption habits, enabling comedians to reach a global audience. Employing content analysis of four case studies of comedians from India, this chapter provides an analysis of the trends and opportunities of digital platforms for comedians to experiment with content creation, reach varied audiences, and build personal brands. Lastly, it examines the comedian's comedy style in adapting to a changing landscape and audience preferences; providing insights into the shifting comedy ecosystem since the emergence of OTT media through an analysis of comedians who have evolved with the OTT platform.
TopIntroduction
The advent of Over-The-Top (OTT) media has revolutionized the entertainment industry, including the comedy genre. Over the past decade, platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others have disrupted traditional distribution models and provided a direct opportunity for comedians to showcase their talent to the global audience. There has also occurred a change in the consumption of comedy content, especially with the advent of the internet age, social media, and subscription-based models. With the growth of the internet in both rural and urban areas, people are now able to binge-watch entire seasons of sitcoms and stand-up specials on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Consequently, a new subgroup of comedy fans has emerged like never before, one that seeks to enjoy their entertainment free from the restrictions of conventional broadcast scheduling. Like social media, these streaming services have created employment opportunities for new comedians to showcase their talents and imparted greater creative freedom, access to a global audience, and the ability to build personal brands domestically and at international platforms such as the Cannes Festival. These new budding comedians are now able to reach more audiences and experiment with different formats of delivery, while also earning a decent living. It is this transformative influence of Over-The-Top (OTT) media on both production and consumption of the comedy industry that this chapter explores. With the advent of OTT platforms, comedians have unprecedented opportunities to reach the world's audience and experiment with new forms of content creation and distribution. However, this digital revolution also presents unique challenges for comedians who must navigate changing landscapes and adapt to audience preferences. By analyzing the emergence of comedy specials on OTT platforms and examining the effects on video production and consumption happening since a decade, this chapter aims to provide valuable insights into the evolving comedy ecosystem.
The first section of the chapter provides an overview of significance of comedians in the past, its arrival, and its importance. The second section provides a glimpse of the emergence of OTT in India, opportunities created through OTT for its main players (comedians), the creation of market trends, and demographics of the audience. Additionally, it discusses how OTT platforms have democratized comedy by providing a platform for emerging comedians with no discrimination on language or gender and diversifying content available to the world's audience. The chapter concludes with a recap of the chapter along with a case study to provide an example of the changing landscape of comedy with the demand of different genres and maintaining loyal viewers.