Skyler Orton
Have you ever heard of independent comedy streaming service Dropout? If you’ve somehow missed their inescapable viral social media clips, Dropout is a comedy streaming service started after CollegeHumor fell apart. Celebrating its seventh anniversary this week, the company has found a lot of success starting a whole new market.
In starting this streaming service, CEO Sam Reich hasn’t just saved his company. He may have kickstarted a new wave of wholly independent television. Here’s why.
A quick history
For those who don’t know, CollegeHumor started writing editorial article content (that is now essentially lost media) but soon spun off into wildly popular internet sketch comedy. They were popular in the late 2000s-early 2010s with major hits including the Hardly Working series of sketches and videos like If Google was a Guy. While these had early widespread success, they pivoted towards independent streaming in 2017 with the launch of Dropout.
The service saw its first major success in September 2018 with the launch of Dungeons and Dragons liveplay Dimension 20. For those unfamiliar, Dimension 20 sees a renowned group of improv comedians play tabletop RPG’s with their unique brand of humor. That show was an instant success following in the footsteps of groups like Critical Role. Through this the platform has only grown in popularity having nearly a million subscribers and millions more across social media platforms.
Wholly original
I think platforms like Dropout are the future of comedy because they allow creators to make higher budget content with complete creative control. Most of these shows appeal to a niche audience. Things like nerd culture quiz show, Um Actually and the aforementioned Dimension 20 aren’t exactly 4 quadrant products.
Other shows may have this appeal but would be incredibly difficult to sell to any major service. Game Changer is arguably the service’s flagship show and I doubt it would be possible anywhere other than this wholly unique ecosystem.
Game Changer is a wild game-show in which improv comedians tackle increasingly insane and different games. The show is brilliant and hilarious but would be impossible without showrunner Sam Reich having executive interference other networks might have.
Censorship free
I hate to admit it but a major advantage to the Dropout model is the lack of censorship that comes with creative freedom. We are in an era where network TV is becoming increasingly censored, especially comedians. One only needs to look at the Jimmy Kimmel fiasco of last week to prove it. There are other platforms, like YouTube, that allow for independent content but even these have rules to follow.
Dropout’s comedic stylings are unpredictable and wouldn’t happen without their own network. A lot of the humor is political or boundary pushing in a way that wouldn’t fly uncensored on a platform like YouTube. Take the show Make Some Noise which is Dropout’s version of an improv show like Whose Line is it Anyways. A lot of the prompts push the line encouraging the cast to get as political or dirty as they like.
A great and wholesome environment
It’s impossible to talk about Dropout without talking about the great culture they seem to cultivate within the cast and crew. Everyone on screen has a great relationship with each other that makes them a joy to watch in improv environments.
Behind-the-scenes interviews and even bits of the show put focus on the crew. Not every show is willing to put their reliable audio mixer on stage for a bit and I’m always appreciative of the focus they put on these people. The entertainment industry is filled with toxic crunch culture and I see none of that here.
The service is also willing to use their resources to help others in a way I wish we would see more of. For example, the most recent season of Game Changer had an enormous $100,000 sponsorship from employment social media service LinkedIn. The twist of the episode was that the entire sponsorship money went to cast member Jacob Wysocki to help him through some tough times behind the scenes. When so much media is negative these days, a platform that adds some brightness to my day is incredible.
Attracting famous talent
This entire environment combined has clearly made an impact on the entertainment world. Why else would so many big names in comedy want to make appearances? In the past couple years Dropout has gotten big names in internet comedy to contribute to the platform. For example, former Polygon video producer Brian David Gilbert left Polygon and does a lot of work for Dropout.
Other big names in comedy like Hank Green (co-created everything from Crash Course and VidCon with his brother John), SungWon Cho (ProZD on YouTube) and several creators from SMOSH have made their way to the platform. Popular actors have appeared as well like Ben Schwartz (Sonic the Hedgehog) and even Giancarlo Esposito was able to appear virtually. Their appearances range from cameos to full comedy specials but regardless it’s clear that people in the entertainment industry are fans of the platform for countless reasons.
Starting careers
After seven years, Dropout has finally reached the point where cast members have moved on to successful careers outside of the service. Make Some Noise star (and Elf extra) Josh Reuben has moved onto directing movies such as this year’s Heart Eyes. Another regular contributor Jeremy Culhane is making his way to Saturday Night Live. Dimension 20 DM Brennan Lee Mulligan is now working as Critical Role’s DM which brings his content to millions more viewers. It also launched non-comedic careers. For example, Erika Ishii (a frequent member of Dropout’s shows) will star in the follow up to Sony’s Ghost of Tsushima which sold over 13 million copies.
Setting an example
The effect Dropout’s efforts will have on comedy overall are still uncertain but it’s clear that other independent creators are taking their examples. For example, internet comedy group The Try Guys followed in their footsteps creating their similar service 2nd Try in 2024.
Outside of the comedy sphere, Nebula has been creating engaging original content since 2019. Nebula has a similar business model to Dropout but is notable for platforming content made by outside creators. It goes to show that this streaming model can be very valuable for lower budget independent art of all genres.
I think this is the proven way to make effective independent comedy in the 2020s Other creators have had similar success taking to Patreon but the independent streaming service model is the only thing that gives them true independence, both creatively and financially.
In the next few years I expect to see more groups taking to this model or joining up with other streaming services like Dropout and 2nd Try. They are both consumer friendly and creator friendly. Because creators don’t have to pay fees to platform holders, subscription prices stay low. Dropout is only $7 a month and 2nd Try is even cheaper being only $5 a month.
Where to start
If you’ve never heard of this, getting started is super easy. Dropout has full episodes available for free on their YouTube channel to give viewers a taste. There are also hundreds of clips in the shorts format that provide a taste of what every show will have to offer.
If you enjoy Dungeons and Dragons Dimension 20 will be an easy sell, while Game Changer, Make Some Noise, and Crowd Control are great shows I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys improv comedy. Dropout really has something for everyone, they even recently released a hilarious cooking show, Gastronauts.
If you like them I highly recommend subscribing for a month and seeing if you enjoy it. For the price of a cup of coffee you can stream hundreds of hours of comedy in all genres. I know this probably reads like an ad but I’ve been subscribed for over 6 months and I haven’t regretted it.
