Travis DeSimone.
Corsair.
Louis CK is a funny man. He gets paid to share his special form of bitter cynicism with the world. He has a hit show on FX, was a long time writer for Conan O’Brien, and directed and wrote the undervalued gem Pootie Tang. Love or hate the man’s comedic perspective, he is doing something very interesting with his latest special Live at The Beacon Theater.
Through his own production company, and with no media bigwigs to split nickels and dimes off his revenue he has released it online with no DRM or restrictions on how you view it. The catch? He wants 5 bucks for it.
This is monumental for comedy and television stars. Louis CK released this special on the 10th of December and in about 3 days he made a profit of $200,000. This is much more than he would have made if he let the fat cats sell it for him, and further more it would have been a $20 DVD.
So what does this mean? It shows this business model works, Louis CK can create more material with the increased revenue, and the viewer gets to enjoy content at a smaller cost.
This thrills me to no end. I hope more comedians, artists, and writers follow this model. We get the same entertainment at a reduced price, the artist is more productive, and the media giants of the world don’t get rich just because they distribute something in their antiquated fashion. If you love comedy I would suggest buying this special. Louis CK, keep swinging my friend. BUY THE THING!