Stingray has launched a new channel on Samsung TV Plus that offers a curated line-up of stand-up comedy from Just For Laughs, the companies announced on Wednesday.
The channel — appropriately called Just For Laughs Stand-Up — will be available on Samsung TV plus in Australia and New Zealand, marking the first television partnership for the comedy-focused streaming channel.
The deal comes about three months after Stingray launched two Just For Laughs streams on its free, ad-supported streaming audio platform TuneIn, including a channel that offers clean or sanitized stand-up comedy. Premium TuneIn subscribers have access to commercial-free Just For Laughs channels on the service.
Now, Stingray is bringing that same magic to television through its deal with Samsung in Australia and New Zealand, making short-form stand-up clips, sketches and comedy performances from the Just For Laughs archive on the free streaming video platform. Featured performers include Bill Burr, Nikki Glaser, Nate Bargatze, Marcello Hernández and Mae Martin.
“We are incredibly proud to debut Just For Laughs Stand-up on Samsung TV Plus, our first connected TV partner for this channel,” David Purdy, the Chief Revenue Officer at Stingray, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Expanding into the Australian and New Zealand markets allows us to bring this premium, high-energy comedy content to a brand-new audience.”
Purdy said the partnership represents “a significant step” in Stingray’s strategy to expand its global FAST channel footprint.
The channel is designed to offer a continuous stream of comedy programming, ranging from brief clips to longer viewing sessions. Stingray said the service draws from the Just For Laughs vault and is curated to reflect the tone of the festival brand.
“Seeing the Just For Laughs brand continue to expand its visual presence on connected TV is a testament to the enduring power of our content,” Carlos Pacheco, the Director of Digital Media and Distribution at Just For Laughs, said on Wednesday.
“By partnering with Stingray to launch on Samsung TV Plus, we are ensuring that fans in Australia and New Zealand have seamless access to the very best moments from our archives, featuring the comedic geniuses that have defined the industry for decades,” Pacheco noted.
It wasn’t clear when or if the same channel will be available on Samsung TV Plus and other platforms in other markets. Just For Laughs offers select clips of its comedy shows and festivals available on YouTube in the United States and Canada.
