The Joel and Benji Madden-founded streaming service Veeps is growing by adding a comedy vertical with brand-new specials from celebrities like David Cross, Brad Williams, Katherine Ryan, and Reggie Watts.

A portion of the 21st edition of SF Sketchfest’s shows will only be available for streaming on the Live Nation Entertainment-affiliated company’s platform beginning in early 2024.

With material available on Veeps.com, as well as through apps for Apple TV, Roku, iOS, and Android, Veeps has been streaming live performances by artists such as Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, and thousands more, to millions of fans worldwide since 2018. The firm announced in October the debut of Veeps All Access, a membership plan that offers unrestricted access to livestream and on-demand material. This includes Madden’s music interview podcast, which has evolved into a conversation series called “Artist Friendly,” and the upcoming show “Sidehustles,” which is akin to “Cribs.” Veeps All Access will offer the comedy vertical, or viewers can purchase tickets for particular specials.

As head of humor, Bart Coleman, a seasoned professional in the field, will oversee the vertical.

Coleman said, “I’m honored to be playing a role in bringing the comedic performances we all love direct to fans in their homes. People love to laugh, even if they can’t attend their favorite shows in person as much as they’d like to.” “I think it’s a much-needed, new approach when it comes to broadcasting comedy content. Veeps is unique in that it offers a premium viewing experience, a lot of artistic flexibility, and we’re high touch in helping artists bring their unfiltered creative vision to life and connecting them with a community of viewers globally.”

Coleman comes to the company from Moment, where he managed podcast events and stand-up specials, including Andrew Schulz’s “Infamous,” which was the platform’s highest-performing special. Before that, he was the comedy lead at Spotify Studios, where he oversaw podcasts like “Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith,” “The Sketch Factor with Fred Armisen,” and “An Oral History of The Office.” He also worked as an independent producer and director of talent at Comedy Central, where his credits included 600 episodes of “@midnight,” “The Burn with Jeff Ross,” “The Jeselnik Offensive,” “John Oliver’s New York Stand-up,” and “Not Safe with Nikki Glaser.”

Coleman will collaborate closely with Live Nation’s head of comedy, Geof Wills, at Veeps. Wills expressed excitement about Veeps’ employment of Bart and their investment in comedy. Through this growth, comics will be able to reach readers in completely new and innovative ways beyond what has been done in the past.

According to a press release, Veeps and LiveNation’s cooperation adds value for the comedians. In addition to making reservations, Wills’ team offers distribution options via Ticketmaster partners including Meta, Spotify, and TikTok.

The following comedy specials are currently scheduled to air only on Veeps and can be seen for free by All Access subscribers or by purchasing a ticket for a specific show: David Cross: “Worst Daddy in the World,” airing Nov. 27; Brad Williams: “Starfish,” airing Dec. 21; Katherine Ryan: “Missus,” airing Nov. 17; Reggie Watts’ latest special, due in early 2024; Mo Welch: “Dad Jokes” docuspecial, release TBD; Blair Socci: “Live from the Big Dog,” airing Dec. 1; multiple sets from SF Sketchfest, airing Jan-Feb, 2024; Pod Meets World: “The Kids Wanna Jump!” event and Jessi Cruickshan’s upcoming special, coming in early 2024.

Veeps.com has all the information you need to purchase tickets, along with data on upcoming specials and featured comedians.

Williams, whose special was revealed last week, stated, “The team has been very artist friendly and given me the freedom to present the show in the exact way it was intended.” “It’s extra inspiring to know that I’m a part of something that many people are saying will be an industry game-changer, but anyone can join an already successful platform.”

Since they initially started working on the Veeps concept more than ten years ago, the Maddens have made it their mission to create a “artist-friendly” experience.

“We really felt like live streaming — especially around music, concerts, comedy, and live events like that, that are happening every day around the globe — was the future of live entertainment,” Joel Madden tells Variety of the straightforward idea behind the plan. Fans will grow to anticipate access, even though being there live is a unique experience that only a select few get to enjoy.

In order to provide fans worldwide with an inexpensive, first-rate way to see their favorite performers perform live, they studied the growth of streaming services like Netflix and ESPN+ and created All Access, a subscription-based service. He continues, “Live-streaming has always been the vision that it will continue to evolve and become a part of our entertainment diet and what we consume.”