Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

What Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre does

Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is a privately held comedy theatre and training center founded in 1999 in New York City by comedians Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh. The company operates two physical venues — the UCB Franklin Theatre in Los Angeles (5919 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood) and the UCB NY 14th St. Mainstage in New York (242 East 14th Street, East Village) — running live comedy programming seven nights per week. Each venue maintains four resident house teams (Harold for longform improv, Maude for sketch, Betty for character work, Lloyd for additional formats) alongside signature shows including ASSSSCAT, ASSSSKETCH, Harold Night, Maude Night, Cage Match, and specialty productions such as Shamilton and Gravid Water. The company also runs an annual DCM Comedy Festival and extends reach globally through livestream.

UCB's core products span live and virtual comedy entertainment, a structured Training Center offering classes across seven disciplines (Improv, Sketch, Writing, Stand-Up, Musical Improv, Acting, Clowning) taught by working performers, corporate team-building workshops, merchandise (including the UCB Comedy Improvisation Manual), and gift cards. Technology stack is standard — a third-party e-commerce ticketing platform (myUCBComedy account system) and a livestream delivery infrastructure — with no proprietary AI or software platform disclosed. Pricing is predominantly transactional: live show tickets $10-$25 with advance purchase discounts, livestream uniformly $10 with 7-day post-show access, training center classes on subscription/annual cadence, and corporate workshops quoted as professional services.

UCB's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, operating as a self-reinforcing flywheel where Training Center students graduate to house team performers, performers become teachers, and teachers mentor new students. Marketing runs primarily through owned digital channels (ucbcomedy.com, email newsletter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X) supplemented by earned media coverage in Vice, LA Times, Out Magazine, and the New York Times. The company serves four primary customer segments: general comedy audiences, aspiring comedy talent, corporate clients, and LGBTQ+ audiences, with a meritocratic house team audition process anchoring the talent pipeline that has produced alumni including Amy Poehler, Donald Glover, Kate McKinnon, and Amy Schumer.

Name

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

Legal name

Upright Citizens Brigade

Website

https://ucbcomedy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is a privately held comedy theatre and training center operating venues in New York and Los Angeles, offering live shows seven nights weekly, structured comedy classes, corporate workshops, and global livestream access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Entertainment

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Improvisational Theatre (MPAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH), Improv Comedy Performances (MPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Improv comedy training
• Live comedy shows
• Sketch comedy performance
• Comedy education programs
• Corporate team building

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Live Show Tickets: In-person tickets to comedy shows at LA (Franklin Ave) and NY (14th St) venues, with tiered pricing offering advance discounts. Standard shows range $10-$25; premium shows like ASSSSCAT and Shamilton command higher prices.
2. Livestream Tickets: Virtual access to shows streamed online at $10 per show, with links delivered via email and available for 7 days post-show.
3. Training Center Classes: Structured comedy education programs covering Improv, Sketch Comedy, Writing, Stand-Up, Musical Improv, Acting, and Clowning. Classes taught by working comedians and writers from SNL, Comedy Central, Netflix, HBO, and Peacock.
4. Corporate Workshops: Team-building and communication training services delivered to businesses using UCB's improv-based methodology.
5. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise and the UCB Improv Manual, an instructional textbook for improvisational comedy.
6. Gift Cards: Gift certificates for shows and training center classes sold through the online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre operates two physical comedy theatres (Los Angeles and New York) presenting live improv, sketch, stand-up, and character comedy shows seven nights per week, alongside a structured Training Center offering multi-level classes in improv, sketch writing, stand-up, musical improv, acting, and clowning. Revenue is generated primarily through per-show ticket sales, training program tuition, corporate workshops, livestream access, and ancillary merchandise including an instructional improv manual and gift cards.

Product overview

Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is a comedy theatre and training center offering a portfolio of live comedy entertainment and comedy education services. The core offerings include: live comedy shows seven nights per week featuring improv, sketch, stand-up, and character performances; a comprehensive Training Center with classes in improv, sketch writing, stand-up, musical improv, acting, and clowning; and resident house teams (Harold, Betty, Maude, Lloyd) that perform regularly. Signature show formats include ASSSSCAT (improv with celebrity monologists) and ASSSSSKETCH (bimonthly sketch showcase). The company also operates corporate team-building workshops, an annual comedy festival (DCM), and sells merchandise including the UCB Improvisation Manual. Shows are available both in-person at LA and NY venues, and via livestream for remote audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UCB Comedy Festival: Annual comedy festival organized by UCB featuring performances from various comedians.
• ASSSSCAT
• UCB Training Center

Products and services

• Live Comedy Shows
• Training Center Comedy Classes
• Corporate Workshops
• Livestream Shows
• DCM Comedy Festival
• UCB Comedy Improvisation Manual
• Gift Cards
• Branded Merchandise

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Abso Lutely ProductionsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership between Abso Lutely Productions (Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Dave Kneebone) and UCB to produce comedy specials. First collaboration was Maggie Winters' 'Marguerite' solo show, filmed at UCB Theatre in Los Angeles. Abso Lutely handles production while UCB provides venue and talent pipeline. Second special in a growing slate of projects from this partnership.
• TourCocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUCB TourCo Exclusive is UCB's touring company partnership for booking and promoting comedy tours and special events beyond the theatre walls.
• Broadway Serves (Operation Backpack)minorOthersCharitable partnership for the Bits for Backpacks show, which raises donations for Broadway Serves' Operation Backpack campaign providing supplies to NYC students experiencing homelessness.
• Edinburgh Fringe FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUCB shows like Shamilton and Half-Orphan have performed at or previewed at Edinburgh Fringe, extending reach to international audiences and comedy industry scouts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• The Comedy Store: Legendary LA comedy club on Sunset Boulevard operating multiple rooms with nightly stand-up and alternative programming. Directly comparable to UCB Franklin as a marquee LA comedy venue with similar nightly programming cadence.
• The Groundlings: LA-based improv and sketch comedy theatre with a renowned training center and alumni including Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, and Melissa McCarthy. Closely comparable to UCB's LA operations in venue-based improv, sketch programming, and comedy class offerings.
• Comedy Cellar: Iconic NYC comedy club featuring stand-up and occasional improv, with a high-density nightly show schedule. Comparable to UCB's NY operation in nightly live comedy ticketing and talent showcase model.
• Carolines on Broadway: Times Square comedy club and event venue offering stand-up, variety shows, and corporate events. Comparable as a tier-one NYC comedy venue with mixed ticketed programming and corporate entertainment offerings.
• The Hollywood Improv: Historic Hollywood comedy club featuring nightly stand-up and improv shows, plus a comedy school. Comparable to UCB LA in combining a marquee live comedy venue with parallel training programs.
• The Second City: The largest and most established improv theatre and comedy training institution in North America, operating multiple venues across Chicago, Toronto, and other cities with a parallel training center and alumni network. Directly comparable to UCB in combining live performance, comedy education, and a celebrated alumni pipeline.
• The Magnet: NYC-based improv theatre and training center offering classes and live shows. Comparable as a direct New York improv competitor with overlapping performer pool and similar class/show model.
• iO Theater (iO Chicago): Long-running improv theatre and training center in Chicago with a national reputation for longform improv. Directly comparable to UCB in longform improv focus, formal training programs, and house team performance structure.

Broad incumbents

• Laugh Factory: Multi-city comedy club chain with venues in Hollywood, Long Beach, Chicago, and other markets. Comparable in live comedy ticketing and brand recognition but operates primarily as a showcase club rather than an improv training institution.

Emerging players

• ComedySportz: Improvised comedy match format performed in multiple cities worldwide, blending shortform improv with competitive audience participation. Comparable as an improv-focused live entertainment brand but with a more niche, family-friendly format versus UCB's adult-oriented longform programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ucbtla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ucbcomedy
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucbtla
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucbtla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-upright-citizens-brigade-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre