What Laugh Factory does

Laugh Factory is a privately held, founder-owned comedy club chain founded in 1979 by Iranian immigrant Jamie Masada on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, recognized by USA Today as the '#1 comedy club in the country.' The company operates seven physical venues across the United States — Hollywood (headquarters), Long Beach, Covina, San Diego, Chicago, Las Vegas (a new 250-seat club at Horseshoe Las Vegas opened February 2026, replacing the Tropicana location lost to stadium demolition), and Reno (at Silver Legacy) — alongside a digital ecosystem spanning a comedian database with community voting, on-demand video content, bi-weekly original LF Live streaming, and interactive Green Room live streams with real-time chat. Its technology is built around a web-based comedy streaming platform with ticketing integrations into Ticketmaster, Tixr, and Caesars properties; there is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities.

The business operates across multiple revenue streams: primary ticket sales (box office, website, and third-party platforms), private venue rentals and corporate events, contest entry fees (Funniest Person in the World, Laugh Bowl, Funniest Average Joe each carrying a $10,000 prize pool), digital content and a membership subscription program, and a new licensing vertical launched via an April 2026 worldwide agreement with EPOCH Company LTD to produce comedian collectible trading cards. Brand extensions include Comedy Camp (an eight-week youth program since 1989 whose graduates include Tiffany Haddish, Nick Cannon, and Amanda Bynes), Fresh Faces talent discovery, and community programs such as the 45-year-running free Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts serving 2,000+ attendees per event.

Go-to-market combines event-driven demand (the flagship relationship being Netflix Is A Joke Fest, co-organized with Live Nation, which drove record six sold-out Nate Jackson shows in May 2026), community-led grassroots talent development, direct-to-consumer ticket sales, and product-led digital streaming. The company is currently hiring for a Web Developer position, signaling continued investment in digital platform capabilities. Strategic partners span Netflix, Live Nation, EPOCH, USO, She Ready Foundation, and Caesars/Silver Legacy, with new IP development underway in an all-women comedy motion picture co-developed with Tiffany Haddish and Natasha Lyonne.

Name

Laugh Factory

Legal name

Laugh Factory New Media, LLC

Website

https://laughfactory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Laugh Factory is a founder-owned US comedy club chain founded in 1979, operating seven physical venues and a digital streaming platform that serves live comedy audiences, hosts talent discovery contests, and develops comedians from grassroots to A-list.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Entertainment and Comedy Club Operations

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

akta.pro primary industry

Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comedy Festivals (MPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Live comedy shows
• Stand-up comedy venues
• Comedy streaming content
• Comedy talent contests
• Comedy club events

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from admission tickets to live comedy shows at multiple club locations. Tickets sold through box offices, website, and third-party platforms like Ticketmaster.
2. Venue Rental and Private Events: Clubs available for private rentals, corporate events, and group bookings. Contact forms indicate dedicated sales staff for Hollywood, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Chicago, and other locations.
3. Contest Entry Fees: Competitions like Funniest Person in the World, Laugh Bowl, and The Funniest Average Joe You Know accept video submissions. Prize pool of $10,000 for winners.
4. Licensing and Merchandise: Partnership with EPOCH to produce collectible trading cards featuring stand-up comedians. Series 1 releasing April 30, 2026 with over 20 comedians featured.
5. Digital Content and Membership: Streaming content through LF Live and Green Room. Membership program offering exclusive content and community features.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Laugh Factory fundamentally operates a multi-location comedy club chain producing live stand-up comedy shows at seven U.S. venues, supplemented by original streaming content (Laugh Factory Live, Green Room), talent discovery contests, and licensed merchandise. Its core commercial offering is paid admission to live stand-up performances by established and emerging comedians, sold through club box offices, the company's website, and third-party ticketing platforms such as Ticketmaster and Tixr.

Product overview

Laugh Factory operates a multi-venue comedy club network offering live stand-up performances, original video content, and talent development programs. The company provides a platform for both established and emerging comedians through live shows at seven club locations (Hollywood, Long Beach, Chicago, San Diego, Las Vegas, Covina, and Reno), original streaming content via Laugh Factory Live and the Green Room live streaming platform, video-on-demand comedy content across multiple channels, and competitive talent discovery through Fresh Faces and three major contests. The ecosystem also includes youth development via Comedy Camp and Kids Comedy Playground, international comedy programming in multiple languages, and a legacy archive spanning over four decades of comedy history. Annual free community events (Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners) and charitable partnerships complement the entertainment offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Comedy Camp: Summer comedy program for children ages 9 to 16 established 34 years ago, teaching kids stand-up comedy skills
• Fresh Faces
• Green Room
• Laugh Factory Live
• Laugh Bowl
• Funniest Person in the World
• Funniest Average Joe You Know

Products and services

• Live Comedy Shows at Club Venues Live stand-up comedy performances by established and emerging comedians held at seven Laugh Factory club locations across the United States, sold via box offices, the laughfactory.com website, Ticketmaster, Tixr, and Caesars/Silver Legacy platforms.
• Laugh Factory Live Streaming Original bi-weekly episodic streaming content featuring performances and discussions with Laugh Factory comedians, distributed via the laughfactory.com website and YouTube channel.
• Green Room Live Interactive Streaming Interactive live streaming platform providing behind-the-scenes access to comedians with real-time audience chat, comedian Q&A sessions, and live storytelling performances, accessible via the Laugh Factory website and YouTube.
• Comedy Contest Platform Branded comedy competitions accepting paid video submissions from aspiring and amateur comedians worldwide, including Funniest Person in the World (international), Laugh Bowl (college/high school), and Funniest Average Joe You Know (non-professional), each with a $10,000 winner prize pool.
• Laugh Factory Membership Program Subscription-based membership offering exclusive streaming content, comedian interactions, and member-only community features to comedy fans.
• Private and Corporate Venue Rentals Rental of Laugh Factory club venues for private events, corporate functions, and group bookings, with dedicated sales contacts for Hollywood, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Chicago, and other locations.
• Comedy Camp Youth Program Eight-week summer comedy instruction program for children ages 9 to 16 offering onstage experience and training from working comedians, established by founder Jamie Masada in 1989 with notable alumni including Tiffany Haddish, Nick Cannon, and Amanda Bynes.
• Kids Comedy Playground Kid-friendly comedy content and programming on the Laugh Factory website that encourages children to develop stand-up comedy skills through accessible, age-appropriate material.
• International Comedy Channels Curated video channels on the Laugh Factory website offering stand-up comedy content in multiple languages including Arabic, Korean, Filipino, and Latino comedy.
• Laugh Factory Magazine Digital comedy magazine publication featuring comedian profiles, industry news, historical archival content, and editorial coverage of the comedy world.
• Comedian Collectible Trading Cards Licensed collectible trading card series featuring stand-up comedians with authentic on-card autographs, produced under a worldwide licensing agreement with EPOCH Company LTD and brokered by Landware Entertainment, highlighting iconic Laugh Factory locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45+ years of continuous operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship, core and strategic.

• She Ready FoundationminorOthers · 6 May 2026Tiffany Haddish's foundation founded in 2012 to support foster youth and young women in need. Partnership for charity comedy event during Netflix Is A Joke Fest.
• USOminorOthers · 5 May 2026GI's of Comedy event at Laugh Factory benefits the USO with proceeds donated to support U.S. military veterans.
• Netflix Is A Joke FestflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 May 2026Netflix Is A Joke is the largest comedy festival in the nation, co-organized with Live Nation. Laugh Factory serves as a key venue for multiple shows during the festival including neurodivergent performers, women's lineup, and veteran-focused events.
• Live NationflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 May 2026Co-organizer of Netflix Is A Joke Fest alongside Netflix. Partnership brings major comedy festival programming to Laugh Factory venues.
• Landware EntertainmentminorOthers · 21 April 2026Entertainment broker that arranged the partnership between Laugh Factory and EPOCH for comedian trading cards.
• Horseshoe Las VegascoreOthers · 13 February 2026New 250-seat club location opened at Horseshoe Las Vegas in February 2026, replacing the previous Tropicana location that closed when the hotel was demolished for a new stadium.
• Tiffany Haddish and Natasha LyonnestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026Developing a major comedy motion picture with all-women cast, writing, and production team. Working with Laugh Factory to cast female comedians. No release date announced.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Comedy Store: Iconic Sunset Boulevard comedy club in Los Angeles operating since 1972; directly competes with Laugh Factory Hollywood for top stand-up talent, audiences, and cultural relevance in the same market.
• The Improv (Improv Comedy Club): Multi-location U.S. comedy club chain founded in 1963, offering stand-up shows at venues across multiple cities. Directly comparable business model to Laugh Factory's multi-venue ticketed comedy operation.
• Funny Bone Comedy Club: Regional multi-location comedy club operator with venues across the Midwest and U.S. Directly comparable business model of multi-city stand-up ticketed shows.
• Zanies Comedy Night Clubs: Multi-location comedy club chain operating across several U.S. cities (Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, etc.). Comparable multi-venue stand-up business model and target audience.
• Comedy Cellar: Renowned New York City comedy club featuring top-tier stand-up talent including many Netflix-aligned comedians. Direct competitor for A-list comedian bookings and comedy brand prestige, though geographically distinct.

Emerging players

• Don't Tell Comedy: Pop-up and secret-location stand-up comedy show operator with a strong digital/social brand. Competes for younger comedy audiences via novel venue formats and content-forward marketing.
• Helium Comedy Club: Multi-city comedy club operator with locations in Portland, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Comparable in scale and multi-venue model to Laugh Factory, though with smaller geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Netflix: Dominant streaming incumbent for stand-up specials. While not a club, Netflix competes for comedy talent attention and audience attention and is Laugh Factory's most important festival partner through Netflix Is A Joke Fest.
• Live Nation Entertainment: Largest live entertainment promoter globally and co-organizer of Netflix Is A Joke Fest. Competes for touring comedian bookings while also being a Laugh Factory GTM partner for festival programming.
• Just For Laughs: Largest international comedy festival and comedy brand, headquartered in Montreal. Comparable as a comedy IP and festival operator; Laugh Factory participates in its category through Netflix Is A Joke Fest partnership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheLaughFactory
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxyCzPY2pjAjrxoSYclpuLg
• Facebookfacebook.com/LaughFactoryHW
• Instagraminstagram.com/laughfactoryhw
• TikToktiktok.com/@laughfactoryofficial?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laugh-factory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Laugh Factory