What Gotham Comedy Club does

Gotham Comedy Club is a privately held, single-location live entertainment venue operating in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood since May 10, 1996. Founded by Chris Mazzilli and Mike Reisman and owned since 2005 by brothers Chris and Steven Mazzilli, the club operates through the legal entity CMR Comedy, LLC. The infrastructure centers on two distinct performance spaces: the Main Showroom with 300-person capacity (featuring state-of-the-art sound, lighting, professional video recording, and a motorized projector) and the more intimate Vintage Lounge with 75-person capacity. Programming is built around an event-driven calendar of flagship shows including The Gotham All-Stars, Comedy Spotlight, the Mixtape Comedy Show (combining comedy with a live band and DJ), and recurring showcase slots for emerging talent.

The business operates a multi-stream revenue model anchored on direct-to-consumer ticket sales (priced at $40 for standard admission and $80 for a 50-person VIP meet-and-greet experience, in both cases carrying service fees plus a mandatory two-drink minimum) and on-premise food and beverage service featuring pub food and an extensive liquor selection including 30 vodka varieties. Secondary revenue streams include private event rentals (corporate functions, holiday parties, fundraisers, film/TV shoots including Martin Scorsese's The Irishman), comedy education through the Intensive Feedback Workshop, Industry Seminar, and Kids 'N Comedy programs, plus branded merchandise (t-shirts, caps, gift cards). Ticketing is operated through the Leap Events widget with third-party payment processing, and the website integrates UserWay for ADA accessibility compliance.

Customer segments span general consumers seeking date-night and group entertainment in NYC, corporate clients booking private events, and aspiring comedians (both adults and teenagers) using the venue as a training and showcase platform. The club has been home to multiple television productions including Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and four seasons of NBC's Emmy-nominated Last Comic Standing, and in 2019 partnered with NextVR and Oculus to launch Live in Gotham, a VR-distributed stand-up series that aired in more than thirty countries. The business is family-controlled with no disclosed external funding and operates with a headcount in the 11-50 range.

Name

Gotham Comedy Club

Legal name

CMR Comedy, LLC

Website

https://gothamcomedyclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gotham Comedy Club is a privately held Manhattan comedy venue operating since 1996, featuring a 300-seat Main Showroom and 75-seat Vintage Lounge. It serves general consumers, corporate event clients, and aspiring comedians through live shows, food and beverage service, private events, and comedy education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Entertainment

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE), Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF), Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Live comedy shows
• Comedy club venue
• Stand-up entertainment
• Private event hosting
• Comedy education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to shows and events, including The Gotham All-Stars, Comedy Spotlight, special events, and new talent showcases.
2. Food and Beverage: Revenue from pub food menu and extensive liquor selection including 30 kinds of vodka, wine list, with a 2 beverage minimum per person at shows.
3. Private Events: Revenue from hosting private parties, corporate events, holiday parties, fundraisers, film and TV shoots, product launches, and other custom events at the Main Showroom (capacity 300) or Vintage Lounge (capacity 75).
4. Comedy Classes: Revenue from Intensive Feedback Workshop, Industry Seminar, and Kids 'N Comedy classes for aspiring comedians.
5. Merchandise: Revenue from merchandise sales including t-shirts, caps, and gift cards available at the venue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gotham Comedy Club operates an upscale live comedy venue at 208 W 23rd St in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, featuring a 300-seat Main Showroom and a 75-seat Vintage Lounge. The club sells tickets to weekly flagship shows (The Gotham All-Stars, Comedy Spotlight, New Talent Showcases, Mixtape Comedy Show), rents both rooms for private corporate and social events, and runs comedy education programs for adults and teens. Ancillary revenue comes from a mandatory two-beverage minimum per ticket, a full pub-food kitchen, and on-site branded merchandise.

Product overview

Gotham Comedy Club is an upscale New York City comedy club offering a portfolio of live entertainment experiences and educational programs. The core offering centers on two performance venues: The Main Showroom (300-person capacity) and The Vintage Lounge (75-person capacity), hosting flagship shows like The Gotham All-Stars and Comedy Spotlight, as well as the Mixtape Comedy Show and New Talent Showcases. The club also provides private event rental services for corporate and social occasions. Educational offerings include comedy classes through the Intensive Feedback Workshop, Industry Seminar, and Kids 'N Comedy programs. Ancillary services include merchandise (t-shirts, caps, gift cards) and food and beverage service featuring an extensive liquor selection. The club has also produced television content including 'Gotham Comedy Live' on AXS TV and the VR series 'Live in Gotham.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Gotham All-Stars

Named customers10 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NextVR and OculuscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019In 2019, Gotham partnered with NextVR and Oculus to launch Live in Gotham, the first stand-up series shot live in virtual reality. The show was hosted by Yannis Pappas and aired in more than thirty countries, expanding the club's reach internationally through immersive VR technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Laugh Factory: Laugh Factory operates premier comedy clubs in Hollywood, Long Beach, and Chicago with an A-list comedian brand similar to Gotham's. Comparable venue-product and F&B economics, though West Coast-focused.
• New York Comedy Club: New York Comedy Club operates multiple Manhattan rooms with nightly stand-up, 2-drink minimums, and tiered ticket pricing - directly comparable format and pricing to Gotham.
• Carolines on Broadway: Carolines is a long-standing NYC comedy venue offering live stand-up, private events, and a full bar - essentially the same product mix and Manhattan customer base as Gotham Comedy Club.
• The Comedy Cellar: The Comedy Cellar is a legendary NYC comedy club in Greenwich Village with a comparable show-and-F&B business model and similar A-list comedian relationships (e.g., Louis C.K., Dave Attell). It is Gotham's most direct Manhattan competitor for nightly audiences and touring comedians.
• Zanies Comedy Night Club: Zanies operates comedy clubs in Nashville, Chicago, and other markets with the same nightly stand-up-plus-bar format and similar per-ticket price points as Gotham.
• The Stand NYC: The Stand NYC combines comedy, full dinner service, and craft cocktails in a Gramercy venue - same three-revenue stream (tickets + F&B + private events) model as Gotham.
• Helium Comedy Club: Helium is a multi-city comedy club operator (Portland, Indianapolis, etc.) running flagship shows, private events, and F&B - same format as Gotham but with regional expansion Gotham lacks.
• Comic Strip Live: Comic Strip Live is an Upper East Side NYC comedy club founded in 1978 with a similar historical brand-equity play and stand-up-plus-bar business model.
• The Comedy Store: The Comedy Store is a Los Angeles institution with three rooms and a 50+ year history of launching comedy careers - a strong comparable to Gotham's career-launchpad positioning, though on the West Coast.

Broad incumbents

• Improv Comedy Club: The Improv is a multi-city, multi-decade chain of comedy clubs (and comedy-school brand) with broader geographic reach and a comedy-training program that parallels Gotham's classes business.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gothamcomedy
• Facebookfacebook.com/gothamcomedyclub
• Instagraminstagram.com/gothamcomedy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gotham-comedy-club

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 Gotham Comedy Club