Now This
Now This Improv is a Washington, DC-based educational blog that publishes free articles, guides, and curated videos teaching improvisational comedy techniques, theatres, performers, and TV shows to improv enthusiasts and learners, monetized solely through advertising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Now This does
Now This Improv is a Washington, DC-based educational content platform that publishes free articles, guides, and resource lists about improvisational comedy. Founded in 1991 and operating with a team of 13, the company serves a single target audience of improv enthusiasts and learners seeking beginner instruction, technique tips, performer profiles, theatre recommendations, attire guidance, and curated YouTube learning material. Its content portfolio includes features such as "Improv Wisdom: 6 Things Improv Taught Me," a "6 Incredible Improv Theatres" guide, technique tip articles, getting-started guides, and roundups of TV shows and YouTube videos featuring improv performers like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Jason Sudeikis.
The underlying technology is a standard WordPress-based content management system using conventional web technologies to deliver editorial articles and embedded third-party YouTube videos. There are no proprietary platform features, AI/ML components, APIs, or mobile applications disclosed; the product surface is the website itself (nowthisimprov.com). Distribution is achieved through organic SEO targeting niche improv-related search queries, social sharing buttons on each article, and YouTube video embeds — all top-of-funnel content marketing with no paywall, registration, or purchase requirement.
The business model is advertising-only. The site displays contextual advertising through standard web ad placements and monetizes embedded YouTube videos through YouTube's partner program. There are no paid products, subscriptions, premium tiers, or transactional revenue streams. There are no disclosed partnerships, parent companies, investors, funding rounds, or ownership details in the source data, and the company operates as an apparently independent private entity with no published revenue, traffic, or engagement metrics.
Now This firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Now This
- Legal name
- Now This Improv
- Website
- https://nowthisimprov.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Now This Improv is a Washington, DC-based educational blog that publishes free articles, guides, and curated videos teaching improvisational comedy techniques, theatres, performers, and TV shows to improv enthusiasts and learners, monetized solely through advertising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Now This industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Educational Content
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (611610), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Improvisational Theatre (MPAGABAJ), Improv Comedy Performances (MPAGACAB)
Keywords
Now This business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Digital Content Advertising: The website displays contextual advertising through standard web ad placements. YouTube video embeds may generate advertising revenue through YouTube's partner program. The content itself is free for users, monetized through advertising impressions rather than direct sales.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Now This product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Now This Improv publishes a free educational blog offering articles, guides, and resource lists about improvisational comedy. Content covers improv techniques (e.g., the "yes and" approach, active listening, spontaneity), beginner guides, performer profiles, notable improv theatres (e.g., Bad Dog Theatre, iO Theater, Free Association, The Second City), TV shows featuring improv, attire recommendations, and curated YouTube learning videos from performers such as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
Product overview
Now This Improv is a single educational blog platform providing free content about improvisational comedy. The site offers a collection of articles, guides, and lists covering improv techniques, performer profiles, theatre recommendations, TV shows, attire advice, and YouTube learning resources. The content portfolio includes article series on improv wisdom, technique tips, getting started guides, performer profiles, and curated video recommendations, all serving the improv comedy enthusiast community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Now This Improv Educational Blog
Companies that use Now This
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Now This technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Now This partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Now This competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB): Major improv comedy training center and theatre brand with a strong educational curriculum and digital content presence, competing for the same improv learner audience.
- Second City: Iconic improv theatre and training school with extensive class catalogs and educational content, representing the institutional peer that Now This Improv funnels readers into.
- iO Theater: Historic improv theatre and school founded by Del Close offering classes, performer development, and show programming — a venue-and-education peer where Now This Improv readers graduate to.
- ImprovBoston: Regional improv theatre and school with extensive class offerings and educational content — a smaller institutional peer running both performance and training operations similar to theatres cited by Now This Improv.
- The Groundlings: Los Angeles-based improv and sketch comedy training center with structured classes and famous alumni, comparable as an institutional improv educator whose digital content overlaps with Now This Improv.
- NoPro: An independent news, blog, and community site dedicated to improv comedy, covering performers, shows, and educational content — directly overlapping Now This Improv's content-only niche website approach.
Broad incumbents
- MasterClass: Premium online education platform featuring improv and comedy courses from celebrity instructors — a broader incumbent that monetizes the same improv learning demand at the top of the funnel.
- Skillshare: Subscription-based creative education marketplace that includes improv and acting classes — a broader incumbent addressing the same audience with monetized, structured courses.
- Comedy.com: Comedy content and community site covering sketches, stand-up, and improv — a broader entertainment incumbent that overlaps with Now This Improv's monetization of comedy-related content.
- Backstage: Large performing arts content platform with articles, guides, and educational resources for actors and performers — a broader incumbent that covers improv as part of a wider performing arts vertical.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Now This social profiles
Digital presenceNow This financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Now This leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Now This funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Now This M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Now This
What does Now This do?
Now This Improv publishes a free educational blog offering articles, guides, and resource lists about improvisational comedy. Content covers improv techniques (e.g., the "yes and" approach, active listening, spontaneity), beginner guides, performer profiles, notable improv theatres (e.g., Bad Dog Theatre, iO Theater, Free Association, The Second City), TV shows featuring improv, attire recommendations, and curated YouTube learning videos from performers such as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
Is Now This a public or private company?
Now This is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Now This founded?
Now This was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
How does Now This make money?
One revenue line is on record: digital Content Advertising.
Who are Now This's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), Second City, iO Theater, ImprovBoston, The Groundlings and NoPro. Broad incumbents are MasterClass, Skillshare, Comedy.com and Backstage.
Does Now This have an API?
No public API is recorded for Now This.
What industry is Now This in?
Now This's product category is Online Educational Content. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAG, Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater), with a secondary code of MPAGABAJ, Improvisational Theatre. Its NAICS code is 611610 and its SIC code is 2721.