Brooklyn Comedy Collective

What Brooklyn Comedy Collective does

Brooklyn Comedy Collective (BCC) is a privately held live comedy theater and training center founded in March 2018 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The company operates two venue complexes in East Williamsburg — Eris Evolution (167 Graham Ave, two theaters) and BCC Pig Pen (144 Boerum St) — plus studio spaces at 137 Montrose Ave and 130 Graham Ave. BCC produces 30+ weekly live comedy shows spanning improv, sketch, stand-up, variety, clown, musical improv, and solo performances, and has produced over 2,000 shows since inception. It is also a structured comedy school offering multi-level classes across improv, sketch, stand-up, clown, and musical improv, with a 7-week curriculum structure that culminates in class shows.

The company's product portfolio spans live shows, classes, corporate workshops, private events, the annual Fun & Dumb Festival (one of the world's largest improv festivals at 600+ performers and 150+ shows over 4 days), the Pitchfest development program, venue rentals, branded merchandise, and gift cards. BCC was the first major NYC comedy theater to pay performers a significant cut of the box office, a model it maintained through COVID via online shows.

Revenue is generated across six streams: show ticket sales (via Eventbrite with $5 pre-day-of-show discounts), recurring comedy classes, corporate workshops, private events, managed space rentals, and merchandise (unit-priced at $15-$45). Go-to-market is hybrid: community-led (students become performers and audience), event-driven (festival and NY Comedy Festival appearances), direct-to-consumer (Eventbrite ticketing, website registration), and sales-led for corporate clients. Customers include general NYC comedy audiences, aspiring comedians, corporate clients, and private groups/organizations. The company is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investment.

Name

Brooklyn Comedy Collective

Legal name

Brooklyn Comedy Collective

Website

https://brooklyncc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Theater and Comedy Education

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Improv Comedy Performances (MPAGACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sketch Comedy Shows (MPAGACAC), Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA), Comedy Festivals (MPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Live comedy shows
• Improv classes
• Comedy training programs
• Corporate improv workshops
• Comedy venue rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Show Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales to 30+ weekly live comedy shows across improv, sketch, stand-up, clown, musical improv, variety, and solo performances. Tickets sold via Eventbrite with $5 discount before day of show.
2. Comedy Classes: Year-round classes in improv, sketch, stand-up, clown, and musical improv. Multi-level curriculum from beginner to advanced. Classes run 7 weeks with culminating class shows.
3. Corporate Workshops: Customized corporate improv workshops teaching communication, innovation, leadership, and trust skills to businesses and organizations. Also includes corporate comedy shows for events.
4. Private Events: Touring shows and classes for community organizations, private groups, schools, theater companies, and birthday parties.
5. Space Rentals: Rental of performance and studio spaces including Pig Pen Theater, Pig Pen Studios, Dog House Studios, and Recording Studio to external groups.
6. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, tote bags, and limited edition festival items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Brooklyn Comedy Collective operates a comedy theater and training school in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, producing 30+ weekly live comedy shows (improv, sketch, stand-up, clown, variety, solo) across two venues (Eris Evolution and BCC Pig Pen) and offering year-round multi-level classes in improv, sketch, stand-up, clown, and musical improv. The company also delivers customized corporate improv workshops, private events, space rentals, and an annual improv festival (Fun & Dumb Festival).

Product overview

Brooklyn Comedy Collective (BCC) is a live comedy theater and training center operating two venues in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The company offers a unified entertainment and education platform consisting of live comedy performances (improv, sketch, stand-up, variety, clown, and solo shows) and structured comedy classes across multiple disciplines. Additional offerings include corporate workshops, private event services, an annual festival (Fun & Dumb), venue rentals, improv jams/open mics, and branded merchandise. The portfolio is designed to serve both audience members seeking entertainment and aspiring comedians seeking training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fun & Dumb Festival: Annual improv festival, one of the largest in the world, featuring 600+ performers and 150+ shows over 4 days. Named #1 pick of things to do in July in NYC by NY Times for multiple years.
• Pitchfest

Products and services

• Live Comedy Shows Weekly and monthly live performances featuring improv, sketch, stand-up, variety, clown, and solo shows across multiple venues in Brooklyn, targeted at general comedy audiences and date-night/social outing consumers in NYC.
• Comedy Classes Structured curriculum of improv, musical improv, sketch/character, stand-up, clown, and electives/writing classes for aspiring comedians and performers seeking skill development and creative expression.
• Corporate Workshops Customized corporate improv workshops and comedy shows for businesses and organizations seeking team-building, communication training, leadership development, and corporate entertainment.
• Private Events Touring shows and classes for community organizations, private groups, schools, theater companies, and birthday parties seeking unique entertainment options or accessible creative programming.
• Fun & Dumb Festival (FAD) Annual improv festival featuring 600+ performers and 150+ shows over 4 days at Brooklyn Comedy Collective venues, recognized by The New York Times as a top NYC summer event.
• Venue Rentals Rental of performance and studio spaces (Pig Pen Theater, Pig Pen Studio A/B, Dog House Studios 1 & 2, Recording Studio) to external groups and producers.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, zip-up hoodies, baseball caps, tote bags, dog t-shirts, and limited edition festival items, sold online and at venues.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable for classes, branded merchandise, or show tickets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced over 2000 shows since March 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• iO TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister Theaters partnership between BCC and iO Theater. The partnership recognizes shared values and collaborative opportunities between the two improv theaters. Both institutions are known for improv training and performance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB): UCB is a larger, historically dominant improv comedy brand that operated theaters and training centers in NYC and LA. It is a broad incumbent comparable to BCC on theater-plus-school model and mainstream-talent pipeline, though its NYC footprint has contracted.
• The Comedy Cellar: The Comedy Cellar is an iconic NYC comedy club focused on stand-up rather than improv, with multiple Village venues. It is a broad incumbent comparable to BCC on live-comedy venue operations and NYC audience development, but with a different core format.

Direct peers

• ComedySportz: ComedySportz operates short-form improv comedy shows and training classes across multiple U.S. cities. It is comparable to BCC in offering improv-based live entertainment combined with structured class curricula.
• The Groundlings: The Groundlings is a Los Angeles-based improv and sketch comedy theater and training center with a famous alumni network. It compares to BCC on theater-plus-school model, sketch/improv class curriculum, and reputation as a launchpad for mainstream comedy talent.
• iO Theater: iO Theater is a Chicago-based improv theater and training school and BCC's formal 'Sister Theaters' partner. It is directly comparable as a multi-discipline improv venue with structured classes and a national reputation.
• The Second City: The Second City is the most established North American improv comedy theater and training center, operating theaters and schools in Chicago, Toronto, and other cities. It shares BCC's combined theater-plus-school model, long-form improv curriculum, and alumni-to-mainstream pipeline.
• Westside Comedy Theater: Westside Comedy Theater is an LA-based comedy venue offering improv and stand-up classes plus nightly shows. It is directly comparable to BCC as a multi-discipline comedy school and theater with a class-to-stage community pipeline.
• The Annoyance Theatre: The Annoyance is a Chicago-based comedy theater and school producing sketch, improv, and alternative comedy alongside training programs. It compares to BCC on alternative-comedy positioning, training offerings, and indie-venue operating model.
• Magnet Theater: Magnet Theater is an NYC-based improv theater and training center in Manhattan. It mirrors BCC's integrated live-performance-and-school structure, multi-level improv curriculum, and community-driven performer development approach.
• The PIT (People's Improv Theater): The PIT is an NYC improv comedy theater and school offering classes and nightly shows. It is directly comparable to BCC in business model, target audience, training offerings, and ticketed-show cadence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/comedybrooklyn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brooklyn-comedy-collective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Brooklyn Comedy Collective