Samsung and LG TVs have gained a new streaming service, dubbed NextUp, which joins the long list of apps already preinstalled and available on these popular Smart TVs, including the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, BBC iPlayer, and many more.
NextUp is designed to stream the latest live performances from some of the biggest names in stand-up comedy, so subscribers can bring the inside of a comedy club into their home from the comfort of their sofa. By focusing on live streams, NextUp will differentiate itself from DVDs and on-demand stand-up recordings from rivals like Netflix and Prime Video.
Shows bundled with NextUp include some of the biggest names in the industry, including Ed Byrne, Miles Jupp and Andrew Maxwell alongside award winning rising stars of comedy such as Jordan Brookes, Laura Lexx and Maisie Adam. The service will add multiple new livestreams each week from comedy clubs across the UK.
If you’ve missed a stand-up, don’t worry. NextUp will include an on-demand library of hundreds of comedy specials from famous comics and the rising stars. This news comes shortly after the platform announced its partnership with London’s world-famous Comedy Store to bring its renowned stand-up nights direct into subscribers’ homes.
The new partnership with Samsung and LG TVs owners means there’s no need for a set-top box or streaming dongle, like those from Fire TV and Roku, to gain access. Samsung is the most popular manufacturer of TVs on the planet (for the last fifteen consecutive years, no less) so ensuring that these sets arrive with NextUp should significantly lower the barrier to entry for new subscribers. And for those with a Samsung or LG TV who have run out of exciting new shows to watch …the arrival of the new streaming app is a positive too.
Speaking about the news, NextUp co-founder Sarah Henley said: “Finally you can now experience live comedy from your sofa, whilst eating pizza in your pyjamas. This deal with Samsung and LG brings live comedy to the masses in a revolutionary way. Through lockdown we learnt that making comedy accessible was really a necessity. It gave people who don’t attend live stand-up shows a chance to discover something new, something different, or something familiar. Whatever it was – people loved it.
“Streaming on your TV something that’s happening live on stage is a genuine thrill. You really feel like you’re there with the venue’s audience, not knowing what will go right, wrong or who will say what. It’s unfiltered, unedited and there’s no queue for the toilet.”
Upcoming shows that will be available to subscribers include…
- NextUp Comedy Live, NextUp’s flagship monthly comedy night in partnership with the Comedy Store in London.
- Tits ‘n Giggles, a monthly women-only short form night at the Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green.
- Raucous, a comedy show featuring under-represented groups at Up The Creek Comedy Club, Greenwich.
More NextUp shows this month include…
- 10th October – Pope Lonergan & Meryl O’Rourke Live
- 12th October – NextUp Comedy Live At The Comedy Store: Line up | Nick Helm | Michael Odewale | Maisie Adams
- 23rd October – Musical Comedy Awards 2021 Final | headlined by Mawaan Rizwan
- 23rd October – Angel Comedy Stream | Line Up: Huge Davies | Kate Baron | Joe Wells | Fiona Ridgewell
- 25th October – Suspiciously Cheap | Line Up – TBC
- 29th October – Backyard Comedy Stream | Line Up – TBC
- 31st October – Weirdo’s Halloween Project
Discussing its plans, NextUp says that it was designed “with the belief that we all need laughter in our life” by making “comedy accessible to all.” It adds, “whether that is by bringing a bit of cheer to last year’s virtual Christmas dos with live streamed events which saw CEOs getting roasted by comedians, or now by setting up partnerships with some of the biggest tech firms in the world, NextUp is feeding the nation’s soul one chuckle, chortle and giggle at a time.”
NextUP subscription plans start from £5 a month for unlimited access, although a free tier which limits you to five specials and 10 live streams is available to all new customers. No credit card is needed for the latter.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.