Why Fox Nation Is Dipping Its Toes Into Stand-Up Comedy

Earlier this month, Jeff Foxworthy released his final stand-up comedy special.

It’s not on Netflix or Hulu or even YouTube, but a specialty streamer not particularly known for comedy — Fox Nation.

The streamer only has a handful of original comedy specials. “Unlike Netflix, we’re not a quantity play,” says its president, Lauren Petterson. “We want Nation to be more premium and curated and intentional.”

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The Murdoch-owned platform’s collaboration with Foxworthy is unusual in that the comedian was not touring and had no plans to release another special. Fox Nation reached out to Foxworthy to see if he had any ideas and helped him build the hour — in which he takes viewers behind the scenes of his joke-writing process — from the very beginning. After months of collaboration, the streamer gave the project a green light. (Fox Nation sees itself as the place where sought-after talent can take their passion projects, with Petterson touting Martin Scorsese’s “The Saints” and Kevin Costner’s “Yellowstone to Yosemite” docuseries.)

Foxworthy’s hour differs from Fox Nation’s previous specials in that while the comedian himself is a conservative, his material is apolitical. Conversely, Rob Schneider’s 2023 special was plugged as a “woke-free” hour in which he rants about COVID, transgender issues and Joe Biden. And Roseanne Barr’s “Cancel This!” comeback special touched on cancel culture, Roe v. Wade and her “libtard” daughters. Both specials were the most-watched shows on Fox Nation during the months in which they debuted.

For comedy industry insiders, it’s still unclear whether Fox Nation can provide comics with the “pop” that Netflix can — meaning, an immediate explosion of Instagram followers, ticket sales and offers. A source at Fox Nation says it’s not necessarily their goal to boost budding talent but rather to do business with comics who are already established. (Regardless, one comedy insider admitted Barr’s special seemed to “put her back on the map” after her 2018 scandal, “for better or for worse.”)

The streamer does not release subscriber numbers or viewership data, but Petterson tells Variety that Foxworthy’s “The Joke’s on Me” debuted at No. 1 and drew 6.5 million minutes watched in its first 12 days — that equals an average of 98,000 average viewers. 

While still a small streamer, Fox Nation has a unique ability to promote its talent due to its attachment to the Fox News ecosystem.

“It’s unlike any other,” Petterson says of the media machine. She runs down Foxworthy’s schedule on June 2, the day after his special dropped: “He started off with ‘Fox and Friends’ in the morning, then he did radio for us, then he taped ‘Fox News Saturday Night’ with Jimmy Fallia, then he went and did a Fox Business hit with Stu Varney, then he did a podcast with Kennedy. Then he did a Fox News digital interview, and he wrapped up his day doing ‘Gutfeld.’ And that’s not including outside press.”

Given Fox’s association with conservative politics, one might think it’d be difficult for the streamer to convince a truly mainstream nonpartisan comic — let alone a liberal one — to join the brand. But the streamer seems more focused on pinpointing content that will resonate with its subscribers than crossing the aisle. “We know our audience so well,” Petterson says. “Everyone we’ve talked to about doing a comedy special has said yes.”

Of course, those who work in comedy wish the streamer would talk to more comics. “It’s always a good thing for the industry to have buyers other than Netflix and Hulu spending legit money on specials,” says an agency source.

Fox Nation has only dipped its toes into stand-up, and it remains to be seen if the streamer will fully dive in. “We’ll absolutely consider doing more comedy,” Petterson says. “We’re not aggressively seeking it out, but we’ll look for anything that we think is going to resonate with our audience. Any suggestions, I’m all ears!”