Netflix turns ‘Sirius’ with comedy channel
So much for video killing the radio star. Netflix on Wednesday said it will expand beyond the small screen with a dedicated comedy channel on SiriusXM.
The streaming giant will team up with the satellite radio provider to launch the 24-hour comedy channel by the start of 2019.
The channel will feature Netflix original and current content commercial-free, it said.
Netflix will also be able to use the channel as a promotional tool for its comedy specials — which have become a major draw.
Over the past five years, the streaming giant has shelled out major bucks for comedy content — and has nabbed superstar comics such as Jerry Seinfeld, Amy Schumer, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle.
Rock was paid $20 million for each of his two specials — the same per-special price Chappelle got for his three specials, according to reports.
Seinfeld was paid a total of $100 million for his “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” series plus two specials.
With its steady flow of specials that debut on a weekly basis, Netflix has also become known for propelling the careers of emerging comedians like Michelle Wolf and Hannah Gadsby.
Sirius has pumped up its non-music content to differentiate itself from musiccentric rivals like Spotify and Pandora. Netflix joins a lineup of comedy offerings that includes channels from Comedy Central and Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud. asteigrad@nypost.com