Comedy Crosses Borders

In an unprecedented move that has the potential to propel comedy across borders in the comedy industry, Levity Entertainment Group and PIAS Entertainment Group announced today they have entered into a unique partnership. Levity Entertainment Group, the comedy industry’s leading independent management and production company, and PIAS Entertainment Group, an international independent distribution and recording company, will work together to distribute, license and promote comedic talent on an international level.

Levity and PIAS will join forces to promote and market comedic talent in Europe, Australia, and North America with the full resources of each company and a range of proven online and offline tactics supporting worldwide tour appearances, broadcast performances and DVD and multiplatform content releases. Levity’s proprietary E-Comic Branding digital comedy marketing service will be among the tools used to help increase comedians’ profile and financial success around the world.

Levity will license 10 one-hour stand-up comedy shows to PIAS, including Jim Breuer’s “Let’s Clear the Air,” Pete Correale’s “The Things We Do for Love” and Gabriel Iglesias’ “Hot & Fluffy.” Levity will work with PIAS to distribute the programming across Europe, South Africa, and Australia in 2009/2010 via multiple platforms, including TV, mobile, broadband and DVD.

Levity and PIAS will also co-produce several one-hour specials focusing on international artists and a global sales and marketing strategy. The companies will announce a roster of new artist signings after the Edinburgh Festival.

“In a digital world, comedy translates very easily,” said Robert Hartmann, Principal, Levity Entertainment Group. “The arrangement with our friends at PIAS will prove that by working together we can most effectively meet the global demand for comedy and refute the conventional wisdom that comedy is somehow limited by national borders and cultural barriers.”

Levity appointed Randy Chalawsky to VP of International Business Development to manage the increasing global demand for Levity’s comedy programming.

“The overseas DVD releases and international tours for Jeff Duham and Pablo Francisco prove that the global appetite for comedy is there,” said Chalawsky. “The Levity partnership with PIAS will take it to a new level.”

“With its international stars and popularity, comedy is becoming the new rock ‘n’ roll,” said Leon Happé, Partner, PIAS Comedy. “The combined experience, knowledge, distribution networks and passion for comedy between PIAS and Levity make this a winning and unique partnership in the industry.”

Levity Entertainment Group manages and produces several of the industry’s most successful comedians including Jeff Dunham (the top viewed comedian on YouTube with more than 360 million video views), Pablo Francisco, Pete Correale, Chris Titus and Jim Breuer. With more than two hundred employees and offices across Europe in Belgium, UK, Ireland, Holland, Germany, France, Spain and Australia, PIAS is well positioned to export the success enjoyed by Levity in the United States to worldwide audiences.

Before striking the deal announced today, Levity and PIAS laid the groundwork for their partnership by working together to distribute and co-promote the multi-talented sensation, Jeff Dunham in advance of his first European tour. Starting from a baseline of millions of internet clip views, the companies successfully introduced Dunham to the region through a series of concerted digital and traditional marketing tactics. The joint campaign resulted in an extremely successful European introduction for the American, with 130,000 DVDs sold in three months, and more than 25,000 tickets sold for his one week, five-city tour through Europe. Confirming that the Dunham success was repeatable, the companies have teamed up on comedian Pablo Francisco’s global marketing and touring. Also buoyed by a strong digital presence, Francisco continues to sell out shows across Europe and Australia with his 2009 40-city tour.

About Levity Entertainment Group

Levity Entertainment Group is the comedy industry’s only fully-integrated talent management, television production, branded entertainment, live exhibition, and digital marketing company. With international reach and unparalleled expertise, Levity Entertainment Group serves comedians, consumers and major brands. As the largest shareholder of The Improv, America’s first and largest comedy club chain, Levity Entertainment Group also identifies, develops, finances and produces original comedy programming targeted for all distribution platforms. The company was established in its current form in 2009, though elements of the combined company have been in operation since as early as 2006. For more information, please visit www.levityentertainmentgroup.com.

About PIAS Entertainment Group

PIAS Entertainment Group is a fully independent distribution/record company which was founded in 1982 by Belgium entrepreneurs Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot. PIAS has offices in Belgium (HQ), UK, Ireland, Holland, Germany, France, Spain, a joint venture in Australia, a digital distribution arm (PIAS Digital) and owns Indie Mobile, a leading mobile phone marketing and distribution agency. In 2004 two PIAS employees and comedy fanatics, Leon Happé and Leo van Schaick, started a new company ‘PIAS Comedy'. It initially focused on local (Dutch and Belgian) comedians such as Theo Maassen, Najib Amhali and Wim Helsen. PIAS Comedy now commands a 75% share of the Dutch stand up DVD market. In the last three years PIAS Comedy has added international comedians to their roster including Jeff Dunham and Pablo Francisco alongside existing distribution deals with Ross Noble and Stewart Lee. Besides DVD exploitation PIAS Comedy is also exploiting via TV, Mobile (worldwide), VOD and live promotion.