Stand-up specials added to inflight entertainment

Jet passengers will be able to watch stand-up specials from Brennan Reece, Tom Ward and Colin Hoult under a new deal with Virgin Atlantic.

The airline has signed a deal with on-demand video service NextUp to add the shows from the three breakthrough acts to its in-flight entertainment service – the first such deal the comedy startup has signed.

In a number of announcements today the company said that is is expanding its catalogue of original content, with filmed six new specials filmed in the last month. 

The first to be released will  be Hal Cruttenden's stand-up show, Straight Outta Cruttenden which was filmed at the Leicester Square Theatre in London, and which will be available to subscribers from later this month.

Since launching last November, NextUp has filmed 28 original shows, and releases a new special every week – the same rate as Netflix. It currently has a library of 71 shows from comedians including Sean Hughes, Richard Herring, Tony Law and Simon Munnery.

The company has just secured an additional £230,000 of funding from venture capitalists to help finance its expansion.

Subscribers pay £3.50 a month after  a 30-day free trial.

Published: 15 Aug 2017