Lionsgate is launching Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud streaming platform on Aug. 3 with a slate of original scripted and unscripted comedy series, stand-up specials, licensed programming, and live broadcasts.
Lionsgate announced the launch date Tuesday, asserting that Hart handpicked the “boldest” comedic voices to create, produce and star in content exclusive to the service including GloZell, King Bach, Emmanuel Hudson, DC Young Fly, Draya Michelle, David So, Timothy DeLaGhetto and Anjelah Johnson.
The Laugh Out Loud service will also feature up and coming comedians curated by Hart through LOL showcases at events, including a partnership with the “Just for Laughs” festival.
The Laugh Out Loud app will be available for free on iOS and Android on Aug. 3. Users will have the option to pay $2.99 per month for an ad-free viewing experience and access to binge-watch all episodes of current seasons.
“Funny has no color or gender,” Hart said. “With our friends at Lionsgate, we are creating a global network that gives a platform to the next generation of diverse comedians from all over the world, of all ethnicities, to tell their stories. Our culture of comedy is unfiltered and inclusive. Most importantly, we exist to make the world laugh.”
Lionsgate and Hart first announced their partnership in March 2016.
“Kevin Hart is an extraordinary global talent, and we’re proud to continue expanding our multi-faceted relationship into exciting new opportunities,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer. “He is not only one of the biggest stars in the world but a great entrepreneur and an incredible brand. Together, we’re building Laugh Out Loud into a compelling, content-rich value proposition for his millions of current fans — as well as new audiences worldwide.”
Hart is previewing a sneak peek of the content with his hidden-camera series, “Kevin Hart: Lyft Legend,” portraying oversharing Lyft driver Donald Mac. The first episode debuts Tuesday on Laugh Out Loud’s Facebook page, which already has over 4 million followers, with future episodes running weekly exclusively on Laugh Out Loud’s streaming service.
“Kevin has become a dominant creative force in every entertainment initiative he has undertaken, from blockbuster films and television series to record-breaking world concert tours,” said Laugh Out Loud president Jeff Clanagan. “With Lionsgate as our visionary studio partner, an incredible portfolio of premium content and an exciting array of fresh creative voices, Laugh Out Loud is positioned to super serve Kevin’s global fan base in the digital, over-the-top world.”
Other programs include “Black Geo,” a satirical investigative series into the origins of black culture through sketch comedy; “Campus Law,” starring GloZell as a college dean and Wuz Good and Cynthia Luciette as college students; and the sitcom “Dead House” (King Bach, Emmanuel Hudson, DC Young Fly), in which a human joins the cast of a reality show where four zombies must live and work together in one house.
The service will also make available all seven seasons of “Def Comedy Jam,” exclusively on Laugh Out Loud with comedians Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Queen Latifah and Mike Epps.
Laugh Out Loud will include “Hotline Ad” as a sequel to Brent Weinbach’s “Gangster Party Line,” with chat line skits with celebrity comedic appearances; “Inglorious Pranksters” with Jo Koy hosting an unscripted series that celebrates the Internet’s best viral pranks; “Just For Laughs 2016” with 104 comics and 52 episodes; and “What the Fit?,” an unscripted series exclusive to Laugh Out Loud’s YouTube channel where Hart tries the most grueling and ridiculous trends in fitness alongside his celebrity friends and YouTube stars.
