_Logo.svg){kind=logo} | |
Type of site | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Owner | Sam Reich |
| Industry | Internet |
| Parent | CH Media (DBA Dropout) |
| URL | www |
| Registration | Required |
| Launched | September 26, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-09-26) |
| Current status | Active |
Dropout (stylized as:DROPOUT) is an American comedysubscription streaming service run by the production company of the same name (formerlyCollegeHumor), founded in September 2018. Its ad-free original shows are mainly composed oflive play, such asDimension 20 hosted byBrennan Lee Mulligan, andimprov comedy andpanel shows likeGame Changer,Make Some Noise (both hosted by Dropout owner and CEOSam Reich), andVery Important People hosted byVic Michaelis. Dropout's series often feature a rotating cast of regular comedians and performers.
Originally founded in 1999 byJosh Abramson andRicky Van Veen, then-independent website CollegeHumor was acquired by holding media and entertainment companyIAC in August 2006.[1] CollegeHumor's work originally only included editorial articles, but eventually expanded to include online video and development and production of TV shows.[2] In 2013, the video production CollegeHumor team moved to Los Angeles to continue to create online and traditional video consisting of shows likeAdam Ruins Everything andHot Date as well as sketch and short-form comedy on itsYouTube channel.[2] However, ad revenue became increasingly scarce, with YouTube's unfavorable ad rates and an ongoing risk of CollegeHumor's content being demonetized on the platform, as well as Facebook's inflated viewership numbers not bringing in anticipated ad sales.[3]
In the mid-2010s, CollegeHumor syndicated its content to various companies, includingCondé Nast Entertainment,DailyMotion, Samsung,Vessel, and Watchable.[4] CollegeHumor subsidiary Big Breakfast signed a deal with Verizon'sgo90 streaming service in 2015, which included the showFatal Decision and a commitment of ten video clips per month for the platform.[4] During this time, Shane Rahmani served as CollegeHumor's general manager.Fatal Decision was ultimately released on Dropout's own platform in 2025.[4]
After starting production in 2017, CollegeHumor launched its Dropout TV video platform on September 26, 2018.[5][6][7][8] CollegeHumor's then-CEO, Rich Cusick, announced the service as a "TV-MA version of CollegeHumor" that would "allow us to double down our investment into premium original content, resulting in a bigger, better, badder CollegeHumor."[9][10] Dropout was also pitched as a way to allow fans to dive deeper into pre-established popular characters and shows from CollegeHumor's YouTube channel.[9] CollegeHumor's Chief Creative Officer,Sam Reich, also claimed that the founding of Dropout was in response to difficulty in receiving advertising dollars on traditional media platforms for mature content.[11] At launch, Dropout announced a mix of scripted and unscripted content, as well as digital comics and chat-story content and a subscriber-only Discord.[10]
Dropout utilizes CollegeHumor spinoffVimeo as its hosting service.[12] Dropout officially launched nativeiOS andAndroid apps for its service in December 2018, allowing users to watch shows and also cast to smart TVs. Comics and chat stories were also integrated into the app.[13]
After launch, Dropout saw that the unscripted and less expensive content both acquired and retained viewers, while more expensive and scripted shows neither acquired nor retained viewers, with the limited exception ofWTF 101.[2]Dimension 20 became the most popular show on the platform, followed byUm, Actually andCartoon Hell.[2]Game Changer, hosted by Reich, would also become a success upon launch in 2019.[2] A year after Dropout's launch, the service had between 75,000 and 100,000 subscribers.[15] Dropout planned to release a new original title per month in 2019, according to Sam Reich.[10][16] However, the programming slate did not allow Dropout to pivot quickly enough away from scripted content and it was still not profitable by the end of 2019; Reich later noted that "we had a writer's room full of scripted comedy writers. All of us were sort of having to pivot to think about something that wasn't our primary skill set."[17][18] Because Dropout was in the middle of a $30 million subscription investment, the streamer was on track to "lose" another $10 million by the end of 2019 before it would be profitable.[18][2]
In January of 2020, IAC announced it had ceased financing CollegeHumor, leading to the layoff of 105 employees.[5][15][19] IAC unsuccessfully attempted to sell CollegeHumor to numerous studios and entertainment companies at this time, reportedly seeking up to $100 million for the company;[8][20][18]Viacom offered to buy CollegeHumor and its back catalog for $3 million.[19] IAC ultimately sold CollegeHumor to then-Chief Creative Officer Reich in 2020, who transitioned to CEO.[14] IAC kept a minority stake in Dropout,[5] having been convinced by Reich it had the potential to become worth more than Viacom's offer.[19] The deal was finalized in March 2020.[8] Dropout ended production on scripted shows and focused on unscripted shows such asUm, Actually,Dimension 20, andGame Changer, briefly producing these series through online conference during the beginning of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
During the July-November2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Dropout series such asDimension 20,Game Changer andUm, Actually were initially shut down.[21] Reich stated:
Because we aren't associated with theAMPTP, it's possible we may be able to reach an interim agreement withSAG that allows us to continue to produce content during the strike. But we'll only do that, obviously, if we get the blessing of the union and the buy-in of our performers. If not, we have enough content in the can to last us a little past the end of the year. ... As for me, I intend to honor my union's position that I not promote SAG productions as a performer – even if they are produced by me. That means that I won't personally be promoting any of our shows for the time being.[22]
In August 2023, Reich announced that all Dropout shows had resumed production as it was determined that their "New Media Agreement for Non-Dramatic Programming" was actually a non-struck SAG-AFTRA contract.[23][24][25]
Also in August 2023,NPR stated that "Dropout has not shared their official subscriber count, but Reich says it's in the mid-hundreds of thousands. He's very aware that doesn't come close to the hundreds of millions of subscribers that large media companies have, but, to him, that's not necessarily a problem. ... Though they're not required to by unions, he said Dropout is working to become one of the first streamers to payresiduals to their writers, actors, and crew members".[26] Dropout also pays performers to audition.[8] Dropout's overall subscriber count almost doubled during 2023;[25] By October 2025, Dropout had over a million subscribers.[27]
Dropout officially retired all CollegeHumor branding in September 2023.[28] Later that year, Dropoutshared its profit with its employees and other workers,[29][25][8] giving them between a tenth and a fourth of their total earnings.[19] This practice continued in 2024 for a second year. Additionally, Dropout offers higher-than-average pay to performers: due to its heavy use of prosthetics, actors onVery Important People are paid between $5,000 and $10,000 per episode, and main cast members ofDimension 20 are paid approximately $7,000 per episode.[19] Stand-up comedianGianmarco Soresi made more money filming one episode ofGame Changer than he did for his role on theParamount+ showCrutch.[19] Reich himself earned almost nothing during the first two years of Dropout ownership; in 2022 he earned over $1 million.[19]
Dropout signed an expansion deal withtalent agencyCAA in July 2025.[30] In August 2025,Variety reported thatBrennan Lee Mulligan had "struck a new three-year development deal at his longtime home media company Dropout".[31] In the 10th episode ofGame Changer's seventh season,Vic Michaelis andAabria Iyengar were elected ashonorary presidents of Dropout.[32][33]
Dropout is headquartered inSilver Lake, Los Angeles. The company's production studio includes two sound stages, one forDimension 20 and one which rotates between other productions, as well as an art studio for set and prop design. As of 2025[update], the company has 40 full-time employees.[27]
Dropout is available worldwide; as of 2024[update] around 60% of subscribers were in the United States.[29]
The company has justified the pricing model as allowing them to create content without being dependent on, or beholden to, requests from advertisers.[34] In December 2018, visitors to the service spent on average 31 minutes per visit, and visited on average 3.5 times per week.[13] Throughout 2019, Dropout began to experiment with more live streaming versions of their shows, through usingTwitch and podcast-like formats. At the end of 2023, the average user subscribed for 18 months; Reich said in June 2024 that the statistic is continuing to increase.[25][8] As of June 2024[update], Dropout earns around 80–85% of its revenue via subscriptions.[8]
Dropout launched with a beta price of $3.99 per month for the first three months of the service. After December 2018, the price rose to a three tiered option, with monthly memberships for $5.99/month, semi-annual memberships for $4.99/month, and annual memberships for $3.99/month.[35] As of January 2022[update], new subscribers paid $5.99 monthly or $59.99 yearly, while those who already subscribed prior to that date were charged $4.99 monthly or $47.99 yearly.[36] In April 2025, Dropout announced a subscription cost increase ($6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually) which took effect on May 7, 2025. However, this increase did not impact existing subscribers who weregrandfathered in to the legacy subscription cost.[37][38]
In August 2019, CollegeHumor partnered withFacebook to offer Dropout content via paid video subscriptions on Facebook's platform.[39] Users are also able to access Dropout content through YouTube via the join function.
In addition to original series, Dropout offered videos produced by CollegeHumor 72 hours before they were released to the public. Previously, a subscriber-onlyDiscord server was included as a service, later expanded to non-subscribers as well, until its closure on May 26, 2024. Dropout also has a store which sells merchandise (such as shirts, stickers, and mugs) related to shows on the platform.[40][41]
Dropout productions often feature common rotating talent from a roster of performers, including:[8][42]
Shows on Dropout are usually releasedfortnightly, a schedule used more often for podcasts than for television.[25] Dropout planned to release a new original title per month in 2019, according to Sam Reich.[10][50] By 2020, the service had retired all scripted shows in favor of cheaper and more successful unscripted content.[28]
Dirty Laundry,Play It By Ear, andMake Some Noise, each spun off fromGame Changer, premiered throughout 2022. In 2023, Dropout started airing the improvisational interview showVery Important People, and in 2024 six new shows premiered:Smartypants,Thousandaires,Dropout Presents,Monét's Slumber Party,Gastronauts, andNobody Asked.[51][52][53][47]
A show calledParlor Room, hosted by Becca Scott, was announced in March 2025 and premiered on April 18, 2025.[54] A fourthGame Changer spinoff,Crowd Control, premiered on September 8, 2025.[19]
As of October 2025[update], an untitled animated show is in development.[27]
| Title | Genre | Description | Premiere | Seasons,eps. | Length | Status[a] | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking News: No Laugh Newsroom | Newscast,parody | Four "newscasters" read silly or strange reports from ateleprompter, losing points when they laugh. | Jul 7, 2018 | 7 seasons 108 eps | 10 mins | Unknown | |
| Dimension 20 | Actual play | Comedians and actors playtabletop role-playing games, primarily run byBrennan Lee Mulligan. | Sep 12, 2018 | 26 seasons 286 eps | 120 mins | Upcoming | [55] |
| Um, Actually | Game show | Contestants correct the host's inaccurate pop culture statements; hosted by Mike Trapp[b] / Ify Nwadiwe,[c] withfact checking by Michael Saltzman[d] /Brian David Gilbert.[c] | Sep 28, 2018 | 10 seasons 162 eps | 30 mins | Upcoming | [56] |
| Adventuring Academy | Talk show | Brennan Lee Mulligan and a guest discuss topics related to running tabletop roleplaying games. | Dec 19, 2018 | 6 seasons 65 eps | 90 mins | Upcoming | [57][58] |
| Game Changer | Game show,parody | A game show hosted bySam Reich, in which players do not initially know the rules or premise. | Sep 20, 2019 | 7 seasons 71 eps | 30 mins | Upcoming | [59] |
| Dimension 20's Adventuring Party | Aftershow | A talkback show in which the cast ofDimension 20 discuss the most recent episode. | Apr 14, 2020 | 21 seasons 226 eps | 30 mins | Upcoming | [60] |
| Dirty Laundry | Game show,social deduction,talk show | Four contestants play a social deduction game based on "never have I ever", where players are told secrets about each other and must guess who each secret belongs to. Hosted by Lily Du and co-hosted by bartender Grant O'Brien. | Apr 11, 2022 | 5 seasons 53 eps | 40 mins | Airing | [61][62] |
| Make Some Noise | Improv,game show,panel show | Three contestants improvise scenes based on prompts provided by host Sam Reich. | Jun 13, 2022 | 4 seasons 51 eps | 30 mins | Airing | [63][64][65] |
| Very Important People[e] | Talk show,parody | Improvisers given elaborate costumes and make-up are interviewed in-character by hostVic Michaelis. | Dec 15, 2023 | 2 seasons 30 eps | 20 mins | Upcoming | [66][67][68] |
| Smartypants | Seminar,parody | Comedians present on unusual subjects to a society of their peers, led by hostRekha Shankar. | Apr 25, 2024 | 2 seasons 25 eps | 30 mins | Unknown | [69][43] |
| Thousandaires | Panel show | Comedians each spend $1,000 on a group activity, with the host awarding their favorite a $1,000 prize. | May 31, 2024 | 1 season 6 eps | 30 mins | Unknown | [70] |
| Dropout Presents | Stand-up,improv | A series of stand-up comedy, solo shows, and improv specials performed in front of a live audience. | June 21, 2024 | 9 specials | 60 mins | Airing | [71][72] [73] |
| Gastronauts | Cooking show | A cooking competition hosted by creator and showrunner Jordan Myrick, in which professional chefs create meals based on specifications given by a panel of comedians. | Oct 11, 2024 | 2 seasons 13 eps | 40 mins | Airing | [53][74][44] |
| Nobody Asked | Documentary | Brian David Gilbert, Oscar Montoya, Ify Nwadiwe,Rekha Shankar, and Ele Woods run experiments to answer ridiculous questions. | Nov 29, 2024 | 1 season 5 eps | 30 mins | Unknown | [52] |
| Parlor Room | Game show | A comedian gathers a group of friends to play one of their favoriteboard games orcard games, hosted by Becca Scott. | Apr 18, 2025 | 1 season 11 eps | 30 mins | Unknown | [54] |
| Crowd Control | Stand-up | Hosted by Jacquis Neal, a group of comedians performcrowd work, making jokes relating to unique facts about each audience member. | Sep 8, 2025 | 1 season 6 eps | 40 mins | Unknown | [19][75] |
The following shows have concluded and are no longer producing new episodes.
| Title | Genre | Description | Originally aired | Seasons,eps. | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||||
| See Plum Run | Comedy | A child beauty pageant contestant (Elaine Carroll) and her mother (Josh Ruben) in a continuation of 2013 CollegeHumor seriesPrecious Plum. SatirizesHere Comes Honey Boo Boo. | Sep 26, 2018[76] | Nov 19, 2018 | 1 season 12 eps | 15 mins |
| Cartoon Hell | Animated series | An animated series in which stars Caldwell Tanner and Nathan Yaffe draw cartoons based on suggestions. Based on the YouTube channelDrawfee, originally hosted by Tanner and Yaffe. | Sep 26, 2018[77] | Jun 19, 2019 | 2 seasons 36 eps | 20 mins |
| Lonely and Horny | Comedy | A continuation of the 2016Jake and Amir webseriesLonely and Horny. The series was removed from Dropout in 2019. | Nov 5, 2018 | Jan 21, 2019 | 1 season 10 eps | 10 mins |
| Raph's Hall of Fame | Talk show | Host Raph Chestang discusses sports with guests. | Dec 24, 2018 | May 6, 2019 | 1 season 10 eps | 30 mins |
| Erotic Book Club | Comedy | Abook club show in which hosts Jess Ross andRekha Shankar plus guests read and discuss online erotic stories. | Dec 29, 2018[78] | Sep 14, 2019 | 1 season 19 eps[78][79] | 60 mins |
| WTF 101 | Adult animation | A teacher (Mary Pat Gleason) educates students on gross and disturbing subjects. ParodiesThe Magic School Bus | Jan 7, 2019[80] | Mar 11, 2019 | 1 season 10 eps | 10 mins |
| Total Forgiveness | Reality television | Ally Beardsley and Grant O'Brien exchange difficultdares to win money to pay off their student loans. | Feb 6, 2019[81] | Apr 10, 2019 | 1 season 10 eps | 20 mins |
| The Rank Room | Talk show | A panel provide possible answers to a question provided by host Katie Marovitch, then rank them. | Mar 7, 2019[82] | Jun 20, 2019 | 1 season 17 eps | 20 mins |
| Troopers | Comedy | A parody of sci-fi films such asStar Wars, which continues the2011 series but focuses on new characters. | Apr 8, 2019 | Jun 3, 2019 | 1 season 9 eps | 15 mins |
| Paranoia | Game show,social deduction | A social deduction game hosted by Ally Beardsley, in which two players are secretly under the influence of marijuana. | Apr 20, 2019 | Dec 31, 2019 | 2 seasons 15 eps | 20 mins |
| Kingpin Katie | Crime comedy | Katie Marovitch unwittingly becomes a high-profile drug dealer, in a satire ofevent television such asBreaking Bad. | Jun 10, 2019[83] | Jul 29, 2019 | 1 season 8 eps | 15 mins |
| Gods of Food | Mockumentary | A mockumentary in the style ofChef's Table, which follows the careers of unusual chefs. | Aug 8, 2019[84] | Sep 12, 2019 | 1 season 6 eps | 20 mins |
| Ultramechatron Team Go! | Comedy | A parody ofmecha anime and manga, featuring four pilots in a giant robot battling aliens. | Oct 3, 2019[85] | Dec 12, 2019 | 1 season 11 eps | 15 mins |
| Where in the Eff is Sarah Cincinnati | Game show | A parody ofWhere in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? hosted byRekha Shankar, in which players use geography knowledge to locate Sarah Cincinnati (Christine Medrano). | Dec 18, 2019[86] | Jan 22, 2020 | 1 season 6 eps[87] | 20 mins |
| Erotic Clubhouse | Comedy | A spinoff ofErotic Book Club, in which Jess Ross andRekha Shankar write erotic fanfiction. | Jun 25, 2020 | Dec 17, 2020 | 1 season 10 eps[88] | 60 mins |
| Play It By Ear | Musical improv | Jess McKenna, Zach Reino and guests improvise a musical using prompts from host Mano Agapion. | Sep 13, 2022 | Nov 3, 2023 | 2 seasons 16 eps[89][90] | 40 mins |
| Monét's Slumber Party | Panel show, variety show | A variety show hosted byMonét X Change. | Jul 19, 2024 | Sep 27, 2024 | 1 season 6 eps[47][91] | 30 mins |
Dropout Presents is a series of recorded live shows by different comedians and improv groups.[72]
| No. | Title | Starring | Release date | Length | Filming date(s) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pissing Out Cancer | Hank Green | Jun 21, 2024 | 61 min. | Dynasty Typewriter[71] | |
| 2 | Bigger! With Brennan and Izzy | Brennan Lee Mulligan,Izzy Roland | Jul 25, 2024 | 45 min. | Feb 25, 2024[92] Feb 26, 2024[93] | The Elysian[71] |
| 3 | As Scarlett Johansson | Chris Grace | Aug 23, 2024 | 64 min. | Feb 23, 2024[94] | |
| 4 | Unmedicated | Adam Conover | Sep 18, 2024 | 53 min. | Nocturne Theater[71] | |
| 5 | Vanessa 5000 | Courtney Pauroso | Oct 18, 2024 | 65 min. | Feb 24, 2024[95] | The Elysian[71] |
| 6 | From Ally to Zacky | Ally Beardsley,Kimia Behpoornia, Devin Field, Victoria Longwell, Oscar Montoya, Zac Oyama, Talia Tabin,Jacob Wysocki | Nov 15, 2024 Feb 21, 2025[iii] | 42 min. | Feb 25, 2024[96] | |
| 7 | The Big Team | Ronnie Adrian, Zeke Nicholson, Ify Nwadiwe, Ishmel Sahid,Carl Tart, Lamar Woods | Dec 16, 2024 | 27 min. | Feb 26, 2024[97] | |
| 8 | Four Pills | Cameron Esposito | Apr 11, 2025 | 62 min. | Dec 9, 2024[98] | |
| 9 | Demi Adejuyigbe Is Going To Do One (1) Backflip | Demi Adejuyigbe | Nov 19, 2025[99] | 72 min. | Jul 10, 2025[100] | The Colony Theatre |
| 10 | Hopeful Potato | Aparna Nancherla | Dec 15, 2025[99] | Jul 1, 2025[101] | Garry Marshall Theater | |
| 11 | Best Man Show | Mark Vigeant | Feb 25, 2026[99] | Jul 7, 2025 | The Cat's Crawl | |
| 12 | Sorry For Your Loss | Michael Cruz Kayne | Mar 27, 2026[99] | Jul 29, 2025[102] | Minetta Lane Theatre |
Dropout Improv is animprovisational comedy tour featuring regular Dropout performers.[103]
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| January 21, 2025 | Washington, D.C. | Warner Theatre |
| January 22, 2025 | Philadelphia,Pennsylvania | Metropolitan Opera House |
| January 23, 2025 | Brooklyn,New York | Kings Theatre |
| January 26, 2025 | Boston,Massachusetts | Shubert Theatre |
| June 4, 2025 | Indianapolis,Indiana | Old National Centre |
| June 5, 2025 | Louisville,Kentucky | Palace Theatre |
| June 7, 2025 | St. Louis,Missouri | Stifel Theatre |
| June 8, 2025 | Chicago,Illinois | Chicago Theatre |
| June 18, 2025 | Phoenix,Arizona | Arizona Financial Theatre |
| June 19, 2025 | San Diego,California | CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre |
| June 25, 2025 | Seattle,Washington | Paramount Theatre |
| June 26, 2025 | Los Angeles, California | Wiltern Theatre |
| July 26, 2025 | Montreal,Canada | L'Olympia[104] |
| July 27, 2025 | Montreal, Canada | L'Olympia[104] |
A panel event called "Cue the Chaos: In Convo with Dropout Improv" took place at theJust for Laughs comedy festival inMontreal on July 26, 2025.[105] Sam Reich also appeared at a "fireside chat" on July 24 as one of the festival's more exclusive "ComedyPRO" events.[106]
Dates for a Dropout Improv tour inAustralia andNew Zealand are scheduled in 2026 forPerth,Sydney,Melbourne, andAuckland.[107]
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2026 | Glasgow,Scotland | SEC Armadillo |
| June 3, 2026 | Newcastle,England | O2 City Hall Newcastle |
| June 4, 2026 | Manchester, England | O2 Apollo Manchester |
| June 5, 2026 | Birmingham, England | Birmingham Symphony Hall |
| June 6, 2026 | London, England | Eventim Apollo |
| June 10, 2026 | Bristol, England | Bristol Beacon |
| July 25, 2026 | Perth,Australia | Astor Theatre, Perth |
| July 29, 2026 | Sydney, Australia | State Theatre Sydney |
| July 30, 2026 | Melbourne, Australia | Palais Theatre |
| August 2, 2026 | Auckland,New Zealand | Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre |
Dropout's showVery Important People was the People's Voice Winner in the video comedy category at the 2024Webby Awards.[109][110]
And Culhane is a regular on Dropout, a comedy streaming service.
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