800 Pound Gorilla Media
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mass media, Entertainment |
| Founded | 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Founder | Ryan Bitzer, Damion Greiman |
| Headquarters | Nashville , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Ryan Bitzer, Damion Greiman |
| Products | Stand-up comedy albums and televised specials distribution |
| Website | www |
800 Pound Gorilla Media is an independent American mass media enterprise that focuses on the distribution of stand-up comedy albums and televised specials. Established in 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee by Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman, the company manages a roster exceeding 300 comedians, including notable names such as Chad Daniels, George Lopez, Whitney Cummings, Jim Jefferies, Kyle Kinane, Greg Warren, Michelle Wolf, Eddie Pepitone, Rory Scovel, and Kurt Braunohler.
History
The inception of 800 Pound Gorilla was driven by comedy managers Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman, alongside Ian Adkins and Anthony Leo, with the goal of integrating contemporary consumer targeting, digital marketing, and audience engagement techniques into the stand-up comedy sector. The main label issues new comedy album releases, while its Clown Jewels division highlights classic performances. Additionally, the firm offers distribution and promotional services for entities like Kevin Hart's LOL Network and Bill Burr's All Things Comedy, among various collaborations.
In 2019, the company introduced a children’s music branch named 8 Pound Gorilla, which features artists such as the Imagination Movers, Genevieve Goings, Frances England, and SaulPaul. That same year, it joined forces with Robert Kelly and The Syndicate to establish The Laugh Network, which includes The Laugh Button Podcast Network and The Laugh Button Records; their inaugural release was Mike Feeney's album ‘Rage Against the Routine’.
February 2019 marked 800 Pound Gorilla’s co-founding of Spoken Giants alongside former Broadcast Music executive Jim King. Spoken Giants operates as a multi-rights collective assisting spoken word creators in royalty collection and represents members like Patton Oswalt, Jeff Foxworthy, Lewis Black, Dan Cummins, Gerry Dee, Pete Holmes, Kyle Kinane, Kathleen Madigan, the Ralphie May Estate, among others.
Notable releases
- George Lopez – The Wall: Live in Washington D.C.
- Jim Jefferies – Freedumb
- Chad Daniels – Dad Chaniels, Twelfth Night
- Demetri Martin – Live at the Time
- Iliza Shlesinger – Confirmed Kills
- Jo Koy – Live from Seattle
- Michelle Wolf – Nice Lady
- Marc Maron – Too Real
- Pete Holmes – Dirty Clean
- Kyle Kinane – Trampoline in a Ditch, Shocks And Struts
- Stephen Lynch – My Old Heart
- Eddie Pepitone – For the Masses
- Fern Brady – Power & Chaos
- Kurt Braunohler – Perfectly Stupid
- Rory Scovel – Live Without Fear
- Sasheer Zamata – The First Woman
- Brian Posehn – Posehna Non Grata
- Greg Warren – Where the Field Corn Grows