At the New York Comedy Festival , four leading industry figures gathered for a Business of Comedy Panel moderated by Variety TV reporter Ethan Shanfeld.

Comedian Jeff Ross , festival founder Caroline Hirsch, talent executive Louis Faranda and “Emily in Paris” producer Lilly Burns discussed the most pressing issues facing the funny business, from the decline of traditional Hollywood gatekeepers to the debate surrounding the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia.

Read edited transcripts from the panel below.

What is the Best Distributor for Comedy?

Ross: The Tom Brady roast got 2.5 billion viewing minutes, and it was the highest-rated special Netflix has ever done. YouTube is doing that every day, but you have to work the algorithm. To me, Netflix has a good grasp on comedy, the

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