Carolines Entertainment has tapped Horizon Sports & Experiences as its agency of record to develop sponsorship, brand activation, experiential and hospitality strategies to engage audiences across a variety of platforms on behalf of the 2023 New York Comedy Festival. HS&E, part of Horizon Media, will provide sponsors its full suite of data and analytics services and solutions.
The 19th annual festival is slated to return in November.
In an era when a writers strike has advertisers wringing their hands about how to align their brand messages with new comedy content, the festival, which started in 2004, may provide an alternative, says Neal Gluckman, HS&E’s senior vice president and head of sales, in an interview. “Brands still need to be out there,” he says, and the festival attracts a young, engaged base and also generates a lot of social-media content as comedians, venues and fans share their expereinces.
“There is a gurantee of expssure in the nation’s largest market in the fall, leading into the holidays,” he says.
The New York Comedy Festival features more than 200 comedians performing in more than 100 shows at venues throughout all five boroughs of New York City, including the Apollo Theater, the Beacon Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Theater at MSG, and Town Hall, among other locations. Tickets for the 2023 New York Comedy Festival will go on sale later this summer.
“Since its inception, the New York Comedy Festival has a long history of featuring the very best comedy talent that resonates and attracts fans, as well as stands out and delivers for our sponsors,” said Caroline Hirsch, CEO of Carolines Entertainment, Inc.,., in a statement. “As we prepare for another highly anticipated festival, we look forward to working with the talented team at HS&E as a true strategic partner to support our sponsorship efforts. Their creative and strong-data-driven approach to this work will further enhance efforts to evolve our business and attract industry leading sponsors looking to connect with passionate consumers.”
HS&E is led by founders and co-CEOs David Levy and Chris Weil. Since launching in the fall of 2022, the agency’s client portfolio has expanded to include the NBA, Top Rank Boxing, Learfield, PayPal, Mohegan Sun, M&T Bank, and ONE Championship, among others. Earlier this spring, HS&E created and produced the Pickleball Slam, a first-of-its-kind tournament televised on ESPN, featuring tennis legends John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Michael Chang competing for a $1 million dollar purse at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL.
