Comedian and former host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah is bringing a new type of show to the gaming world. In a new deal with the online video game Fortnite, owned by Epic Games, Noah’s production company Day Zero Productions created a comedy special named JokeNite, featuring “bite sized sets” from Matthew Broussard, Marcia Belsky, Preacher Lawson and Scott Seiss. Noah himself is not included in the lineup, though. He is credited as the show’s producer.
The deal, which brings together gaming and stand-up comedy, is a new step for both Fortnite and Noah’s production company. Fortnite has previously hosted concerts featuring musical artists like Travis Scott, Eminem and Ariana Grande. In JokeNite, players will be transported to an island and they’ll get to vote as an audience for who they would like to see perform.
“With JokeNite Royale, we’re blending two things my mom never wanted me to get into, comedy and gaming,” Noah said in a statement. “I’m excited to step into this uncharted territory, breaking down traditional barriers and offering a fresh, dynamic way for fans to experience comedy.”
Day Zero Productions is backed by Viacom. The two companies announced a partnership in 2018 and said one of the first productions they would work on would be a live adaptation of Noah’s memoir, Born a Crime, about his childhood growing up during Apartheid in South Africa. Day Zero has also worked on shows for NBCUniversal’s MSNBC and Peacock, as well as Noah’s most recent Netflix stand-up special, I Wish You Would.
Though Noah worked behind the scenes of JokeNite, he’s made other deals recently where he is front and center. In November of last year, he launched his podcast What Now? with Trevor Noah on Spotify. The show is nonexclusive to the platform, reflecting a shifting strategy Spotify has been experimenting with some of its most popular podcast creators recently.
Epic Games, the parent company of Fortnite, announced a $1.5 billion investment from The Walt Disney Company this week, as the media giant plans to build out its gaming and entertainment universe made from Disney’s intellectual property.
