How Dropout Cracked Internet Comedy

Galaxy Brain

The Atlantic

Technology

4.5 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 May 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How do you build a streaming service from scratch? On this week’s “Galaxy Brain,” Charlie Warzel speaks with Sam Reich, the CEO of Dropout, a comedy streaming platform that’s found success eschewing the growth-at-all-costs model of the mega streamers. The two discuss the pre-YouTube days of online video and how Reich acquired Dropout, formerly known as the internet site CollegeHumor, for $0. They talk about how comedy has evolved online, how to build a cinematic universe of content, and whether Reich sees Dropout as a feeder for places like “Saturday Night Live.” Reich shares his philosophies on how to make things that people love and why he steers away from the venture-capital and big-media playbooks. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:48.7	I'm an open book.
0:50.9	Oh, very exciting.
0:52.1	I am a creased open, dusty Warren library book with too many
0:58.0	dog-eared pages. I'm Charlie Warzel, and this is Galaxy Brain, a show where today we're going to
1:08.9	talk about how to make things online that people actually enjoy.
1:12.9	We are living through an era of pretty remarkable media consolidation. The streaming wars started
1:18.5	out scrappy and they have landed in this place where we now have this constellation of
1:23.9	increasingly expensive apps and media catalogs. It's kind of an on-demand reconstruction of the old-school cable package,
1:30.1	but for arguably more money.
1:32.1	The streamers themselves, they've become pretty hard to root for.
1:35.6	Gone to the days of password sharing,
	...

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