Aziz Ansari To Do Netflix Exclusive

Aziz Ansari fans who are also Netflix subscribers will be getting a cool perk this November, when the popular comic’s newest stand-up show hits the streaming service exclusively.

Netflix’s Aziz Ansari deal seems to indicate the service is delving deeper into subscriber-only content, but also marks another important victory in its continued mainstream acceptance.

While a popular act like Ansari could take his show to HBO or another cable network, Netflix scored a big win in inking the deal for the content — which is likely to garner significant interest among fans.

Currently, Ansari’s 2009 special Aziz Ansari: Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening and his 2012 show Aziz Ansari: Dangerously Delicious are available on Netflix, but neither debuted on the streaming service.

Aziz credits Netflix with strongly building his base of fans, saying that his base will “always mention that they watched it on Netflix” when they reference previous stand-up material.

The New York Times profiled Aziz Ansari recently, and he had more praises to sing for the exposure he’s gained through Netflix streaming — the paper adds:

“Mr. Ansari said he was amused when a fan asked him on Twitter: ‘When are you going to put out another stand-up special on Netflix? I need more free stand-up.’ Netflix, of course, costs $8 a month. ‘It’s so convenient, you don’t even think about the fact that you’re paying for it,’ Mr. Ansari said.’ ”

Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer for Netflix, said comedy fans can expect more to come from their subscriptions, telling the Times:

“We’ve been working to make Netflix a great home for comedians to do their best work and to support their live performance careers, and having Aziz debut his new show with us is a validation of that strategy.”

Aziz Ansari’s “Buried Alive” will premiere on Netflix November 1, and fans of the comic who don’t subscribe can download it for $5 after the streaming debut.