Nateland Promotes Adrian Kulp To EVP, Sets Fall/Winter Comedy Slate

Primary Journalistic Dispatch & Direct Reporting

EXCLUSIVE: Nate Bargatze's Nateland has promoted Adrian Kulp to EVP of Digital, Production, Content + Special Live Events.

With Nateland for a little under two and a half years, Kulp was previously SVP of Digital + Production. As EVP, he will continue to spearhead Nateland's incubator, or farm system, for the elevation of the next generation of clean-comedy talent.

In a statement to Deadline, Kulp underscored that Nateland's farm system for comics has become "a big part of how we think about the future."

In-Depth Developments & Factual Context

He explained, "We want talented people to have multiple ways into Nateland and multiple opportunities once they're here - whether that's Nateland Live , The Showcase , a half-hour or hour special, a podcast or eventually an original series. As we build relationships with more comedians, writers and creators, the opportunity is to create a real home for clean comedy where talent can develop, audiences can discover them and we can build new things together."

You can read more about each core facet of the Nateland universe's talent pipeline below.

In his new role at Nateland, Kulp will also continue to expand Nateland's library of specials, series, live recordings and original IP, original digital series and repeatable comedy formats. He will work to expand the company's relationships with clean-comedy writers, creators, hosts and emerging talent, in the stand-up world and beyond, while growing its slate of podcasts.

Industry Impact & Strategic Analysis

The next stage of the expansion has already been conceived, with a slate of comedy specials releasing on the Nateland YouTube Channel through end of year that we can announce exclusively. This includes a half-hour from Mike Goodwin (premiering today), half-hours from Brad Upton (October 9) and Alex Velluto (October TBD), another half-hour from John Heffron (November TBD), and a full hour from Graham Kay (December TBD).

New Nateland EVP Kulp has worked for nearly three decades across comedy, television, publishing and digital entertainment. He began his career booking comedy for CBS' The Late Late Show before moving into development with Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions and Chelsea Handler's Borderline Amazing Productions. Subsequently, he founded a comedy-driven fatherhood brand, produced A&E's Modern Dads , and authored six parenting books that have sold more than a million copies worldwide. After relocating to Nashville, he expanded into live radio, streaming and podcasts, executive producing projects with Cumulus Media and Apple Music.

Since joining Nateland in 2024, Kulp has helped expand the company from its flagship podcast into a growing multi-platform comedy and entertainment ecosystem. He oversees digital and production initiatives spanning the Nateland Podcast Network, Nateland Live , Nateland Presents: The Showcase , half-hour and hour-long stand-up specials and premium-platform projects, while building an interconnected pipeline that moves comedy talent across live performance, podcasts, digital programming, specials and larger development opportunities.

Forward Outlook & Market Perspective

Speaking to Kulp's promotion, Bargatze said, "Adrian has been a huge part of building Nateland into what it is today. We've proven what we can do. Now, we're being even more intentional about how we grow and level up for what comes next."

While continuing to scale his family-friendly production banner Nateland Entertainment, Bargatze recently announced plans to expand in another direction simultaneously with the launch of No Pictures, a label producing film and television that will delve into edgier genres and stories more suited for older audiences. We were first to the story.

LIVE EVENTS, FORMATS + SPECIALS Nateland Live - Weekly Nashville Residency Show Since 2024, Nateland has hosted Nateland Live , a Monday night residency show at The Lab at Zanies Comedy Club in Nashville; a 90-minute live event that features clean comics from across the country.

Nateland Presents: The Showcase A stand-up comedy series; currently premiering Season 5 with comedian Collin Chamberlin (Thursday, 9/17), with Season 6 filming in Spring 2027. Current library includes sets from 75+ rising and veteran comedians.

Nateland Presents: Half-Hour Specials An ongoing series of 1/2 hour specials filmed at the historic Woolworth Theatre in Nashville beginning this week with the premiere of Nateland Presents: Mike Goodwin (9/18).

Bio: Mike is a stand-up comedian, speaker, and leader native to Camden, South Carolina who holds a master's degree in Education from the University of South Carolina. He's a veteran of the U.S. Army, as well as a former primary and secondary education professional who infuses his varied life experiences into his act, making him relatable to audiences from all walks of life. He's appeared on America's Got Talent , Dry Bar Comedy , Lifetime, BET, Amazon Prime, TBN, Daystar, USA, the Word Network and Circle TV, and been featured on SiriusXM, the That Sounds Fun Podcast Tour with Annie F. Downs and USO Europe Comedy Tour.

Reporting synthesized and verified under Nexvoro.tech editorial guidelines. Full primary records referenced via Deadline Hollywood.