Netflix is betting on Druski after he took a gamble of his own

Drew Desbordes, known as Druski, paid to make Collect & Praise before Netflix acquired the semi-scripted comedy, Deadline reports. The streamer’s December 1 premiere will follow a bet the comedian had already made with his own money.

On screen he is a megachurch pastor hungry for money, and Mike Epps plays the deacon. Variety says the character first caught on in a sketch online and again at the BET Awards.

Variety reports that he built his audience by financing material himself and distributing it independently. It describes the Netflix deal as his first major partnership within the Hollywood studio system. Netflix will also license selected older work: Coulda Been Love and Coulda Been Daddy, along with Coulda Been Records Auditions and skits. Variety reports more than a billion combined YouTube views for those series.

The multi-year agreement brings Netflix together with Druski and his 4Lifers Entertainment company to develop and produce original series. Deadline understands that it covers a set of projects, with a different structure from an overall or first-look arrangement.

The comedian has also described earlier rejections from Netflix, according to Deadline’s account of his appearance on The Diary of a CEO. The report does not establish whether any of those pitches became Collect & Praise.

In a statement carried by Variety, Druski said the partnership would give his team resources to build on its comedy and reach a new global audience.