Juste pour divertir

Juste pour divertir (JPD) is a Canadian entertainment company based in Quebec City, Quebec. It operates as a division of Groupe Juste pour rire and describes itself as an international leader in live entertainment, television and film. Originally founded in 1997 by Sylvain Parent-Bédard under the name QuébéComm, the company later became known as ComediHa! before adopting the Juste pour divertir name in 2024 following the acquisition of the Juste pour rire brand. Its mission is to bring together talent to create a world of entertainment through inspiring brands and content. The company produces and distributes a wide range of content, including comedy, music, dramatic fiction and variety shows. Its activities span live performance, television, digital platforms, artist management and international distribution. JPD's official website features shows such as "Elles," "Pour une autre histoire d'un soir," "Daraîche et filles," "Noël une tradition en chanson 2026" and "Adamo C'est ma vie... le temps de se dire au revoir." The company also operates a record label and an artist management division. JPD is headquartered in Quebec City with additional offices in Montreal and Hollywood. It employs around 90 permanent staff and over 3,000 temporary employees. The company has built a national and international reputation through original, bold and calculated-risk content, with television programs broadcast from Finland to Lebanon and shows touring worldwide. It also organizes the ComediHa! Fest-Québec, described as the largest French-language comedy festival and a global industry gathering. In recent years, JPD has expanded its reach through acquisitions and new platforms. It acquired the Les Boys franchise in 2020 and launched the ComediHa.TV streaming platform. In 2024, the group rebranded as Groupe Juste pour divertir/Just for Entertainment after acquiring the Juste pour rire brand. The company continues to pursue international growth, aiming to cross borders with Quebec cultural products much as Cirque du Soleil did for circus arts.

Juste pour divertir traces its origins to 1997, when Sylvain Parent-Bédard founded a communications company originally called QuébéComm. In its early years, the company focused on communications, but from 1999 it began organizing cultural activities and public relations. In 2000, it created and produced its first comedy festival, the Grand Rire Bleue. In 2002, the company expanded into producing live shows and humorous television content. It produced the show Paris-Québec for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City in 2008. In 2010, Parent-Bédard attended the MIDEM music industry gathering in Cannes, where he presented footage from the first pilot of LOL :-) and received offers from broadcasters in 30 different countries. In 2012, the company was involved in a Madonna concert that sold 72,000 tickets, and in 2013 it produced a Céline Dion concert recorded on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, which was seen in more than 25 countries. That same year, it sold two film and television adaptations of Cirque du Soleil shows, Toruk and Luzia. In 2014, the company began artist management and became a content creation agency active across multiple platforms. It participated in numerous global production and distribution events in Budapest, Singapore, Miami, Los Angeles and Mexico, and forged international strategic alliances, notably in South America and China. In 2015, the company unveiled the ComediHa! brand. In 2018, Quebecor became a minority shareholder. In 2019, marking its 20th anniversary, ComediHa! refined its mission with laughter at the center of its strategic actions, focusing on content rather than platform. In 2020, it acquired Les Boys, described as the largest film and television franchise in Canada, and launched the ComediHa.TV online streaming platform. It also created two "nomadic" production units to capture and broadcast comedy shows across Quebec. That same year, the City of Quebec and ComediHa! launched a virtual show, L'ABRI de Québec, to break the isolation of young people during the pandemic. In 2024, following the acquisition of the Juste pour rire brand, the group changed its name to Groupe Juste pour divertir/Just for Entertainment. The company continues to operate as a division of Groupe Juste pour rire, producing live shows, television, film and music content, and organizing the ComediHa! Fest-Québec.

• 2024

  Group renamed Groupe Juste pour divertir/Just for Entertainment after acquiring Juste pour rire brand.

• 2020

  Acquires Les Boys franchise; launches ComediHa.TV; creates L'ABRI de Québec virtual show.

• 2019

  20th anniversary; refines mission with laughter at the center.

• 2018

  Quebecor becomes a minority shareholder.

• 2015

  Unveils the ComediHa! brand.

• 2014

  Begins artist management and becomes a multi-platform content creation agency.

• 2013

  Produces Céline Dion concert on the Plains of Abraham, seen in over 25 countries; sells Cirque du Soleil adaptations.

• 2012

  Involved in Madonna concert selling 72,000 tickets.

• 2010

  Presents first pilot of LOL :-) at MIDEM, receives offers from 30 countries.

• 2008

  Produces the Paris-Québec show for Quebec City's 400th anniversary.

• 2002

  Starts producing live shows and humorous television content.

• 2000

  Creates and produces its first comedy festival, the Grand Rire Bleue.

• 1999

  Begins organizing cultural activities and public relations.

• 1997

  Founded by Sylvain Parent-Bédard as QuébéComm, a communications company.

International leader in live entertainment, television and film, with a mission to bring together talent and create a world of entertainment through inspiring brands and content.

• LOL :-)

  Television comedy program broadcast on TVA, recipient of international awards.

• Comédie sur mesure à Z

  Television program on ICI Radio-Canada Télé.

• Les galas ComediHa!

  Comedy galas broadcast on ICI Radio-Canada Télé.

• ComediHa! Fest-Québec

  Annual comedy festival described as the largest French-language comedy festival and global industry gathering.

• ComediHa.TV

  Online streaming platform launched in 2020 with exclusive content.

• Les Boys

  Film and television franchise acquired in 2020, described as the largest in Canada.

1. 1Accueil - JPDjustepourdivertir.com
2. 2Qui sommes-nous - JPDjustepourdivertir.com
3. 3Pour une autre histoire d’un soir – Joe Bocan, Marie Carmen et Marie Denise Pelletier en spectacle - JPDjustepourdivertir.com
4. 4Juste pour divertirfr.wikipedia.org
5. 5Wikidatawikidata.org