[jordanlev]

But if nobody finds out about the special and he doesn't make money, wouldn't that also mean people don't know about the failure?

[AgentConundrum]

No, because we're talking about two different groups.

Just because the general public doesn't know of the special, and therefore doesn't know of it's failure, other entertainers will. It's their job - the business side of their job - to keep up to date with these sorts of things.