HBO Teams Up With Funny or Die

HBO acquired a small equity stake in Will Ferrell’s 2-year old web video venture and commissioned 10 half-hours of programming, likely teaming on various future projects such as a Funny or Die-branded programming block on and HBO channel, similar to what Comedy Central is doing with newly launched Viacom co-venture Atom.com. Whether the segments will be stand alone projects or more series based installments remains to be worked out, although Ferrell told Daily Variety that they are considering a “more-traditional-type sitcom” among other ideas.

HBO’s interest in a web brand is another great step towards breaking the wall between web and traditional TV content. According to Dick Glover, CEO of FunnyOrDie.com

, the collaboration will bring together the web portal’s “brand and voice, and access to a lot of new and unusual talent in comedy” with HBO’s “premium TV channel and brand, great distribution and production resources.”