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 te

aming 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.”