Fierce 15 Online Video Movers and Shakers: Funny or Die
Funny or Die Productions
Founded: April 2007
Location: Hollywood & Palo Alto, Calif.
Investors: Sequoia Cap, HBO
Founded by comedian Will Ferrell and director Adam McCay with less than $20,000 from Sequoia, Funny or Die exploded in popularity after a video portraying McCay's young daughter as a drunk, profane landlord attempting to shake Ferrell down for back rent. "The Landlord" is the second most popular online video ever and has been viewed over 60 million times, according to Nielsen Online research. Funny or Die's initial success translated into a $15 million infusion from Sequoia that has allowed the site to expand and hire new talent.
Other comedy sites, such as "This Just In" or DotComedy, fail to attract a regular audience that could lure advertisers to buy over the online videos. Now that ad dollars are migrating there, Funny or Die is getting increased support from mainstream content provider; the site boasts partnerships with CW, Sony Entertainment and ABC. HBO has signed a deal with Funny or Die that will see the company produce 10 hours of original programming that will likely be shown on HBO and streamed.
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