Just hours after announcing that Ben Silverman will not continue his role at NBC, IAC put out a release providing more info on the project he, Barry Diller and (just announced) College Humor cofounder Ricky Van Veen (pictured) will head up. Notion, as it has been named, is a a “video content company born out of [IAC’s] entertainment property CollegeHumor.com.”
Apparently IAC has a $2 billion treasure chest to play with and, will try to harness the success of the CollegeHumor style (low budget production with unnamed talent geared at dudes) to make a go at TV.
And what better time to stab at the flailing entertainment industry then at the very moment when it can’t afford smart competition?
“The new endeavor was conceived as an extension of CollegeHumor.com’s industry-leading content sensibility and production capabilities. By building on top of that base, Notional hopes to bring the DNA of an internet company to an international production company. But unlike CollegeHumor’s young male-focused audience, Notional’s content will appeal to a much broader base. ‘We’re trying to take what we’ve mastered online — the ability to create attention-getting pieces of content at a low price — to other people and platforms,’said Van Veen.
“Notional also aims to use its online expertise to develop programming that bridges the TV and online worlds, as opposed to simply repurposing TV content for the web. The company will also build upon and amplify CollegeHumor’s recent successful foray into creating content for brands.”
There’s no word yet on how Silverman’s knack for product placement will come into play. But CollegeHumor’s content is packed with sponsorships, ie Nestea, maybe the most unlikely partner. Dudes and iced tea don’t normally go together: unless you call the stuff ‘liquid awesomeness’. Yeah, they went there.
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More: “NBC’s Silverman to Head ‘Warner Bros. Meets BBDO’ Co.”