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Iconic comedy troupe coming to the Web

The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy group that helped Will Ferrell, Pat Morita and Lisa Kudrow become stars, will produce 50 comedy clips for the Web.

Greg Sandoval Former Staff writer
Greg Sandoval covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News. Based in New York, Sandoval is a former reporter for The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. E-mail Greg, or follow him on Twitter at @sandoCNET.
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Greg Sandoval

To the list of comedians trying to cash in on the Web, add The Groundlings, the revered Los Angeles improvisational comedy troupe.

The group, which helped launch the careers of Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman, and Lisa Kudrow, announced Wednesday that it has agreed to produce 50 Webisodes over a year. The clips, which will be distributed by Sony Pictures Television, will appear on the Internet as well as mobile phones.

Financial details were not disclosed.

Comedy clips have proven a good fit for the Internet. Sites like CollegeHumor and Funny or Die have attracted plenty of attention from fans and investors.

Funny or Die, co-founded by Ferrell and backed by venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, made a splash last year after the comedian released a clip called "The Landlord." The video became an Internet super hit and was viewed more than 55 million times.