Daily Show, Colbert Go Full-Length on Hulu

Congrats to Colbert for being awarded the "Webby Person of the Year". He truly has a mass of supporters that give way for his witty but smart internet pranks.

The most notable being his attacks on Wikipedia. He created the term Wikiality, and defined it as the concept that "together we can create a reality that we all agree on — the reality we just agreed on." And then changing wikipedia content to bring out the vulnerabilities of the online encyclopedia.

He also came after Google, and it's page ranking system by becoming or trying to become the "Greatest Living American". Which in some way goes together with the word wikiality - or a close synonym to his other creation: Truthiness.

Some of his more recent works include his Facebook group - supporting his presidential campaign (78 users/minute for a few weeks) and the support of DonorsChoose.org charity (his supporters have raised more than 250,000)

Colbert has been very smart about building his brand on the Web. The question is how much more this kind of deal will help that. At what point does putting content on the Web take eyeballs away from the TV? And when that happens, what does it mean for cable subscription fee negotiations? It's one thing to build a brand on the Web, a whole other thing to dilute that brand through oversaturation. I don't think Colbert has reached that point quite yet, but it'll be interesting to see where the tipping point occurs.

I don't think it matters. He's building a huge brand that will work over all platforms. If ESPN improves its website does that mean you stop watching the TV show? I don't think so, they are different mediums.

The fact that he has been so aggressive, creative, and patently hilarious on the Web is good for all mankind. He really might be the "Greatest Living American."

Yeah, I agree with Scott. Colbert's Web presence -- whether he's selling Wriststrong bracelets or influencing Internet polls -- just contributes to his vast brand.

Strange though, how the Webbys demonstrate that you need to be known on other mediums, like broadcast, before you can really be a star on the Web (the primary Webby winners were people like Colbert, Michel Gondry, and will.i.am -- people who are known from TV, films, radio). Has it ever really successfully happened the other way around?

Interesting point... I remember a time when the Webbys went primarily to people who were famous for being famous on the Internet, not the other way around... Which prompts the question: Have the Webby Awards migrated towards Hollywood, or has Hollywood drifted to the Web? (Ok, so that's a bit rhetorical...)

As for the 'value' of the Colbert 'brand' -- Colbert himself is going to make out no matter what. The question I have is if cable companies are going to want to pay x dollars per subscriber to Comedy Central for content that the channel is essentially giving away for free on the Internet -- that's what I mean by diluting the value of the brand.  

If not, it'll be interesting to see if whatever incremental ad revenue they garner makes up for the decrease in subscription fees they negotiate with the cable networks.