• The New York Times, Monday, August 9, 2010 1:31 PM

While hit webisodes haven't quite been flooding the digital ether, the genre is far from dead, reports The New York Times. "After a protracted drought, money is trickling back into the professional Web video industry," the paper reports. "So-called branded entertainment deals ... are becoming more common, helping to nourish new programming. And venture capital firms are also paying new attention to the industry."

Ikea, for one, has supported "Easy to Assemble," a show about a Hollywood actress who goes blue-collar, as its sole sponsor. Meanwhile, My Damn Channel, which distributes "Easy to Assemble," announced a $4.4 million in new financing Monday. Blip.tv and Machinima have also successfully raised additional capital this year. "What makes the current round of interest more compelling is the realization in the industry that Web video will not supplant television viewing anytime soon, just complement it," adds The Times. "That partly explains why the companies have stopped labeling themselves 'TV on the Internet.'"

Read the whole story at The New York Times »