O'Neal Branches Out With "Comedy Shaq Network" Original Content YouTube Channel

Former NBAer Shaquille O'Neal's original content YouTube comedy channel "is the centerpiece of a growing online network that also will offer original series targeting the 18- to 34-year-old males who will drop by Comedy Shaq for laughs," according to Dawn Chmielewski of the L.A. TIMES. The Comedy Shaq Network has "enlisted veteran writers Michael Anthony Snowden ('White Chicks,' 'In Living Color') and Rodney Barnes ('Boondocks,' 'Everybody Hates Chris') to develop original programs featuring popular talent from film, live comedy and television." Noted comedians Kevin Hart, Gary Owen and Katt Williams "already have had stand-up segments featured on the channel." O'Neal said, “We all know where the world’s going. People are always on their phones, on their laptops, on their iPads. When YouTube made the announcement (last fall) that they wanted to do original channels, I thought it would be good to do a Shaq comedy channel.” O’Neal’s business partner, Codeblack Entertainment CEO Jeff Clanagan, said that Comedy Shaq "is the outgrowth of an entertainment strategy that began three years ago with Shaq’s All-Star Comedy Jam tour." Chmielewski notes film of the first live All-Star Comedy Jam show "was licensed as a Showtime comedy special and later sold 350,000 DVDs" (L.A. TIMES, 10/9).