Seeso, a new comedy channel, pledges more, better laughs

NEW YORK (AP) — Evan Shapiro thinks you deserve to laugh more. Wherever you are. With hot- and cold-streaming comedy from any screen in reach.

He thinks Seeso, his new streaming comedy channel, will do the trick.

"We want to give you more and better laughter," he says, adding that when you log on to Seeso, a dose of comedy content is served to you with barely a moment's delay, "because we also want you laughing FASTER."

Shapiro is a former president of IFC and Sundance channels and was an executive producer of such laugh generators as "The Onion News Network," ''The Whitest Kids U'Know" and "Portlandia."

A year ago he became executive vice president of NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, and, jumping onto the OTT (over-the-top) video bandwagon, "We're launching this brand-new product, direct to the consumer, with 2,500 hours of content, 20 original series and a brand-new platform built from scratch. And we are doing it organically, from within, as opposed to making an acquisition."

The ad-free Seeso, which officially launches Thursday, will be available by subscription for $3.99 per month. But if you're seeking laughs before then, a beta version is available for sampling.