Vimeo follows Netflix, orders up original content based on a viral comedy series

Vimeo has commissioned a new season of High Maintenance, an independently made viral Web series that first debuted last year.

Following in the footsteps of Netflix, Amazon, Google, and Yahoo, Vimeo’s High Maintenance reboot will air exclusively on its own site. The first season of High Maintenance originally appeared on Vimeo, but was not funded by the video streaming site. Vimeo did not share how much it has invested in the second season of the series, Variety reports.

While nowhere near the popularity of cult comedies like Netflix’s Arrested Development revival, High Maintenance certainly made an impression last year. The Web series follows a remarkably calm and collected drug dealer on the job in New York. While the individual stories are enjoyable, the show weaves them together brilliantly as the series progresses.

Vimeo has tested the waters of original content for well over a year. In March 2013, the company launched a paywall dubbed “Vimeo On Demand.” Then, Vimeo landed its first feature film. And earlier this year, Vimeo promised $10 million to film makers who distribute content behind its paywall.

Vimeo is likely not top of mind among cord-cutters — arguably, the video streaming site is far behind its competition on this front. Yet, this deal is a promising step in an interesting direction.