Yesterday, IAC announced that NBC Universal co-chair Ben Silverman was leaving the network to launch a new venture for Barry Diller's media company.

Silverman's two-year stint at NBCU has been fraught with speculation of his inevitable exit thanks to expensive flops like "My Own Worst Enemy" and "Knight Rider." But Silverman is also responsible for bringing NBC's biggest hits, "The Office" and "The Biggest Loser," which were also produced by Silverman's former company Reveille, to the network.

Although no one was surprised that Silverman was leaving NBC, his sudden departure and the mysterious new venture have been somewhat of a shock. Last week, he participated in Fortune's technology conference and spoke to Poppy Harlow about his network's plans for "America's Got Talent" and Jay Leno's move to primetime (video above). Silverman would presumably want to see the launch of Leno's new program, but his two-year contract with NBC expired this summer.

So what will he be doing next at IAC?

According to an IAC press release, Silverman's unnamed new company "will unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world."

Silverman told The New York Times the firm would be "Warner Bros. Meets BBDO." So can we expect more brand integration into prime time shows, like the Soy Joy ad on "30 Rock"?

Meanwhile, it looks like IAC is trying to lead the pack with new innovative ideas and new ventures. Last week, more detail emerged about an new multimedia company that will be a spin-off of IAC-owned CollegeHumor, called Notional. Rumors are swirling that Silverman's new role at IAC may somehow be connected to Notional, but that remains to be seen.

Earlier: Silverman Leaves NBC For IAC, Gapsin Promoted To Chair

Related: That Unnamed IAC/Barry Diller/Ben Silverman Project (AgencySpy)