Anheuser Busch Sets Up Bud.TV For Internet Reach

Anheuser Busch (BUD) is making a $30 million bet on the Internet. It starts Monday with the debut of Bud.TV, a 24/7 online entertainment network.

Bud.TV will offer original comedy skits, performers and writers from “Saturday Night Live” appearing in original series, and short movies. Visitors will be encouraged to send in some of their own video, too.

The New York Times’ Sunday magazine has a lengthy article about it, available online now.

“The site won’t be cluttered with banner ads. Anheuser-Busch executives are banking on a more subtle connection,” explains the writer, Lorne Manly. “Attach a brand name to something cool, something entertaining, and that elusive young man (and to a lesser extent, young woman) may check out Bud.TV’s offerings again and again, send them along to friends, even take a stab at creating his own minifilm for the site.”

Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing at Anheuser Busch, said he had to take the risk of Bud.TV. “If we don’t start playing in this digital game now,” he said, “we’re going to be playing catch-up for a long time. And this is an industry that can’t afford catch-up.”