Sonia Zjawinski
Culture

Bud.tv Goes Bust

Budweiser’s online television initiative Bud.tv is nearing cancellation. Paidcontent reports that in a conference call CEO Busch said content from Bud.TV would be used on other Anheuser-Busch branded websites, leaving several analysts listening in to conclude that the reported $30 million to $40 million site would power down. Busch reportedly admitted, “I can’t even figure […]

Budweiser's online television initiative Bud.tv is nearing cancellation. Paidcontent reports that in a conference call CEO Busch said content from Bud.TV would be used on other Anheuser-Busch branded websites, leaving several analysts listening in to conclude that the reported $30 million to $40 million site would power down.

Busch reportedly admitted, "I can’t even figure out how to get into the website.” The site requires viewers to pass a comprehensive age verification system to limit liability.

According to AdAge

A-B executives said before the site's February launch that they hoped to draw 2 million to 3 million unique monthly visitors to the site -- considered the first marketer-created, multichannel online television network -- within a year.

But after the site drew 253,000 and 152,000 unique visitors in February and March, respectively, A-B lowered its sights to a new goal of 500,000 unique monthly visitors by next February.

But even that number looked too ambitious after the site's viewership fell so far in April that it didn't even register on Comscore Media Metrix's survey. (A ComScore spokesman said that it was "fair" to assume that the audience had fallen below 100,000 unique visitors for the month.)

[via PSFK]