NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cable network owner Turner Broadcasting System on Monday said it plans to launch a broadband comedy network in January as parent company Time Warner Inc. bulks up its Internet businesses.
The company that helped popularize cable television with CNN and TNT cable networks will launch Super Deluxe, an advertising-supported Internet site that features originally-produced comedy videos aimed at young adult viewers.
The move comes as big media companies race to profit from a surge in online video viewership by making many of their television shows available for free or a small charge per episode.
Web video growth has been dominated by the viewing of quirky, viewer-created clips and pirated segments of copyrighted programs on sites such as YouTube Inc. Google agreed to purchase YouTube for $1.65 billion earlier in October.
Turner said it aims to create and distribute "television quality" short-form films and episodic shows featuring established and emerging actors.
Super Deluxe shows will also be available on cable TV video-on-demand services.
CBS Corp. also distributes originally produced video programs on the Internet.
Reuters, via Yahoo News