The beer companies have never been big direct marketers, but signs are surfacing that Anheuser-Busch may view the internet as its big opportunity to get one-to-one with its audience. As tv commercials become easier to avoid and audiences become more fragmented, more of advertisers’ money is going into web-based advertising ventures where return on investment is easier to measure and control.

MediaPost: King Of Beers Becomes King Of Content, Uses Super Bowl To Launch Direct-To-Consumer Channel  by Joe Mandese

In a move that’s sure to cause a stir at ABC, as well as the other major networks, long-time Super Bowl advertiser Anheuser-Busch will use its buy in ABC’s coverage of the game on Sunday to launch its own direct-to-consumer network. Details of the strategy are still under wraps, but the new channel, code-named "The Bud Screen," will debut sometime during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XL, offering viewers the opportunity to download advertising, programming and branded entertainment content directly to their computers, iPods and other devices.

Quite a few major advertisers are now creating or distributing entertainment directly to their audiences, and we can expect some to get burned and some to get very, very good at it.