• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, November 11, 2009

It's tough to imagine a network launching a show, hoping the content is appealing, then looking for ad support months later. Not so for some programmers on the Internet.

Modest production costs can place less pressure on generating revenues from the get-go, allowing for a build-an-audience-and-advertisers-will-come gamble.

When the Fox Business Network (FBN) launched an online news/ commentary show in February, it did so without a sponsor.

"We wanted to make sure that we had something tangible to discuss [with advertisers] versus just an idea," said Jeremy Steinberg, head of sales for FBN and Fox News Channel's digital operations.

The strategy appears to have worked. FBN began weaving ads into its live online shows this quarter. Chase is on board as an advertiser for the lunchtime "FoxBusiness.com Live -- Noon Edition" -- an hour-long show with anchors and guest commentators, in line with the network's on-air product, although it does encourage viewer interaction.

In October, as Don Imus took over FBN's 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. slot, the network sought to stay in the business-news game and launched a "Morning Edition" of "FoxBusiness.com Live" that runs simultaneously. National Car Rental has signed on as the first advertiser there.

Unlike some Internet shows that rely solely on a pre-roll spot, the FBN shows are running TV-style ads within, albeit with shorter pods. Both Chase and National, as exclusive sponsors, receive four commercial breaks an hour, where they run a single spot.

Chase also runs a pre-roll that viewers must watch no matter when they tune in. National has "brought to you by" billboards at the top.

Inventory includes brand placement on the lower third of the screen, and some in-show integration in which logos can appear behind the hosts. Sponsorships are extended on-air, as the brands receive mentions during promotions for the online programs on FBN.

Both shows, which are fed via a high-def online player, use FBN on-air talent as the hosts.

National is also a sponsor of "Strategy Room," effectively a companion online network to Fox News Channel, that runs weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the FNC's Web site. That show launched last year when viewers' hunger for election coverage seemed insatiable. Its first advertiser, however, came this quarter.

"We know that the video market is growing, so the advertising dollars should be there, but this is really the beginning of it," Steinberg said.

The deals with National and Chase, which run through the end of the year, are part of a broader digital package; they are not bundled with on-air time. Steinberg declined to cite terms of the arrangement.

FBN says that its online morning show in particular is aimed at business executives on the go who can access it on mobile devices and via an iPhone application. (It is archived on Hulu for later viewing.) With FBN in some 50 million homes -- about 40% of TV homes -- the streaming could provide a taste of FBN-style programming.

"It does give people an opportunity to sample the programming if they can't get it," he added.

The FBN online shows want to spark viewer interaction via a running opportunity to post comments on the screen and send comments/potential questions to the hosts.