• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, August 31, 2007

The demise of bud.tv hasn't stopped other media companies from building broadband sites devoted to branded entertainment. The USA Network in August announced the launch of Didja.com, which will feature new and vintage TV ads, movie trailers and other branded content.

Scheduled to debut early next year, the site will rely heavily on the resources of USA parent company NBC Universal and its various assets, including Universal Studios and cable networks such as the Sci Fi Channel, Bravo, CNBC and MSNBC. Advertisers will be able to upload content to Didja.com through a turnkey interface.

Then there's Honeyshed, a branded entertainment venture described as "MTV meets QVC" undertaken by Publicis, Digitas and creative shop Droga5. Rather than aggregating traditional TV spots, Honeyshed plans to develop sponsored original programming aimed at the 18- to 35-year-old demographic. Announced with much fanfare back in May, the project has generated little buzz since.

Droga5 CEO Andrew Essex is tight-lipped about when Honeyshed will launch but says to expect news soon. Assuming they go live, Didja and Honeyshed are counting on an array of sponsors and content offerings to draw viewers — in contrast to a single-sponsor effort such as bud.tv. At the same time, these sites serve as hubs for branded content that might otherwise get lost on YouTube.

Of course, few go to the Web specifically looking for branded content. YouTube acts as a vast filter, surfacing TV spots or comedy sketches that have proven popular with its huge audience. With that in mind, its hard to imagine these new branded initiatives being much more successful than bud.tv.