In the race to become a major supplier of original video programming to the Web, Warner Brothers is to invest upfront in a slate of mad for web programmes. It plans to introduce 24 Web productions in a range of formats including minimovies, games and episodic television shows and has discarded its initial strategy of insisting that advertisers shoulder production costs from the start.

“In trying to get the business off the ground,” said Craig Hunegs, executive vice president for business development, “we ended up in a bit of a dance with advertisers about what various projects would look like.”

Meanwhile, Warner Bros has stepped up its bid to become a major digital destination with the launch of T-Works – short for Toon works – which features the group's stable of animated characters. The ad-supported site allows users to create virtual world avatars based on cartoon characters, and customise their identities on social networking sites.

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