Craft beer company BrewDog is launching a video-on-demand subscription service screening a mix of original content and acquired shows, available in the U.S. and throughout Europe.
The BrewDog Network launched Monday both online and via an app. It costs $4.99 a month and will include 14 original series such as comedy game show "Are You Smarter Than A Drunk Person" and drinks culture program "Four Sheets." It has hired Christopher Burke, co-founder of Emmy award-winning production company Redtail Media, as general manager.
The network will also bring back "The BrewDog Show," a travel series with founders James Watt and Martin Dickie, replacing "Brew Dogs," a program that ran on the now-defunct Esquire Network that was operated by NBC Universal. Meanwhile, "Business Punks" will feature Watt interviewing company founders.
Acquired series include "Brown Bag Wine Tasting" where actor William Shatner interviews stars over a bottle of wine disguised by a paper bag, and Australian food and travel show "Surfing the Menu."
The company is already comparing itself to the streaming giants. "Just as Netflix has pioneered mainstream streaming services, The BrewDog Network will be the first globally-recognized, passion-focused platform. We believe craft beer can be the inspiration for the most popular content on the internet," said Watt in an online statement.
Businesses use video and other content to directly push their products or simply get them interested in a category, in the hope they will eventually become customers. Red Bull, for example, has its own production company, the Red Bull Media House, while fashion site Net-A-Porter has an online and hard-copy magazine Porter.
The brewer, known for its stunt marketing, won the right to name one of its beers "Elvis Juice" in a battle with the late singer's estate and caused uproar when it launched a "Pink IPA" beer on International Women's Day in March.
BrewDog was founded in Scotland in 2007 and opened a U.S. brewery in Columbus, Ohio, in 2017. Craft beer is big business in the U.S., with around a fifth of the $107 billion brewing market being made up of independents in 2016, according to the Brewers Association.
Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC and CNBC.