BuddyTV
Encyclopedia
BuddyTV is an entertainment
-based website
based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television
programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity
and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and user forums.
with a Master of Business Administration
, a master's degree
in business administration. They sold their previous company, NetConversions, to aQuantive
in 2004. While on a holiday, they realized that television is a "very passive or non-social experience", and wanted to "express ourselves at the time of the show". The website is also designed to allow real-time commentary for sports, allowing former players and fans to broadcast their opinions on basketball and baseball games. Niu felt that other Internet companies which were offering online sportscasting tools did not effectively combines audio broadcasts with online comments and forums.
In May 2007, BuddyTV received a loan of $250,000 from the Charles River Quick Start Seed Funding Program, at which time it was attracting 2 million unique visitors per month. In a first round financing, Gemstar-TV Guide International
invested $2.8 million into the website. In September 2007, paidContent reported that BuddyTV was being acquired by Comcast
, at which time is was receiving 3 million unique visitors per month and had hired 20 employees. However, the reports were later confirmed to be untrue. In April 2008, BuddyTV raised $6 million in a second round, with investments mainly coming from Madrona Venture Group. The two rounds saw a total raise of $9 million. Funding was expected to go towards investing in new personnel and technology.
BuddyTV has been compared to the television commentary site Television Without Pity. Television Without Pity's co-editor Sarah Bunting said that the website's focus is on in-depth and humorous recaps that appear three or four days after the episodes air. BuddyTV is designed, however, to provide immediate feedback. Liu said that many television networks were interested in partnering with BuddyTV to build online communities around their shows.
BuddyTV makes money through online advertising and by offering advanced publishing tools to commentators. The website has a partnership with Windows Media Center
, allowing viewers to turn on BuddyTV commentary on their televisions during shows. In 2007, online survey hosting company QuestionPro and Buddy TV created a new way for advertisers to learn about the viewers of television series which featured their ads. BuddyTV uses custom online surveys from QuestionPro to gather information and opinion from the community of fans. BuddyTV's analysts compile the results and produce a report within days for the advertiser.
In June 2010, BuddyTV was named in the Lead411's Hottest Seattle Companies list.
The website contains information about 410 television series, and provides content to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
. Co-founder Liu describes it as the "largest independent TV fan site". In March and April 2007, BuddyTV was the seventh most visited website in the Seattle startup index.
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
-based website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and user forums.
History
BuddyTV was co-founded in 2005 by Andy Liu and David Niu. The pair graduated from the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
with a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in business administration. They sold their previous company, NetConversions, to aQuantive
AQuantive
aQuantive, Inc. was the parent company of a group of three digital marketing service and technology companies: Avenue A/Razorfish, Atlas Solutions, and DRIVE Performance Solutions....
in 2004. While on a holiday, they realized that television is a "very passive or non-social experience", and wanted to "express ourselves at the time of the show". The website is also designed to allow real-time commentary for sports, allowing former players and fans to broadcast their opinions on basketball and baseball games. Niu felt that other Internet companies which were offering online sportscasting tools did not effectively combines audio broadcasts with online comments and forums.
In May 2007, BuddyTV received a loan of $250,000 from the Charles River Quick Start Seed Funding Program, at which time it was attracting 2 million unique visitors per month. In a first round financing, Gemstar-TV Guide International
Gemstar-TV Guide International
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. was a media company that licensed interactive program guide technology to multichannel operators, such as cable and satellite television providers, and consumer electronics manufacturers, video recorder scheduling code under brands such as VCR Plus, published TV...
invested $2.8 million into the website. In September 2007, paidContent reported that BuddyTV was being acquired by Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, at which time is was receiving 3 million unique visitors per month and had hired 20 employees. However, the reports were later confirmed to be untrue. In April 2008, BuddyTV raised $6 million in a second round, with investments mainly coming from Madrona Venture Group. The two rounds saw a total raise of $9 million. Funding was expected to go towards investing in new personnel and technology.
BuddyTV has been compared to the television commentary site Television Without Pity. Television Without Pity's co-editor Sarah Bunting said that the website's focus is on in-depth and humorous recaps that appear three or four days after the episodes air. BuddyTV is designed, however, to provide immediate feedback. Liu said that many television networks were interested in partnering with BuddyTV to build online communities around their shows.
BuddyTV makes money through online advertising and by offering advanced publishing tools to commentators. The website has a partnership with Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
, allowing viewers to turn on BuddyTV commentary on their televisions during shows. In 2007, online survey hosting company QuestionPro and Buddy TV created a new way for advertisers to learn about the viewers of television series which featured their ads. BuddyTV uses custom online surveys from QuestionPro to gather information and opinion from the community of fans. BuddyTV's analysts compile the results and produce a report within days for the advertiser.
In June 2010, BuddyTV was named in the Lead411's Hottest Seattle Companies list.
Impact
BuddyTV has been described as "the Web's best entertainment-based community site".The website contains information about 410 television series, and provides content to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
. Co-founder Liu describes it as the "largest independent TV fan site". In March and April 2007, BuddyTV was the seventh most visited website in the Seattle startup index.
External links
- BuddyTV Official website
- Listing of top 10 Seattle startups
- Crunchbase profile