Crackle (service)

Crackle, LLC
FormerlyGrouper (2004–2007)
Sony Crackle (2018–2019)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryEntertainment
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004) (as Grouper)
May 4, 2007; 17 years ago (2007-05-04) (as Crackle)
FoundersJosh Felser
Dave Samuel
Mike Sitrin
Aviv Eyal
FateChapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation by parent company
Headquarters
Culver City, California
,
United States
Area served
United States
ServicesDigital streaming
Members40 million monthly active users (as of December 31, 2021)
ParentChicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment

Crackle is an American video streaming service. It was founded in 2004 as Grouper, before the service was purchased by Sony Pictures in 2006 and renamed Crackle. In 2018, the name was changed to Sony Crackle.[1] Sony sold a majority stake to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment in March 2019, and the name was changed back to Crackle.[2][3]

History

Grouper Networks,[4] an encrypted P2P network that integrates file sharing, instant messaging and multimedia streaming,[5] was founded in 2004 by Josh Felser, Dave Samuel, Mike Sitrin, and Aviv Aiyal. Later,[6] Sony purchased it in August 2006 for $65 million.[7][8] In July 2007, Sony rebranded Grouper as Crackle, a multi-platform video-entertainment network and studio, and in late 2008 appointed Eric Berger as general manager.[8][9][10][11][7]

In March 2011, Crackle launched its streaming services on Bravia TVs, the Playstation 3, Roku boxes, and Sony Blu-ray players. It also partnered with Xbox Live and added its content to Xbox 360.[12][13][14][15]

In January 2012, Crackle added Animax to its content for users in the US and Canada,[15][16] and later by the end of March 2013, Animax branding was removed.[17]

In June 2013, it released an app for the Blackberry 10 platform and added its content to the Apple TV set-top box.[18][19][20][21]

Logo used from 2008 to 2018

On April 1, 2014, Sony Pictures Television ceased its Crackle operations in the UK and Australia.[22][23] In Australia, Crackle became the free-to-air home of Sony's popular American soap opera Days of Our Lives, following the end of its run with the television broadcaster Nine Network.[24] The same month, Crackle announced the creation of Sports Jeopardy!, a sports-themed version of the game show Jeopardy! hosted by Dan Patrick.[25]

On April 14, 2015, Crackle announced a new feature called "Always On"; an ad-supported, internet television channel similar to Vevo TV. Crackle also announced its first animated series, SuperMansion; their first hour-long scripted drama, The Art of More; and Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser, a sequel to 2001's Joe Dirt.[26] On October 8, 2015, Crackle premiered SuperMansion, a stop-motion animated comedy television series created by Matthew Senreich and Zeb Wells. The series stars the voices of Bryan Cranston, Heidi Gardner, Tucker Gilmore, Keegan-Michael Key, Tom Root, Yvette Nicole Brown, Wells, and Jillian Bell..[27]

In 2017, Crackle announced the platform had greenlit an original drama, The Oath, written and created by former Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy Joe Halpin. Executive produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and his G-Unit Film & Television Inc., the drama series stars Sean Bean, Ryan Kwanten, Cory Hardrict, Arlen Escarpeta, Katrina Law, and J.J. Soria, and premiered on March 8, 2018.[28]

Sony Crackle logo used from 2018 to 2019

In spring 2018, the company's name was changed to Sony Crackle.[29] In March 2019, Sony sold its majority stake in Sony Crackle to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, and the name was changed to Crackle again.[2] Subsequently, on December 15, 2020, Sony sold its remaining stake in Crackle, giving full control to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.[30][31]

In April 2023, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment announced Crackle Connex, its advertising sales division, allowing advertisers to measure and track performance of advertisements on the platform.[32]

On April 23, 2024, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment announced a $636.6 million loss in 2023, and warned that without any options to generate additional financing, the company may be forced to liquidate or pause operations, and seek a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing.[33] On June 29, 2024, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after missing a week of paying its employees and failing to secure financing.[34][35] On July 10, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved a conversion of the bankruptcy to Chapter 7, which would signal a liquidation of the company's assets, and the cessation of its subsidiaries, including Crackle. However, as of October 2024, Crackle's website is still operating.[36]

Programming

Crackle is owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. Other Crackle Plus VOD platforms include Popcornflix (AVOD), Truli, and Pivotshare (SVOD platform).[37] Crackle features programming in the following genres: action, comedy, crime, drama, horror, and sci-fi.

Original programming

Further information: List of Crackle original programming

Movie and TV library

Crackle features films and TV shows, some exclusive, mainly from Sony Pictures and its subsidiaries, including Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics, and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions.[citation needed]

Crackle also features the "Crackle Original" series, including On the Ropes, Going from Broke, Hidden Heroes, The Oath, and Snatch. Crackle's content changes each month as titles are added and taken down.[citation needed]

Content providers

Availability

While it was Sony Crackle, it was available in 21 countries and in three languages: English, Portuguese, and Spanish.[38][19] Currently[as of?], Crackle is only available in the US. Crackle was launched in Canada in September 2010.[39][40] In late 2015, several of the service's original series were made available only through the local services Crave TV and Shomi.[41][42] Following the closure of Shomi in the fall of 2016, new productions continued to be released exclusively on Crave TV, as well as Amazon Prime Video and Super Channel (Canadian TV channel).[43][44][45]

Crackle's Canadian operations were shut down on June 28, 2018, and its content was moved to Bell Media's CTV Movies and CTV Throwback services.[9] Despite Crackle being a Sony owned service, the successor CTV app has not launched on Sony's PlayStation or Smart TV platforms, although it has become available on Microsoft's Xbox One console and Samsung's Smart TVs.[citation needed]

As of late 2016, Crackle in Latin America was available only as an ad-free paid service.[37][46] Subscribers were required to have a pay-TV service provider that had partnered with Sony Crackle in order to access the service.[47] Crackle was discontinued in Latin America on April 30, 2019.[48]

See also

References

  1. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 14, 2018). "Crackle Officially Changes Name To Sony Crackle — TCA". Deadline. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Hayes, Dade (March 28, 2019). "Sony Crackle Gets Reboot Via Chicken Soup For The Soul Joint Venture; Eric Berger To Depart After Deal Close". Deadline. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (March 28, 2019). "Sony Sells Crackle Majority Stake to Chicken Soup for the Soul". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  4. ^ "Welcome to Grouper". Grouper Networks. Archived from the original on May 18, 2004. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  5. ^ "Former AOLers Bet on Private P2P App: Is there a place in the enterprise for a legal file-sharing application using peer-to-peer technology?". Yahoo News. November 19, 2004. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "Friendster and Grouper Target P2P Personal Media File Sharing". Converge Digest. October 31, 2005. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Sony's Grouper becomes Crackle, a pathway to Hollywood". VentureBeat. January 16, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Sony restructuring Crackle online video hub". Reuters. October 29, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Roettgers, Janko (June 27, 2018). "Sony Crackle Shutting Down in Canada". Variety. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  10. ^ "NewFronts: Sony's Crackle Takes David Arquette to 'Cleaners'". Variety. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  11. ^ "Sony Pictures Bringing Online Video to Boxee". Mashable. December 2, 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  12. ^ Lawler, Richard (April 18, 2011). "Crackle starts streaming all of its free movies to Roku, PS3, Sony TVs and Blu-ray players". Engadget. AOLtech. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  13. ^ Edgar, Cervantes (April 18, 2011). "Watch movies and shows on your phone free with Crackle". Android and Me. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  14. ^ "Sony's new Crackle app for iPad and iPhone lets you take 'Seinfeld' with you". USA Today. April 18, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Crackle bringing free movies to Xbox Live". The Gamers' Temple. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  16. ^ Team (January 17, 2012). "Sony's Crackle Adds Animax Anime Channel". The Deadline.
  17. ^ "Sony Pictures merges TV divisions in major step to secure its digital future". Los Angeles Times. June 20, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  18. ^ "Sony's Crackle arrives on BlackBerry 10, reminds us to not watch Bad Boys II". Engadget. July 4, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  19. ^ a b "Crackle streaming TV and Movies app arrives for BlackBerry 10". CrackBerry. June 30, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  20. ^ "Apple Adds ABC, Bloomberg, Crackle, and KOR TV Channels to Apple TV". MacRumors. December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  21. ^ Ingraham, Nathan (December 11, 2013). "Apple TV adds new channels for ABC, Crackle, Bloomberg, and KORTV". The Verge. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  22. ^ Adie, Nigel (March 31, 2014). "Sony Pictures Television shutting down Crackle". cable.co.uk. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  23. ^ Briel, Robert (March 25, 2014). "Sony UK closes down Crackle VOD". broadbandtvnews.com. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  24. ^ "Nine axes Days of our Lives after 45 years". TV Tonight. April 29, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  25. ^ "Sony making a sports version of Jeopardy!". Associated Press. April 30, 2014. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014.
  26. ^ "Crackle Bridges The Gap Between Linear TV And On Demand With New Robust Slate Of Originals And Revolutionary 'Always On' Experience For Connected TV". Broadcaster Magazine. April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  27. ^ Kimball, Trevor (April 14, 2015). "SuperMansion, The Art of More, Chosen: Crackle Announces New TV Series". tvseriesfinale. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  28. ^ Pedersen, Erik (November 30, 2017). "'The Oath': Premiere Date & Teaser For Crackle Drama From EP Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson". Deadline. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  29. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 14, 2018). "Crackle Officially Changes Name To Sony Crackle - TCA". Deadline. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  30. ^ "Sony Sells Crackle Majority Stake to Chicken Soup for the Soul". Hollywood Reporter. March 28, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  31. ^ "Sony Trades Crackle Equity For Stock; Full Control Of Streamer Goes To Chicken Soup For The Soul Entertainment". Deadline. December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  32. ^ "Chicken Soup for the Soul launches Crackle Connex". April 4, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  33. ^ "Chicken Soup Reports $637 Million Loss for 2023, Preps Investors for Bankruptcy". NextTV. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  34. ^ Hayes, Dade (June 29, 2024). "Redbox Owner Chicken Soup For The Soul Entertainment Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  35. ^ "Crackle Plus, LLC files for bankruptcy". BKData. June 29, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  36. ^ Harding, Scharon (July 11, 2024). "DVDs are dying right as streaming has made them appealing again". Ars Technica. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
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  39. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (January 17, 2019). "Sony to Shut Down Crackle in Latin America". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
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  41. ^ "The Art of More to Debut in Canada on shomi". Worldscreen. November 12, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  42. ^ Daly, Ryan (April 18, 2016). "The Dudes From Robot Chicken Have A New Series On Shomi & It's Definitely Worth Your Time". CJQQ-FM (92.1 Rock). Rogers Media. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
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