A look at how businesses can transform their TVs from background noise to short-form entertainment that could increase revenue in a Post-COVID-19 world.
Media
Playbook Raises $3M to Help Fitness Instructors Monetize through Remote Workouts
Playbook is a mobile marketplace enabling top fitness instructors to turn their iPhone content into a subscription income. Instructors can create content (workouts, programs, challenges, nutrition, etc) on their terms. Consumers get access to a world of instructors for a single cost. CEO Jeff Krahel shares more about empowering fitness instructors to build their businesses without depending on studios.
SiriusXM Acquires Simplecast to Bolster Podcasting Advertising
Simplecast, the podcast management and analytics platform, has been acquired by SiriusXM, the satellite radio provider and parent company to Pandora. The terms of the transactions were not disclosed. SiriusXM plans to combine Simplecast with AdsWizz, the podcasting monetization platform that Pandora acquired in 2018.
PickUp Raises $1.48M to Bring Interactive Sports Conversations Across Any Medium
The absence of sports has driven fans crazy during the pandemic but as sports resume, PickUp will be there to make sure that fans are engaged. Cofounded by Dan Healy, PickUp is a sports engagement platform that allows fans to create conversations from the content they are consuming on publisher sites and share it around the web.
Facebook Has Acquired GIPHY for $400M to Bring More GIFs to Instagram
Another day, and another NYC Tech exit. The third acquisition this week. Facebook nabs GIPHY in a $400M transaction.
New Narratives and the Future of Storytelling
Think of books, radio, film, and television: audiences had no choice but to sit back and read, watch, or listen, with no role to play in the narrative, no opportunity to fully engage all the senses.
Then the Internet arrived—the first two-way mass medium in history—and with it, people suddenly had the ability to engage with content, to share it and give feedback. This ushered in the new wave of social media, where people could not only comment on and share content but also create their own.
Fatherly Acquired by Some Spider Studios to be the Largest Online Destination for Parenting
Fatherly, the online media company focused on parenting advice and resources for dads, has been acquired by Some Spider Studios, the media group operating a number of online parenting properties. The terms of the transactions were not disclosed but this an all-stock transaction. Founded in 2014 by Michael Rothman and Simon Isaacs, Fatherly had raised […]
fuboTV Acquired by FaceBank Group
fuboTV, the live-TV streaming platform, has agreed to be acquired by publicly-traded FaceBank Group, the character-based virtual entertainment company. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed but fuboTV will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of FaceBank Group after the transaction closes. “The business combination of FaceBank Group and fuboTV accelerates our ability to build a category-defining […]
Audm Acquired by the New York Times to Turn Articles into Digital Audio
Audm, the subscription app that turns long-form content into digital audio that is narrated by professional voice actors, has been acquired by The New York Times Company. The terms of the transactions were not disclosed. Founded in 2016 by Christian Brink and Ryan Wegner, Audm had only raised a mere $120K in reported equity funding as […]
Where We Are Investing Now: Emergent Community
What is an emergent community? If you’re building a community-based business this a must-read from one of the leading VCs in the space.
SurvivorNet Raises $10M to Expand its Knowledge Platform for Cancer Patients and Survivors
“I don’t care how much money you have, when a cancer diagnosis happens, it’s far too difficult to get the right information. My family was part of the group that didn’t quite get the right answers.”