SideReel

SideReel is a website that offers users the ability to search for television shows, get new episode alerts, watch full episodes online and mark the episodes they've watched.[2] The company also announced it had surpassed 1 million unique visitors in one day. It is a TV community site with user discussions, reviews, and news. SideReel acts as a medium, connecting users to content centered on the shows that interest them and organizing the information around those shows.

SideReel
Type of businessOnline media
Type of site
Video Portal / Entertainment Fansite
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
,
United States
ParentRhythmOne [1]
URLwww.sidereel.com
RegistrationOptional
LaunchedFebruary 24, 2007 (2007-02-24)

History

SideReel launched in April 2007 and was featured in CNET's Webware "beta watch" that same month.[3]

In 2011, SideReel was acquired by Rovi Corporation,[4] and the Allrovi.com site was launched.[2] The company also announced it had surpassed 1 million unique visitors in one day.[2]

In July 2013, Rovi spun off SideReel, along with AllGame, AllMovie, AllMusic, and Celebified, as All Media Network; the company's owners includes the original founders of SideReel and Ackrell Capital investor Mike Ackrell.[5][6]

In 2014, a free SideReel app was launched, allowing fans to find, track and watch their favorite TV series on iOS devices.[7] The site's Android and iOS apps were later withdrawn as they were too unprofitable.[8]

Business model

SideReel compiles a comprehensive list of television shows and aggregates content for them. The site provides links to view full episodes online, as well as a forum to discuss and review TV shows.[9]

This site allows users to actively collaborate on updating site content, and uses Facebook Connect to foster user participation and a sense of community. Users of Connect can see what shows friends like, and share their favorites.

Criticism

In 2010, an LA Times article was published using interviews with unnamed anti-piracy experts who accused SideReel of being a way for viewers to watch shows that are not available online by linking to pirated streaming sites. The company denied the charges, stating that it was merely a specialized search engine that points to legitimate sites and removes infringing links when notified of them.[9]

References
  1. "Thank you for visiting the RhythmOne website for investors". investor.rhythmone.com.
  2. "Rovi acquires SideReel, launches AllRovi.com". vator.tv. 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  3. Needleman, Rafe (April 27, 2007). "Beta watch: SideReel opens new video wiki". CNET.
  4. "Rovi Buys Sidereel, Expands to the Web". Gigaom.com. March 1, 2011.
  5. "Rovi Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2013 Financial Performance Announces Agreements to Sell Rovi Entertainment Store and Consumer Website Businesses". globalnewswire.com. 2013-07-31. Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  6. "Digital Entertainment Veterans Launch 'All Media Network' to Perfect Digital Media Discovery". BusinessWire. December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  7. "SideReel app lets fans watch and track their favorite shows on iOS devices". adweek.com. 2014-03-13. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  8. "An Important Update About the SideReel iOS and Android Apps". SideReel.com. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  9. Chmielewski, Dawn C. (September 21, 2010). "Hollywood sounds alarm as streaming video websites enable a new wave of piracy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
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