SideReel is a
Television show
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
tracking website that allows users to manage various shows they watch.
The TV community site gives user access to various discussions, reviews, and news articles related to shows. SideReel does not create or publish the shows themselves, rather it acts as a medium that allows users to access content centered on the shows that interest them and organizing the information around those shows.
History
SideReel launched in April 2007 and was featured in
CNET
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
's Webware "beta watch" that same month.
In 2011, SideReel was acquired by
Rovi Corporation
TiVo Corporation, formerly known as the Rovi Corporation and Macrovision Solutions Corporation, was an American technology company. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company is primarily involved in licensing its intellectual property ...
, and the Allrovi.com site was launched.
[ The company also announced it had surpassed 1 million unique visitors in one day.][
In July 2013, Rovi spun off SideReel, along with AllGame, AllMovie, AllMusic, and Celebified, as ]All Media Network
RhythmOne , previously known as Blinkx, and also known as RhythmOne Group, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel.
Blinkx was founded in 2004, went publi ...
; the company's owners includes the original founders of SideReel and Ackrell Capital investor Mike Ackrell.
In 2014, a free SideReel app was launched, allowing fans to find, track and watch their favorite TV series on iOS devices. The site's Android and iOS apps were later withdrawn as they were too unprofitable.
In 2020, the site was purchased by Netaktion LLC.
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.Facebook Connect
The Facebook Platform is the set of services, tools, and products provided by the social networking service Facebook for third-party developers to create their own applications and services that access data in Facebook.
The current Facebook ...
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.[
]
References
External links
*
* {{cite web , url= http://www.founderly.com/2011/10/sidereel-zach-larson-1-of-2 , title= SideReel – Zach Larson (video interview and transcript) , date= October 10, 2011 , author= Matthew Wise , work= FounderLY
Television websites
American entertainment websites
Entertainment companies based in California
Companies based in San Francisco
Internet properties established in 2007
Entertainment companies established in 2007
2007 establishments in California
2011 mergers and acquisitions