Written by Liz Gannes
Posted Friday, October 19, 2007 at 1:00 PM PT

 

Media Companies Buy into Online Video

Media companies may go to great lengths to declare their love for copyright, but they can no longer declare their hate for technology with a straight face. They’re increasingly using investments to insert themselves into startups, mostly for research purposes.

Matt Richtel writes in the New York Times today:

“[M]edia companies say there are significant reasons to develop expertise in early-stage investments. The media business, they say, increasingly revolves not just around developing content but keeping pace with delivery technology and new media.”

Here’s our inventory of media investment groups and their online video startup portfolios:

Time Warner Investments (TWX)

Comcast Interactive Capital (CMCSA)

  • BlackArrow: video advertising platform for cable (recent coverage)
  • BroadLogic: video processing chips (with Time Warner Investments)
  • Revver: video-sharing with revenue sharing for all creators
  • RGB Networks: video networking systems
  • Visible World: video advertising for TV and broadband (with Time Warner Investments)
  • Vitrue: white-label video sites and advertising services

Peacock Equity (GE)

Hearst Interactive Media (HTV)

Steamboat Ventures

Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments

  • UITV: Chinese Internet TV site

Primal Ventures (IAC)

Known to be investing in video. Prior to the investment group’s formation, IAC took a stake in Brightcove along with Hearst.

CBS and Viacom also have stakes in Joost. CBS is also in Spot Runner and Viacom is in VBS.tv.

Lionsgate has a stake in male-oriented video-sharing site Break.com.

The New York Times also has a piece of Brightcove.

What are we missing? Let us know and we’ll fill it in. Also, a question for you: how much do you think having a media company in its camp improves a startup’s chances of success?

Sphere
Topic: Money & Power
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Comments & Trackbacks

  1. I’m not sure that I would call it online video, but Comcast also owns half of the Gemstar unit that provides the DVR interface to their customers. You could also add Vimeo and CollegeHumor to the IAC list.

    davisfreeberg on October 19th, 2007 at 1:09 pm - Permalink

  2. You forgot about CBS Interactive’s investments (Joost and others)

    Frank Sinton on October 19th, 2007 at 2:25 pm - Permalink

  3. And Lionsgate’s investment in Break.com

    Mike on October 19th, 2007 at 2:36 pm - Permalink

  4. Frank, I’ve been offline for the last couple hours and just knew someone was going to call me out on missing Joost. I added it in, will have to remember CBS’ other investments. I’ll put Lionsgate in as well.

    Liz Gannes on October 19th, 2007 at 3:36 pm - Permalink

  5. Time Warner has money in Ripe. So the recent deal to put skinemax Cinemax up on Ripe TV makes all kinds o’ sense now.

    Chris Albrecht on October 20th, 2007 at 2:01 pm - Permalink

  6. WatchMojo added some more names, so I’m updating the list.

    http://watchmojo.com/web/blog/?p=2192

    Liz Gannes on October 21st, 2007 at 11:33 pm - Permalink

  7. [...] and including Comcast Interactive Capital, Turner Broadcasting, and General Catalyst Partners (see our list of video startups with big media [...]

    Second Rounds All Around: Vitrue, Skinkers, Imagine « NewTeeVee on October 29th, 2007 at 11:11 am - Permalink

  8. [...] Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Gannett. For other Peacock Equity (GE) investments, see our recent compilation of media companies’ investments in online [...]

    NBC U Invests in 4INFO « NewTeeVee on October 31st, 2007 at 5:31 am - Permalink

  9. [...] Media Companies Buy Into Online Video [...]

    endeavor43 » Blog Archive » Online video research on February 1st, 2008 at 1:38 pm - Permalink

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