Sony Snags Rocketboom
by Mike Shields - Mediaweek
Sony Pictures Television has acquired Rocketboom, one of the more high-profile Web video series, for an undisclosed amount.
The company said it plans to meld Rocketboom, a daily technology news series aimed squarely at Generation Y, with Crackle, the company's fledgling hub for original online video. The series will be featured each day on Crackle.com, and will continue to be available to users on Rocketboom.com, which will soon house a Crackle-branded video player.
In addition, Sony -- which going forward will handle ad sales for Rocketboom -- said it plans to widen the show's reach via syndication across Crackle's growing distribution network.
Rocketboom was one of the first video blogs to gain mainstream recognition. In 2006, it landed advertisers such as the global ATM firm TRM as well as Earthlink through an innovative ad space auction conducted via eBay. Also that year, Rocketboom's original high-profile host Amanda Congdon departed, landing a brief stint at ABC News as well as a development deal at HBO, though that agreement did not result in a series getting on air.
Sony's acquisition of a video blog series with a strong young adult following mirrors CBS' deal for the similarly irreverent WallStrip in 2007 for an estimated $5 million.
