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For the Bauhaus album, see Crackle - The Best of Bauhaus. For the fifth derivative of the position vector with respect to time, see Crackle (physics).

Crackle, Inc.

Type	Subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.
Founded	July 2007
Headquarters	Culver City, California, U.S.
Owner(s)	Sony
Parent	Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.
Website	www.crackle.com

Crackle (formerly known as Grouper) is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows. Crackle provides its content through a web syndication network, including YouTube, Hulu, AOL, MySpace, and mobile service providers.

History[link]

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In July 2007, Sony purchased the online video site Grouper for $65 million.^[1] In the same month, Sony announced that Grouper would be re-branded and re-purposed as Crackle, a multi-platform video-entertainment network and studio, featuring full-length movies and television shows from Sony’s library, as well as producing original content made just for the Internet. In October 2008, Sony moved Crackle to its Culver City base.^[2]

In April 2009, Crackle blocked access to anyone not in the United States of America. On June 8, 2010, Crackle announced it had opened up access to selected content on the site to viewers in the UK, Canada and Australia.^[3] In March 2011, Crackle launched on PS3, Roku boxes, Sony Blu-ray players and Bravia TVs.^[4] and in April 2011, Crackle launched a mobile app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users.^[5] In July 2011, the Crackle app was launched for the Android platform^[6] On October 5, 2011, Microsoft partnered with Crackle, to bring the channel to Xbox 360 Live. ^[7] On October 17, 2011, Crackle announced a Halloween event called Kill Count, which will keep count of the number of kills the user watches in his expanded horror movie section.^[8]

Crackle currently features original content and licenses movies from Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, and Sony Pictures Classics and TV shows from Sony Pictures Television.^[9]

As of October 2011^[update], the Crackle app has totaled 5 million downloads worldwide. ^[10]

On January 17, 2012, Crackle added the world's largest anime television network, Animax, also owned by Sony, to its main United States and Canada channels.^[11]

Original programming[link]

In addition to content from Sony Pictures, Crackle features original content, including Trenches and The Bannen Way, which amassed 8.4 million views in February 2010,^[12] and more than 13 million views as of March 2010. At the series conclusion it had set records for views for a web series.^[13]

In 2011, Crackle began to focus on long form programming. According to Eric Berger, “Short-form episodes had their role on sites like YouTube and other places as the market was developing," he said. "But we think we can create something longer with real talent behind it that can sit side by side with our great library." Such projects include Monster Heist, Strand Street, and an untitled anthology series that tells paranormal stories. ^[14]

Live streaming[link]

Crackle also has distributed live streaming events, including the This Is It movie preview ^[15] and a live streaming concert event for Wyclef Jean.^[16]

References[link]

v t e Sony Corporation Primary businesses Sony Corporation (electronics & holding of the Sony group) · Sony Music Entertainment (music) · Sony Pictures Entertainment (motion pictures and television) · Sony Computer Entertainment (video games) · Sony Financial Holdings (financial services; 60%) · Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation Technologies and brands α · Betacam · Blu-ray · BRAVIA · CD · Cyber-shot · Dash · Dream Machine · DVD · Handycam · HDCAM/HDCAM-SR · LocationFree · Memory Stick · MiniDisc · MiniDV · mylo · Reader · S/PDIF · SDDS · SXRD · Sony Tablet · UMD · VAIO · Video8/Hi8/Digital8 · Walkman · Walkman Phones · XDCAM · Xplōd · HMZ-T1 Historical products AIBO · CV-2000 · DAT · Betamax · Sony CLIÉ · Discman · JumboTron · Lissa · Mavica · NEWS · Qualia · Rolly · TR-55 · Trinitron · U-matic · Watchman · WEGA Electronics Sony EMCS · Sony Electronics (subsidiary in the US) · Sony Creative Software · Sony Mobile Communications  · S-LCD (50% minus 1 share) · Sony Mobile Display · Sony Optiarc · Sharp Display Products (7%) · Aiwa (former) Sony Music Entertainment Sony/ATV Music Publishing (50%) · Columbia Records · Epic Records · RCA Records · Sony Music Nashville (Arista Nashville, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, RCA Records Nashville) · Provident Label Group · Verity Gospel Music Group · Sony Music Latin · Sony Masterworks  · Legacy Recordings  · RED Distribution  · IODA  · Syco Music  · Syco TV  · Syco Film  · Sony Music Australia · Sony Music Japan  · Gracenote · Aniplex · A-1 Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (Columbia Pictures · Sony Pictures Classics · Screen Gems · TriStar Pictures · Triumph Films) · Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (Destination Films · Stage 6 Films · Affirm Films) · Sony Pictures Television Group (Adelaide Productions · Culver Entertainment · Embassy Row · 2waytraffic · Lean-M  · Gogglebox Entertainment · Victory Television · Silver River Productions · Starling · Huaso · Floresta · Teleset) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Sony Wonder · Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group · Sony Pictures Digital (Sony Pictures Imageworks · Sony Pictures Animation · Sony Pictures Mobile) · Sony Pictures Studios · Sony Pictures Consumer Marketing (Sony Pictures Consumer Products · Sony Pictures Loot) U.S. networks Sony Movie Channel · GSN (40%), joint venture with DirecTV · FEARnet HD (joint venture with Comcast and Lionsgate) · 3net (joint venture with Discovery Communications and IMAX) International networks Sony Entertainment Television (Asia, South East Asia, India, Latin America, South Africa, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Baltic and United Kingdom) · AXN · AXN HD · AXN HD+1 · AXN Asia · AXN India · AXN Pakistan · AXN White · AXN Crime · AXN Black · AXN Mystery · AXN Sci Fi · AXN Spin · Sony Aath · Multi Screen Media · Animax · Animax Asia · Animax India · Animax Pakistan · Animax Korea · Animax Eastern Europe · BeTV · Sony Spin · SET One · SET Max · Sony SIX · Sony MIX · SET PIX · SAB TV · Men&Movies · Movies4Men Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Online Entertainment · PlayStation · PSP · PlayStation Vita · Cellius (49%) · Square Enix (8.25%) · Sony Imagesoft (defunct) Online distribution platforms Sony Entertainment Network (Music Unlimited · Video Unlimited · PlayStation Network) · FEARnet · The Minisode Network · Crackle Financial services Sony Financial Holdings · Sony Life Insurance · Sony Assurance · Sony Bank · Sony Bank Securities Other businesses So-net Entertainment · Sony Broadcast & Professional Research Laboratories · Sony Sendai Other assets Sony Corporation of America (umbrella company in the US) · Other subsidiaries Joint ventures Sony/ATV · FeliCa Networks · Vevo · Cellius (49%) · Sharp Display Products (7.04%) Key personnel Kazuo Hirai · Masaru Ibuka · Nobuyuki Idei · Yasuo Kuroki · Ken Kutaragi · Michael Lynton · Akio Morita · Norio Ohga · Amy Pascal · Howard Stringer  · Nicole Seligman Category ·  Commons ·  Wikinews