Clicker.com
Encyclopedia
Clicker is an Internet video directory and search
company based in Los Angeles, California. Their website
aims to be the TV Guide
for all full episodes of programs available to watch on the Web
. It is owned by CBS Interactive.
Clicker indexes only legal video that is streamable
online. It does not host
any content, instead focusing on helping users discover and navigate to professional content hosted by rights-holders. While much of the streaming video content Clicker indexes is available for free, Clicker also points to paid services like Amazon Video-on-Demand, iTunes
and Netflix
Watch Instantly. Clicker also began indexing Comcast Xfinity, Comcast’s online library of TV shows and movies, in August 2010.
In addition to search and directory services, Clicker offers DVR-like features that enable users to subscribe to shows and track when programs become available online. Additionally, Clicker offers many social
features for sharing programming information on Facebook
pages and Twitter
. In July 2010, Clicker launched Clicker Social, which brings social discovery to the online television guide and lets users share what they're watching, follow their friends, recommend shows and movies, and earn awards from content partners like HBO, PBS, Showtime, Crackle
, Revision3, Snag Films, NCAA Vault and more.
In April, Clicker launched its iPad
Edition. Users who visit the site from their iPad will be automatically redirected to a special version of Clicker that provides a complete programming guide for the iPad, making it easy for iPad users to find what broadcast-quality programming is available to watch and what's not. Clicker also has mobile apps for the iPhone and Android devices which let users check-in to share what they're watching, find programming to watch on their phone, and manage their Playlist.
and Redpoint Ventures
, and an $11 million Series B investment in February 2010 from Jafco Ventures, Benchmark and Redpoint . Board members include Bill Gurley
of Benchmark, Geoff Yang of Redpoint, and Slingbox
founder Blake Krikorian. Clicker's CEO is Jim Lanzone
, former CEO of Ask.com. As part of its Series A round, Clicker also integrated ModernFeed.com, an online video directory.
The company was in stealth mode until it debuted at TechCrunch 50
(September 2009), with the stated goal of becoming the equivalent of TV Guide
for the Web
. Clicker was runner-up for the Audience Award at the show. The website was in private beta for two months, and then launched publicly two months later at Gigaom's NewTeeVee Live in San Francisco. The Clicker product received a large number of positive critical reviews, including The Wall Street Journal and CNET
.
CBS Interactive acquired Clicker in 2011.
includes more than 750,000 episodes, from over 12,000 broadcast quality shows, from over 2,500 networks, 30,000 movies, and 90,000 music videos from 20,000 artists.
, which allows users to watch Clicker content from their television. The Clicker app does not include all of the content that currently is available on the website. The app initially included 180,000 episodes from over 3,000 TV and Web shows, as well as 5,000 movies.
Web search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
company based in Los Angeles, California. Their website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
aims to be the TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
for all full episodes of programs available to watch on the Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. It is owned by CBS Interactive.
Clicker indexes only legal video that is streamable
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
online. It does not host
Video hosting service
A video hosting service allows individuals to upload video clips to an Internet website. The video host will then store the video on its server, and show the individual different types of code to allow others to view this video...
any content, instead focusing on helping users discover and navigate to professional content hosted by rights-holders. While much of the streaming video content Clicker indexes is available for free, Clicker also points to paid services like Amazon Video-on-Demand, iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
Watch Instantly. Clicker also began indexing Comcast Xfinity, Comcast’s online library of TV shows and movies, in August 2010.
In addition to search and directory services, Clicker offers DVR-like features that enable users to subscribe to shows and track when programs become available online. Additionally, Clicker offers many social
Social Web
The social Web is a set of social relations that link people through the World Wide Web. The Social web encompasses how websites and software are designed and developed in order to support and foster social interaction. These online social interactions form the basis of much online activity...
features for sharing programming information on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
pages and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. In July 2010, Clicker launched Clicker Social, which brings social discovery to the online television guide and lets users share what they're watching, follow their friends, recommend shows and movies, and earn awards from content partners like HBO, PBS, Showtime, Crackle
Crackle
Crackle 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...
, Revision3, Snag Films, NCAA Vault and more.
In April, Clicker launched its iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
Edition. Users who visit the site from their iPad will be automatically redirected to a special version of Clicker that provides a complete programming guide for the iPad, making it easy for iPad users to find what broadcast-quality programming is available to watch and what's not. Clicker also has mobile apps for the iPhone and Android devices which let users check-in to share what they're watching, find programming to watch on their phone, and manage their Playlist.
History
Clicker received an $8 million Series A investment in October 2008 from investors Benchmark CapitalBenchmark Capital
Benchmark Capital is a venture capital firm responsible for the early stage funding of some very successful startups. In 1997, the firm invested $6.7 million in eBay, which became worth more than $5 billion by the spring of 1999. Other high-profile investments include Ariba, Juniper Networks, Red...
and Redpoint Ventures
Redpoint Ventures
Redpoint Ventures is a prominent venture capital firm focused on investments in early stage technology companies. The firm's partners include Allen Beasley, Jeff Brody, Satish Dharmaraj, Tom Dyal, Tim Haley, Brad Jones, Nety Krishna, Chris Moore, Lars Pedersen, Scott Raney, John Walecka, Geoff...
, and an $11 million Series B investment in February 2010 from Jafco Ventures, Benchmark and Redpoint . Board members include Bill Gurley
Bill Gurley
Bill Gurley is a general partner at Benchmark Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm in Menlo Park, California. His current investments include: Avvo, Glassdoor, LiveOps, Move Networks, Nanosolar, OpenTable, Red 5 Studios, Second Life, Tropos Networks, Vudu, Inc. and Zillow.com...
of Benchmark, Geoff Yang of Redpoint, and Slingbox
Sling Media
Sling Media Inc. specializes in audio and video placeshifting technology. The company is a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation and is based in San Mateo, California...
founder Blake Krikorian. Clicker's CEO is Jim Lanzone
Jim Lanzone
Jim Lanzone is the current President of CBS Interactive, which operates key websites including CNET, CBS.com, Gamespot, CBS News, Metacritic, CBS Sports, Chow, MaxPreps.com and TV.com. He took over as President from Neil Ashe in March 2011.. Prior to joining CBS Interactive, Lanzone was the CEO of...
, former CEO of Ask.com. As part of its Series A round, Clicker also integrated ModernFeed.com, an online video directory.
The company was in stealth mode until it debuted at TechCrunch 50
TechCrunch50
TechCrunch50 was a conference held at the Design Center Concourse in San Francisco, California on September 14-15, 2009, hosted by TechCrunch and Jason Calacanis. Its aim was to find the best Web 2.0 start-ups and launch them in front of the industry's most influential venture capitalists,...
(September 2009), with the stated goal of becoming the equivalent of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
for the Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. Clicker was runner-up for the Audience Award at the show. The website was in private beta for two months, and then launched publicly two months later at Gigaom's NewTeeVee Live in San Francisco. The Clicker product received a large number of positive critical reviews, including The Wall Street Journal and CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
.
CBS Interactive acquired Clicker in 2011.
Content
Clicker's databaseDatabase
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
includes more than 750,000 episodes, from over 12,000 broadcast quality shows, from over 2,500 networks, 30,000 movies, and 90,000 music videos from 20,000 artists.
Partnerships
On December 3, 2009, Clicker launched an application on BoxeeBOXEE
Boxee is a cross-platform freeware HTPC software application with a 10-foot user interface and social networking features designed for the living-room TV...
, which allows users to watch Clicker content from their television. The Clicker app does not include all of the content that currently is available on the website. The app initially included 180,000 episodes from over 3,000 TV and Web shows, as well as 5,000 movies.
See also
- Video On DemandVideo on demandVideo on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
- Internet TelevisionInternet televisionInternet television is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet...
- Fancast
- HuluHuluHulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
- TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- CastTVCastTVCastTV is an Internet video search and aggregation company based in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 2006 by Edwin Ong and Alex Vikati...