Grabyo
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Headquarters | London, UK |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Founder(s) | Will Neale |
| Key people |
Gareth Capon (CEO), Will Neale (Founder) |
| Industry | Internet |
| Website |
www |
| Current status | Active |
Grabyo provides cloud-based technology used by broadcasters and rights holders to create, distribute and monetise[1] TV and live video clips across websites, social media channels and social mobile apps in real time.[2] The live video sharing platform allows broadcasters and content rights holders to monetise social media engagement.[3]
Having found that major celebrities can generate up to 20 times more engagement per fan than content shared by traditional rights holders, the company also launched Grabyo VIP - a native video sharing app for star talent. By using the app, global sports and music stars can also monetise social media engagement by rapidly discovering and re-sharing (and accelerating viral distribution for) premium social videos that have previously been distributed across the Grabyo platform by broadcast and rights holder partners.[4]
The company has partnerships with Facebook and Twitter and is the only player in cross-platform real-time video sharing following Twitter's acquisition of its competitor SnappyTV. It allows rights holders to share native video across both social platforms - i.e. autoplay on Facebook and in-line video playback on Twitter.[5]
How it works
Grabyo Studio ingests live TV and video feeds so that segments of a show or event can be clipped during broadcast via a browser-based live video editing suite. It is a one button operation to grab a video segment and ads from brand sponsors are automatically added to the clips.[1] The clips can also be previewed and edited, with comments and hashtags, before being shared. The real-time clips can be viewed directly within a tweet, as well as within Facebook’s newsfeed.[2]
Grabyo VIP is a native video sharing app for verified users on Facebook and Twitter, including star talent, media publishers, rights holders and brands. Using Grabyo VIP, they can capture videos and share them on both Facebook and Twitter in native formats simultaneously. Grabyo VIP also enables rapid discovery and re-sharing of premium video content that has previously been distributed across the Grabyo platform by broadcast and rights holder partners. Users simply follow the partners’ accounts on Grabyo VIP to access their videos, which are surfaced in-feed within the app and updated in real time. The app makes it easy for star talent to find and share timely premium content that will be relevant and interesting to their fans in order to generate engagement and follower growth. They also get paid for the engagement and distribution they generate for the rights holders and brands.[6]
History
Grabyo launch
The London-based company was founded by Will Neale[1] and launched in September 2013 for Sky Sports' coverage of Premier League transfer deadline day.[7] Following the successful trial, Sky Sports used Grabyo to share UEFA Champions League video highlights, which included instant replays of the best goals and post-match interviews.[8]
Early customer traction
The company went on to secure deals with a number of rights holders in sport, music and fashion. In what was the first Twitter Amplify campaign in the UK in February 2014, The Brit Awards used Grabyo technology to share near-live and VO5-sponsored video clips of the ceremony across Twitter.[9] In the same month, Grabyo appointed Sky's product development director Gareth Capon as its chief executive.[10] In the same month, Grabyo featured in a list of the hottest startups in the UK by The Independent[7] in 2014
In June 2014, Grabyo teamed up with the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) to bring near-live highlights of The Championships, Wimbledon, to tennis fans around the world. The AELTC signed up Grabyo in order to create and distribute video clips from matches across Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and YouTube. The initiative was designed to drive users to TV telecasts for its network of broadcasters across 200-plus countries worldwide.[11] It was the first time a major sports event had delivered real-time video highlights to a global audience across multiple social platforms, sharing 25-50 clips each day through the tournament, covering Centre Court, No.1 Court and No.2 Court.[12]
Grabyo then worked with ITV in order to bring football fans real-time highlights from live coverage of the FIFA World Cup to football fans across Twitter. According to The Next Web it included key moments from the matches as well as 'pundits’ banter'. The deal also provided brands with the opportunity to sponsor premium football content and use promotional tools such as Twitter Amplify.[12]
Grabyo began working with fashion brands in Autumn 2014. Hunter Boot Ltd, the British fashion company, partnered with Grabyo to share and promote instant highlights from its London Fashion Week show - evolving the traditional live stream approach taken by the fashion industry.[13] The content was geo-targeted so the type of items shown from the collection were reflective of the user's particular region and climate. Caroline Rush, British Fashion Council chief, said the collaboration 'pushed the boundaries of social and digital media to bring fashion to a wider audience'. Google's Peter Fitzgerald, British Fashion Council head of innovation said that 'there is a huge opportunity for brands to build awareness, grow audiences and create business through digital.[14]
Within its first year, Grabyo worked with a number of other content rights holders including Channel 5,[6] ATP World Tour, Ryder Cup and UFC.[9]
Investment from global sports stars
In November 2014, Grabyo announced that Cesc Fàbregas, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and NBA star Tony Parker had joined a $2m (£1.3m) funding round and signed up to become global ambassadors for the business. The company's CEO Gareth Capon commented that "the involvement of star talent will open up new distribution opportunities for broadcasters, rights holders and brands”.[15]
Expansion into North America
In March 2015, Facebook announced Grabyo as a launch partner for its updated Video API, allowing its customer to share native video on the world's largest social platform as well as utilise a range of new features - from content scheduling to geo-gating. Grabyo also revealed that it was now working with a number of major U.S. rights holders including the NHL[9]
"Grabyo VIP launch
In April 2015, the company launched Grabyo VIP - a native video sharing app for star talent. By using the app, global sports and music stars can also monetise social media engagement by rapidly discovering and re-sharing (and accelerating viral distribution for) premium social videos that have previously been distributed across the Grabyo platform by broadcast and rights holder partners.[4]
Impact
According to global media agency Mindshare (firm), the ability to share live TV clips in real time across social networks is 'a highly significant technological advancement' as it enables brands to engage social media users at scale.[6]
Grabyo's real-time video format has proved effective at engaging social media users. Over the course of the Wimbledon Championships, the most viewed clip of the tournament featured Nick Kyrgios hitting a 'tweener' winner during his match against Rafa Nadal. The video clip generated over 447,000 clip views and 27,924 Facebook interactions.[16]
Investors
The company's investors include global sports stars Cesc Fàbregas, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and NBA star Tony Parker.[15]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lomas, Natasha (June 20, 2013). "U.K. Video Startup Grabyo Launches Its Ad-Supported Real-Time TV Clip-Sharing Tech With Sky’s Next Top Model". TechCrunch. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sawers, Paul (September 2, 2013). "Grabyo now helps broadcasters share their own TV clips in real time, kicking off with Sky Sports". The Next Web. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
- ↑ "Grabyo garners $2m funding from global sports stars". Advanced Television. November 26, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Beck, Martin (April 16, 2015). "Grabyo Launches A Mobile Video App For VIPs". Marketing Land. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ Butcher, Mike (November 26, 2014). "Grabyo Secures $2M From Celeb Sports Stars For Rights-Friendly Social Video". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Murphy, David (April 17, 2015). "Grabyo Rolls Out Grabyo VIP". Mobile Marketing Magazine. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Williams-Grut, Oscar (February 23, 2014). "Which apps will become WhatsApps? After the billion-dollar purchase of the messaging service, a guide to the best UK tech firms". The Independent. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
- ↑ Cookson, Robert (October 22, 2013). "BSkyB and Twitter to share Champions League video highlights". The Financial Times. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Farber, Alex (February 18, 2014). "Twitter to offer near-live Brits clips". Broadcast. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
- ↑ Middleton, Richard (February 12, 2014). "Grabyo chief executive from Sky". C21 Media. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ↑ Spangler, Todd (June 10, 2014). "Wimbledon 2014 Tennis Live Video Clips Will Be Shareable on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter". Variety. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Sawyers, Paul (June 10, 2014). "Wimbledon ‘near-live’ highlights will be broadcast globally across Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube". TNW. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ↑ Arthur, Rachel (September 4, 2014). "Hunter to partner with tech startup Grabyo for real-time fashion show". Forbes. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ↑ Edmonds, Lizzie (September 11, 2014). "High (tech) fashion: your personalised view of London fashion week". Evening Standard. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Sweney, Mark (November 25, 2014). "Premier League stars chip in to help video sharing firm Grabyo raise $2m". The Guardian. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
- ↑ Flomenbaum, Adam (September 2, 2014). "An Exclusive Look at the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s Social Strategy for Wimbledon". Lost Remote. Retrieved September 2, 2014.