Grabyo

Grabyo
Type Private
Founded 2013 (2013)
Headquarters London, UK
Area served Worldwide
Founder(s) Will Neale
Key people Gareth Capon
(CEO), Will Neale
(Founder)
Industry Internet
Website www.grabyo.com
Current status Active

Grabyo is a mobile video and advertising company. Its cloud-based technology is used by rights owners and TV networks 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 platform allows rights holders to activate mobile audiences, drive tune-in and generate revenue from third party sponsors or pay-TV services.[3]

The company was founded in 2013 and now works with over 60 premium rights holders including the NHL,[4] Eurosport,[5] Sky Sports,[6] the Brit Awards,[4] Wimbledon,[7] FIFA World Cup,[8] Channel 5,[9] ATP World Tour, Ryder Cup, FIA Formula E Championship and UFC.[4]

In October 2015 the company launched technology to help video publishers adapt horizotonal 16:9 video into mobile friendly formats such as vertical video and square video.[10]

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.[9] Over the course of Wimbledon 2015, clips shared using Grabyo's platform generated 48 million video views.[11]

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 with integrated sponsorship and advertising assets. The real-time clips play out in native format on each social platform, ensuring optimal engagement and distribution.[2]

Grabyo Mobile is a native video sharing app for verified users of social platforms, including star talent, media publishers, rights holders and brands. Using Grabyo Mobile, they can capture, edit and share video across both Facebook and Twitter in native formats simultaneously. Grabyo Mobile 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.[9] FIA Formula E Championship is using Grabyo Mobile to help its racing teams and drivers re-share videos from the live broadcast as well as their own exclusive content in real-time.[12]

History

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.[6] 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.[13]

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.[4] In the same month, Grabyo appointed Sky's product development director Gareth Capon as its chief executive[14] and Grabyo featured in a list of the hottest startups in the UK by The Independent.[6]

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.[7] 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.[8]

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.[8]

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.[15] The content was geo-gated 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.[16]

Within its first year, Grabyo worked with a number of other content rights holders including Channel 5,[9] ATP World Tour, Ryder Cup and UFC.[4]

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”.[17]

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[4]

In April 2015, the company launched Grabyo Mobile - a native video sharing app for celebrities and other verified users of social media platforms, such as brands and media publishers.[18] Shortly afterwards, Formula E racing partnered with Grabyo in order to help its teams and drivers share native video to their digital fanbases.[12]

For the Wimbledon Championships in 2015, a real-time clip of a shot by Roger Federer accumulated 4m views in 24 hours and the event was covered by global media.[19]

Impact

Grabyo's real-time video format has proved effective at engaging social media users. Over the course of the Wimbledon Championships 2014, 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.[11] For the Wimbledon Championships 2015, a shot by Roger Federer accumulated 4m views in 24 hours.[19] Over the course of the 2015 tournament, Wimbledon generated 48 million video views[11]

Investors

The company's investors include global sports stars Cesc Fàbregas, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and NBA star Tony Parker.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 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.
  3. ↑ "Grabyo garners $2m funding from global sports stars". Advanced Television. November 26, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Farber, Alex (March 27, 2015). "Premier League stars chip in to help video sharing firm Grabyo raise $2m". Broadcast. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. ↑ Ingham, Edmund (August 14, 2015). "Real Time Video Platforms For Broadcasters And Rights Holders Are Bringing Sports Clips To Newsfeeds". Forbes.com. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 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.
  7. 1 2 Spangler, Todd (June 10, 2014). "Wimbledon 2014 Tennis Live Video Clips Will Be Shareable on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter". Variety. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 Sawyers, Paul (June 12, 2014). "ITV will bring UK football fans near-live highlights of World Cup action on Twitter and Facebook". TNW. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Murphy, David (February 18, 2014). "Grabyo Study Shows Social’s Power in Promoting TV Content". Mobile Marketing Magazine. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  10. ↑ Fratti, Karen (October 20, 2015). Week "Grabyo Adds Square, Vertical Video Capabilities" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Flomenbaum, Adam (July 20, 2015). "Wimbledon generates over 48 million video views across social platforms". The Drum. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  12. 1 2 McCarthy, John (May 28, 2015). "Formula E drives engagement with social video in Grabyo partnership". The Drum. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  13. ↑ Cookson, Robert (October 22, 2013). "BSkyB and Twitter to share Champions League video highlights". The Financial Times. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  14. ↑ Middleton, Richard (February 12, 2014). "Grabyo chief executive from Sky". C21 Media. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  15. ↑ Arthur, Rachel (September 4, 2014). "Hunter to partner with tech startup Grabyo for real-time fashion show". Forbes. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  16. ↑ Edmonds, Lizzie (September 11, 2014). "High (tech) fashion: your personalised view of London fashion week". Evening Standard. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Sweney, Mark (November 25, 2014). "Premier League stars chip in to help video sharing firm Grabyo raise $2m". The Guardian. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  18. ↑ Beck, Martin (April 16, 2015). "Grabyo Launches A Mobile Video App For VIPs". Marketing Land. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  19. 1 2 Newton, Richard (July 9, 2015). "The Wimbledon trick shot that rang out across social media". Financial Times. Retrieved July 9, 2015.

External links

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