Godtube

GodTube
Type Video hosting service
Owner Salem Web Network
Website www.godtube.com
Alexa rank 13,300 (April 2014)[1]
Current status Active

GodTube (formerly Tangle.com and GodTube.com) is an online video sharing platform which strives to have Christian content. It is owned by Salem Web Network, the Internet division of Salem Communications. GodTube has a variety of video selections including bands and singers in music videos, comedians and comedy skits, spoofs and parodies, videos featuring children and animals, sports, news, and videos intended to be inspirational. The site encourages users with the instruction, "Be inspired in your walk with Jesus Christ and grow in your knowledge of the Bible with videos highlighting inspirational messages and verses."[2]

History

GodTube was launched in the Spring of 2007 by founder Christopher Wyatt from Los Angeles, California, Jason Martell from San Diego, CA (BooyaMedia.com), Lloyd Chartrand,[3] and Mike Miller (former Executive Pastor of First Baptist Dallas).[4] Wyatt was once an online student at Dallas Theological Seminary. Wyatt was one of CBS's producers for the 1995 Day and Date show.[5]

Wyatt, a member of First Baptist Church of Dallas,[6] has likened the site to neutral "Switzerland", in that he claims it is open to all theological viewpoints. He has stated that even atheists are welcome as long as they state their case "respectfully". The terms of use, however, prohibit any content "contrary to the evangelization of Jesus Christ and His teachings, or constitutes blasphemy, or is otherwise offensive to our online Christian community".[7]

According to comScore, GodTube was the fastest growing US website of any kind for the month of August, 2007.[8] According to Quantcast, total monthly site traffic has since shed 75% of its users, from 2.7 million, to just over 690 thousand by February 2009.[9][10] In February, 2008 the company raised $30,000,000 from GLG Partners, LP, at a valuation of $150,000,000 after 5 months of operation.

In February 2009, GodTube re-launched as Tangle.com, expanding into a social network. Tangle also included other new features, such as an online bible, an "interactive prayer wall", and also encouraged non-Christians and atheists to participate and share their points of view as well. All activity on the site was also moderated in order to filter out objectionable content.[6] However, by April 2010, GodTube returned as a separate site alongside Tangle.

In May 2010, Salem Communications' Salem Web Network division acquired GodTube and Tangle.com's parent company Big Jump Media[11][12]

In June 2010, GodTube was recognized as one of the "Hottest Texas Companies" by Lead411.[13]

On December 1, 2010, Tangle.com was discontinued. As part of the transition, certain functionality was pointed towards other sites in the Salem network, and videos were migrated back to GodTube accounts.

Revenue model

GodTube draws revenue from direct and network ad buys across the site in the form of display ads, video pre-rolls, email placements, peel-back ads, featured video placements and more. GodTube strives to partner with Christian and family-friendly advertisers. Godtube allows members to create profiles and add videos to the categories.

Demographics

According to a November 2010 Quantcast assessment, the GodTube audience is 60% female and 40% male, with a high percentage of teenagers and baby boomers. Users are also widely middle class.[14]

According to Quantcast, there are higher percentages of teenagers, African Americans, college graduates, and middle-class people using Tangle.[15]

Investors

Although it was reported in the trade press in May, 2008 that they had received $30,000,000 in funding from GLG Partners, former Big Jump Media CEO Jason Illian was quoted by The Dallas Morning News as saying the investment was "actually around $17,000,000".[16]

According to Forbes, GLG's funds under management were deflated 40% after their ill-timed foray into GodTube. The founders of the hedge fund agreed to surrender their salaries in lieu of a $1 per year probationary stipend.[17]

KMA Direct Communications was a primary investor in the privately held web site.[18]

References

External links

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