BuddyTV
| Owner | David Niu, Andy Liu |
|---|---|
| Created by | Various contributors |
| Website | www |
| Launched | July 31, 2007 |
| Current status | Active |
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and user forums. On December 31, 2014, Smart TV manufacturer VIZIO acquired BuddyTV's parent Advanced Media Research Group, Inc., in order to expand content and service offerings.
BuddyTV was co-founded in 2005 by Andy Liu and David Niu. The pair graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Master of Business Administration. They sold their previous company, NetConversions, to aQuantive in 2004. While on a holiday, they realized that television is a "very passive or non-social experience", and wanted to "express ourselves at the time of the show". The website is also designed to allow real-time commentary for sports, allowing former players and fans to broadcast their opinions on basketball and baseball games. Niu felt that other Internet companies which were offering online sportscasting tools did not effectively combines audio broadcasts with online comments and forums.
In May 2007, BuddyTV received a loan of $250,000 from the Charles River Quick Start Seed Funding Program, at which time it was attracting 2 million unique visitors per month. In a first round financing, Gemstar-TV Guide International invested $2.8 million into the website. In September 2007, paidContent reported that BuddyTV was being acquired by Comcast, at which time it was receiving 3 million unique visitors per month and had hired 20 employees. However, the reports were later confirmed to be untrue. In April 2008, BuddyTV raised $6 million in a second round, with investments mainly coming from Madrona Venture Group. The two rounds saw a total raise of $9 million. Funding was expected to go towards investing in new personnel and technology.
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