The Prognosis is In and for SplashCast it is Terminal

Posted • August 7, 2009 • Comments Off

When you Jump from Focus to Focus it can be Harmful to your Company’s Health

In an earlier post about SplashCast I discussed the demise of the SplashCast service that I thought was their winner. They had a video hosting service that allowed you to create custom channels for your viewers. You could choose a list of not only your own videos but videos from other users. Their reasoning for abandoning this focus was monetization. They expressed dismay at not being able to figure out a way to make it profitable.
(Post from Search Engine Optimizician.)
SplashCast is not only throwing in the towel they are heading for the cemetery.

Farewell SplashCast

Posted on August 4, 2009
Posted by Mike Berkley

With sadness I report that SplashCast is closing shop and will be shutting down its services and application network over the next few weeks.

… We demonstrated that premium content applications in Facebook and MySpace can be monetized effectively with high-end display advertising. But that final chapter in the company’s history came too late, given our inability to convince the VC community to bet on us.

Sincerely,

Mike Berkley
Founder and CEO

Here is a timeline that SplashCast considers their key milestones:

• 2004 – launch of QMIND, collaborative enterprise content management
• 2006 – from enterprise software to consumer internet (QMIND to SplashCast)
• 2007 – from e-learning to social networking and user generated content
• 2007 – from user generated content to premium music content (partnering with Sony BMG)
• 2008 – from premium music content to branded content (partnering with Nike and Red Bull)
• 2008 – from branded content to premium TV (partnering with Hulu.com)
• 2009 – to defining the next evolution in online video – Social TV

I can’t say that I will miss Social TV but I still miss the SplashCast channel network. You do notice that my favorite service isn’t even mentioned in their touted milestones.

Goodbye SplashCast we shall miss ye!

Late,
Gary Pool

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