Akimbo First to Enable Video Blog Delivery to Any TV
Service Fills Missing Link
between Publishers and Consumers as New
New Feature Set Lets Small
Providers Easily Reach TV Audiences
SAN MATEO, Calif.,
– June 27, 2005 – As
the first and only company to deliver video via the Internet to
the TV, Akimbo continues to forge ahead, leading the way for
consumers to experience TV like never before. Now, Akimbo has
given video bloggers and other small publishers the capability
to reach TV audiences by delivering their content on the Akimbo
Service. This marks the first time that such videos are being
delivered to the television.
The
Internet has many assets that have been untapped to their
fullest potential. A medium for expression, the Internet has
become a place to find all types of content from individuals,
small companies or large media providers –aligned on the same
playing field. Digital media is looking to the Internet for
delivery, leaving the media unchained and enjoyable on an array
of devices. Blogs have enabled written expression to be
distributed easily. Podcasts and digital music services and
stores have enabled with the same for digital audio. Until
today, video programs were different € only the largest
providers reached the preferred viewing device, the TV. With
Akimbo’s new feature set, the ability to deliver programs to
consumers is now available to virtually anyone, from large
studios and networks to the individual with a personal message
or video to share.
Five
of the Internet’s most popular video blogs are now available on
the Akimbo Service, including Rocketboom, FreshWave.TV, Clint
Sharp’s Vlog, Steve Garfield’s Video Blog and “The Carol and
Steve Show,” and more are added each week. For the first time,
these leading-edge video programs are available on TV alongside
those from household names like A&E, BBC, CNN, HGTV and Cartoon
Network.
“Video bloggers are enthusiastic and prolific content providers.
We produce unique and sometimes quirky video for an audience who
wants to see and interact with us. It’s only natural that many
will want to watch our programs on their TVs. With the Akimbo
Service, the ‘Carol & Steve Show’ becomes a part of the Akimbo
Guide, right up there with mainstream cable and studio
providers, and lets us find a whole new audience that will enjoy
our shows,” said video blogger Steve Garfield. “By adding video
blogs, Akimbo is democratizing video distribution to the TV and
we hope that as more people get to see what video bloggers are
doing, they'll join in and participate in the citizens’ media
revolution.”
“Citizens’ media and personal video distribution are among the
fastest growing and most exciting areas of activity on the
Internet, as evidenced by the massive popularity of blogs,
podcasts and now video blogs,” said Akimbo Chief Executive
Officer Josh Goldman. “Akimbo was founded with the goal of
radically changing the economics of video delivery and enabling
consumers to share their videos for viewing on TV. We love
featuring these rising influencers on Akimbo and giving them
powerful new ways to get their messages out to an audience.”
“Video blogs are incredibly compelling because they take the
world and show it in a new light, one that is typically unedited
and uncensored,” said Rocketboom Producer Andrew
Baron. “Bringing video blogs directly to the TV may help the
industry to understand the viability of niche programming where
people enjoy content geared towards their individual tastes.”
Rocketboom,
a three-minute daily videoblog based in New York City, covers a
wide range of information and commentary from top news stories
to quirky Internet culture. With more than 6,000 posts and 282
thousand words written to the “Off
On A Tangent,”
Steve Garfield, a Boston-based video producer and editor, is one
of the Web's earliest blog authors. FreshWave.TV, a video blog
from Australia, is hosted, produced and
written by Shai Coggins and Bern Relos. Shai also runs a podcast
(Shai in 60 Seconds) and a blogging network (AboutWeblogs.com).
She also writes for About.com's Web Logs site
(weblogs.about.com).
Akimbo Service
The
Akimbo Service features videos from more than 125 distinctive
providers in 50 different categories, including many shows that
are not readily available on broadcast television. Akimbo’s
mainstream and niche content harnesses the power of the Internet
and the freedom of viewer-driven on-demand programming to give
viewers access to the world’s library of video. Akimbo
complements existing cable and satellite services.
A
subscription is required to activate the Akimbo Player and
access the Akimbo Guide. The Akimbo Service is $9.99 a month;
the first three months are free. A lifetime subscription is
$199.99. Akimbo’s June promotion features the Akimbo Player for
$99 and a lifetime service subscription for $169.99.
About Akimbo
With
the Akimbo Service, your wish is on demand™. Akimbo was named
“Best of What’s New” by Popular Science and accepted 2005
Digital World Innovations and CES Best of Innovations 2005
awards. With 12 patent applications featuring more than 150
patent claims, Akimbo is the first company to deliver
digital-quality video-on-demand to any television via a
broadband-Internet connection. Akimbo has offices in Los Angeles and San Mateo, Calif. and is a privately held company funded
by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson,
Sprout Group and Zone Ventures. For more information, visit
www.akimbo.com
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