Skip to main content

Vevo buys Showyou video aggregator to step up to YouTube

vevo acquires showyou subscriptions screens
Image used with permission by copyright holder
A subscription video service ala YouTube Red may be on its way to video streaming service Vevo. The service has acquired Showyou, a short-form video aggregation startup which began offering subscriptions for publishers’ content last year. In a nutshell, it serves up a stream of video shorts from content providers like Vice and Funny or Die, according to Bloomberg.

The acquisition is part of Vevo CEO Erik Huggers’ quest to position itself as a prominent stand-alone video streamer. Vevo currently relies heavily on syndication through YouTube, a minority shareholder, and other video streamers for revenue.

Recommended Videos

“With the acquisition of Showyou we take a significant step forward in re-positioning Vevo as a best-in-class product-driven organization,” said Huggers in a statement. “Showyou allows us to accelerate our pace of innovation with the ability to rapidly add new and differentiated features as we iterate our products in 2016 and beyond.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Launched in 2011, Showyou was featured multiple times in Apple’s best-of app lists. The service began a pilot subscription effort last year with channels from Above Average and IndieFlix. It spent the past year expanding and “had just launched a wave of new tools this past July when we began talking to [Vevo’s] Erik Huggers,” according to Showyou founder and president Mark Hall in a blog post.

Vevo will acquire the start-up for its “technologies,” according to Bloomberg. Seven out of nine employees, including Hall, will join Vevo’s team. “Showyou’s capabilities, combined with the breadth and scale of the Vevo platform, will enable us to create an exciting new class of products that should delight both music fans and artists,” explained Hall in a statement.

Vevo, founded in 2009 primarily to distribute music videos for Universal Music and Sony Music, reports a massive 12 billion monthly views of its music video and entertainment programming. The streamer introduced an iPhone app last month and plans to launch apps for other operating systems going forward.

Chris Leo Palermino
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chris Leo Palermino is a music, tech, business, and culture journalist based between New York and Boston. He also contributes…
Best live TV streaming services: YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling TV, and more
Amazon Prime Live TV on an iPad 11 Pro.

When it comes to cutting the cord and switching from cable to streaming, consumers today have more options than ever before. The most popular streaming services out there deliver tons of content from existing favorites, to new original content, and free ad-based streaming TV services exist, allowing you to watch without ever paying a dollar while you do. There's also a third choice, with streaming giants delivering the best alternative for live TV, with live streaming services.

From Hulu + Live TV to YouTube TV, live streaming has come a long way. They deliver options for VOD programs that you watch on your own schedule, to new live programming, and even live televised events and sports matches.

Read more
YouTube TV: plans, pricing, channels, how to cancel, and more
An NFL Sunday Ticket multiview option on YouTube TV.

Remember when Netflix was just a mail-order DVD service? Now that VOD platforms all but rule the world, every big entertainment brand is striving for its shot at streaming stardom. With new apps and services landing regularly, it can be hard to tell what platforms to pay attention to. But heed our words, friends: trust in YouTube TV. 

Similar to Hulu Plus Live TV, Sling TV, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV offers linear and on-demand YouTube movies and shows. There are several other perks to enjoy too, and we’ve broken everything down in this complete guide to YouTube TV.

Read more
National Geographic expands on YouTube with new series and fourth channel, Nat Geo en Español
Poster of National Geographic's new YouTube channel, Nat Geo en Español.

On Tuesday, National Geographic announced the evolution of its digital footprint with several additions to its social media channels, including YouTube. National Geographic has added a fourth YouTube Channel, Nat Geo en Español.

Nat Geo en Español allows Spanish-speaking subscribers to consume National Geographic's award-winning content. The new channel will eventually host over 200 hours of Nat Geo's culture, wildlife, and history content. Since July 10, Nat Geo en Español has accumulated 10.2 million views, 3.4 million watch hours, and 46,000 subscribers.

Read more