blip.tv is a video sharing service designed for creators of user-generated content. blip.tv provides content creators with free hosting, support for a variety of video formats, distribution using technologies like RSS and an opt-in advertising program with a 50/50 revenue share. blip.tv focuses on “episodic content” or “shows”, rather than viral video.

In addition to its public services at www.blip.tv, the company also offers private label technology solutions for traditional media companies who want to integrate user-generated content into their existing platforms. Customers include Turner Broadcasting and Condé Nast.

blip.tv was founded in May 2005 by Mike Hudack (CEO), Dina Kaplan (COO), Justin Day (CTO), Jared Klett and Charles Hope. The unusually large group of founders had been working together building knowledge-management software when they joined the Yahoo! Videoblogging Group and found that hundreds of videobloggers were creating high-quality independent video content for Web distribution. In the team’s opinion existing software and services didn’t meet videobloggers needs. They launched the first version of blip.tv the following week, based on their existing knowledge management software .

The founders “bootstrapped” the company for the first six months of its operation, working on the project part-time on nights and weekends. The company formally announced it had received angel funding in July 2006 but did not reveal its investors or the amount of its funding . In statements on mailing lists and in their blog, however, the company had made it clear prior to July 2006 that they had been funded.

Shortly after announcing its funding, blip.tv announced that CNN had licensed its platform to power user-generated content ingest and management for CNN iReport, the cable network’s citizen journalism initiative. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The company now maintains offices in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. It appears to be operating on angel financing alone, at least insomuch as it has not announced a venture capital fundraising round, unlike most or all of its competitors. “We have been very carefully growing the business and hiring as we make money”, says Hudack.

Philosophy

blip.tv has grown out of the “videoblogging community” and concentrates its sales, marketing and technology efforts on serving this community. The founders have often talked about how they focus on content creators making “serialized content” or “shows” rather than “viral video” or “friends and family” video. “The blip.tv formula purposefully does not emulate the YouTube viral video sharing and friends and family video hosting model”, ZDNet blogger Donna Bogatin recently wrote.

Other Information

• Founded May 2005
• Key People : Mike Hudack (CEO), Dina Kaplan (COO), Justin Day (CTO), Jared Klett and Charles Hope

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