| Owner | CBS Interactive |
|---|---|
| URL | www.clicker.com (forwards towww.tv.com) |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | November 12, 2009[1] |
| Current status | Inactive |
Clicker was an Internet video directory andsearch company based in Los Angeles, California. Theirwebsite aimed to be theTV Guide for all full episodes of programs available to watch on theWeb.[2] It is owned byCBS Interactive.
Clicker indexed only legal video that isstreamable online. It did nothost any content, instead focusing on helping users discover and navigate to professional content hosted by rights-holders. While much of the streaming video content Clicker indexes was available for free, Clicker also pointed to paid services likeAmazon Video-on-Demand,iTunes andNetflix Watch Instantly.[2] Clicker also began indexing Comcast Xfinity, Comcast's online library of TV shows and movies, in August 2010.[3]
In addition to search and directory services, Clicker offeredDVR-like features that enabled users to subscribe to shows and track when programs became available online.[4] Additionally, Clicker offered manysocial features for sharing programming information onFacebook[5] pages andTwitter.[6] In July 2010, Clicker launched Clicker Social,[7] which brought social discovery to the online television guide and let users share what they were watching, follow their friends, recommend shows and movies, and earn awards from content partners likeHBO,PBS,Showtime,Crackle,Revision3, Snag Films, NCAA Vault and more.[8]
In April, Clicker launched itsiPad Edition.[9] Users who visit the site from their iPad will be automatically redirected to a special version of Clicker that provides a complete programming guide for the iPad, making it easy for iPad users to find what broadcast-quality programming is available to watch and what's not. Clicker also has mobile apps for the iPhone and Android devices which let users check-in to share what they're watching, find programming to watch on their phone, and manage their Playlist.[10]
Clicker received an $8 million Series A investment in October 2008 from investorsBenchmark Capital andRedpoint Ventures,[11] and an $11 million Series B investment in February 2010 fromJafco Ventures, Benchmark and Redpoint.[12] Board members includeBill Gurley of Benchmark, Geoff Yang of Redpoint, andSlingbox founder Blake Krikorian. Clicker's CEO isJim Lanzone, former CEO of Ask.com. As part of its Series A round, Clicker also integrated ModernFeed.com, an online video directory.
The company was in stealth mode until it debuted atTechCrunch 50 (September 2009), with the stated goal of becoming the equivalent ofTV Guide for theWeb.[13] Clicker was runner-up for the Audience Award at the show. The website was in private beta for two months, and then launched publicly two months later at Gigaom'sNewTeeVee Live[1] in San Francisco. The Clicker product received a large number of positive critical reviews, including theWall Street Journal andCNET.[2][14]
CBS Interactive acquired Clicker in 2011.[15]
As of now, Clicker re-directs towww.tv.comArchived 2019-05-20 at theWayback Machine, with no previous Clicker functionality present. Since Clicker has ceased to operate, other services have launched that perform a similar function, such asMovie Monitor.[16]
Clicker'sdatabase included more than 750,000 episodes, from over 12,000 broadcast quality shows, from over 2,500 networks, 30,000 movies, and 90,000 music videos from 20,000 artists.
On December 3, 2009, Clicker launched an application onBoxee, which allows users to watch Clicker content from their television. The Clicker app does not include all of the content that currently is available on the website. The app initially included 180,000 episodes from over 3,000 TV and Web shows, as well as 5,000 movies.[14]
