Fullscreen Acquires Supernova; What Comes Next?
Fullscreen, one of the largest multichannel networks in the online video space, announced that it has acquired mobile app maker Supernova (known as Viddy, until November, 2013) for an undisclosed amount. Viddy was a hot prospect to become the Instragram for video, until it lost out to Vine and Instagram itself. When it changed its name, it announced the apps Clique and Epic, hoping to recreate its previous buzz.
This is a new area for Fullscreen, which has so far focused on developing new media personalities and shows. One clue to Supernova's new direction comes in a statement from Supernova's co-founder and CEO JJ Aguhob, saying "We are thrilled to turn our attention toward serving and exciting the thousands of creators in Fullscreen’s global network.” Apparently, Supernova's team will pivot from creating consumer-facing apps to creating apps for Fullscreen's video creators.
Fullscreen's statement doesn't offer much information on where Supernova will go from here. It says that Supernova will help it support storytelling and will create tools that strengthen Fullscreen's offerings to talent and brands. Fullscreen CEO and founder George Strompolos notes that Fullscreen's viewers use mobile devices 40 percent of the time, a number rising quickly. It looks like Supernova will create storytelling tools that enhance the mobile viewing experience.
"With the acquisition of Supernova, we are well-positioned to capitalize on this major shift in consumer behavior through rich mobile video content experiences. Perhaps most importantly, the Supernova team shares our vision to empower the connected generation of creators," Strompolos says.
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