I was watching the documentary We Live In Public the other day. Have you seen it? If you haven’t, you should. It’s great! A major part of the film focuses on a website called pseudo.com. Founded by Josh Harris, the Pseudo Online Network was way ahead of its time. At one point the site had upwards of sixty different web shows, each one dedicated to a different topic. All this happened about ten years ago, at the height of the Dot Com Bubble. After the bubble exploded everywhere, pseudo.com filed for bankruptcy. Today, the site looks like some kind of music video/online radio station with a dated aesthetic.
All of this got me thinking of other video based web companies that have existed, faded away, and in some cases were reborn.
Like these:
POP.com
Sure, Steven Spielberg’s made some of the best movies around, but the man isn’t without a couple of flops. No, I’m not talking about The Terminal. I’m talking about POP.com, a doomed collaboration between Spielberg and fellow director Ron Howard with financial backing from Microsoft’s Paul Allen. The venture was supposed to be comedic in nature, with projects from Steve Martin and other celebrities set to debut on the site. Soon, the company was burning $2.5 million a month. All of this sounded great at the time, but the reason POP didn’t take off is simple: it was 1999 and the broadband Internet had not yet become widely available.
SuperDeluxe was another site centered on comedy. This one featured original content from the likes of Bob Odenkirk, Tim and Eric, Norm Macdonald, and many more. Sounds pretty sweet, no? The only problem was SuperDeluxe was owned by Turner Broadcasting, which also owned Adult Swim.com. Both companies were competing for the same audience. Also not helping: Funny or Die was launched around the same time, making SuperDeluxe even more redundant. Soon after its birth, SuperDeluxe.com was folded into AdultSwim.com.
According to its wikipedia page, ManiaTV launched in 2004 as the world’s first Internet network. That distinction is debatable, if you ask me, but nobody did so let’s move on. Founder Drew Massey had high hopes for Mania, as he explained to Wired, “the whole mission is to do with internet TV what Ted Turner did with cable.” As we all know, that hasn’t happened. In 2009, the company ran out of money and ManiaTV closed down. So, what went wrong? Technically, nothing. In July of the same year, Massey raised more cash and was able to buy back the company and re-launch. This time around, the focus is on premium, live celebrity TV shows.
A union between United Talent Agency and web ad firm Spot Runner, 60Frames had access to some of the most talented people in show business. Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen were signed as advisors and content creators, plus all the clients of UTA at their disposal. What set 60Frames apart from competitors was its desire to be more of a “syndicator than a destination site.” It was more of a production company than a studio. In the end, not even the most creative minds could think of a way to get 60Frames funded. After laying off most of its staff, the venture was shuttered in 2009.
If you visit the ON Networks site, you’re greeted by an ominous 404 Error. It’s unclear what happened or is happening to ON Networks and why it suddenly stopped updating in early 2010. Whatever the case may be, ON Networks, like Pseudo.com before it, has an expansive and eclectic number of shows. Subjects run the gamut: from bartending to Amy Poehler extolling the virtues of being the Smart Girls at the Party. The good news is that all the episodes seem to still be viewable.
Not every “new media” venture has failed. Consider the continued popularity of sites like Revision3, NextNewNetworks, Funny or Die, and College Humor. As the relationship between the Internet and content creators evolves, only the strong (and smart) will survive.
