Berlin-based streaming guide JustWatch acquires New York rival GoWatchIt
Reported today on TechCrunch
For the full article visit: https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/09/berlin-based-streaming-guide-justwatch-acquires-new-york-rival-gowatchit/
Berlin-based streaming guide JustWatch acquires New York rival GoWatchIt
Berlin-headquartered streaming guide JustWatch has grown to over 10 million users across 38 countries in under 5 years. Now, it's expanding its U.S. presence with the acquisition of New York-based rival, GoWatchIt, from Plexus Entertainment. Deal terms were not revealed but were a mixture of cash and stock for the smaller operation, which had just 8 people on board.
JustWatch says its interest was mostly in the commercial team based in New York. As a result of the acquisition, GoWatchIt founder and CEO David Larkin will remain in New York and will become JustWatch's SVP Marketing and Strategy.
GoWatchIt is one of now several services that offer a comprehensive guide to movies and TV aimed at helping people find things to watch across an increasingly fragmented streaming landscape, which now includes new services like Apple TV+ and Disney+, and soon, NBCU's Peacock and WarnerMedia's HBO Max. As a result of all the new entries, it has become more difficult for consumers to know what's available, where it streams, and how much it costs. Plus, consumers also want help in finding new shows and movies across services that are personalized to their own interests.
This is where services like GoWatchIt and JustWatch came in.
GoWatchIt was founded in 2011 at a guide to streaming content, as well as digital content and even movies playing in theaters. The service additionally offered an API to partner sites who wanted to inform their visitors and readers where content was available. These partners included The New York Times, National Cine Media, and Common Sense Media, among others.
According to JustWatch, the acquisition of GoWatchIt made sense as the U.S. had already grown