Sony Pictures' Crackle Bursts onto Scene and Screen with Pioneering Studio Model

Sony Pictures' Crackle Bursts onto Scene and Screen with Pioneering Studio Model

Sony Pictures-owned company rewards and celebrates the best emerging online video creators

SAUSALITO, Calif., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Crackle, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company formerly known as Grouper, today announced the launch of its streaming entertainment network. Crackle's comprehensive approach includes a unique programming and editorial strategy, wide-reaching global distribution platforms and collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the IMPROV Comedy franchise and other leading media companies. Crackle's development of "fame partnerships" with these media and entertainment companies provides a launch pad for the best emerging video talent.

"Crackle's irreverent editorial team, with a little help from our viewers, programs our provocative and entertaining channels for an audience of 25 million monthly unique users. We reward the best video creators with Crackle funding, promotion, syndication and even greater exposure to our large media partners. Great content surfaced from our open studio model is the key to our success," said Josh Felser, founder and co-president of Crackle.

"The evolution of online video will bring viewers more professionally produced material," said Sean Carey, senior executive vice president, Sony Pictures. "Crackle will provide this next wave of creative talent a forum that will give them the exposure and recognition they seek and deserve."

Crackle's new entertainment model includes:

-- World-Renowned Fame Partnerships - Crackle catapults top creators to
fame with on-going access and exposure to leaders in the entertainment
industry like Sony Pictures Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks,
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Television, IMPROV Comedy Lab and
soon many more.

-- Ambitious animators will have unprecedented access to artists from
Sony Pictures Imageworks, an award-winning visual effects and
animation company, and Sony Pictures Animation, the distinguished
Hollywood digital animation studio. Winners of the quarterly contest
on Wet Paint, Crackle's edgy animation channel, will receive a cash
prize and fly to Los Angeles to pitch Sony Pictures Animation
executives for a chance to have their animated short theatrically
released. Additionally, winners will be invited by Imageworks to
attend Siggraph, the preeminent computer graphics conference, in
August 2008.
-- A Crackle Studios development deal and a much sought-after pitch
meeting with Columbia Pictures will be awarded on Shorts, Crackle's
Short Film channel. Quarterly contest winners will receive funding
from Crackle Studios to develop and produce short form material for
Crackle distribution. Winners will also fly to Los Angeles to pitch
their feature film concepts to Columbia creative executives. A
similar Crackle Studios development deal will also be awarded on
Moving Targets, Crackle's upcoming sketch variety channel. Quarterly
contest winners will receive Crackle funding to develop projects for
Crackle distribution. They will also meet with creative executives
from Sony Pictures Television to pitch and present their television
ideas.
-- The best emerging stand-up comedians spotlighted each month on High
Wire, Crackle's stand-up comedy channel, will win a chance to be
center stage at the world famous IMPROV comedy clubs. They will have
an opportunity to pitch their comedy shorts to creative executives
of the IMPROV Comedy Lab (a new comedy centric broadband content
studio) for final production and distribution. The premier comedy
club chain will offer one very hilarious contest winner a chance to
fly either to LA, NY or Chicago to perform a 15 minute set on a hot
ticket Thursday, Friday or Saturday night.

-- Multiplatform Distribution & Global Syndication - Crackle offers a
multi-platform, global syndication network across Sony devices, IPTV,
leading social networks and viral Web distribution (e.g. MySpace,
Facebook, hi5, AOL, Piczo, WordPress and many more). For Sony
consumers, Crackle now provides content across a growing list of Sony
environments including the Sony PSP, Sony VAIO and Sony BRAVIA.

-- Engaging Original Content - Crackle delivers audiences original and
engaging entertainment from a unique mix of undiscovered talent and
well-known stars.

Crackle' s branded channels are seeded and given context by Crackle's original productions while the company's open studio model encourages all to submit their creative works to the channels. Here's a taste of Crackle's branded channels:

-- Judgment Day, a collaborative reality show where people "judge"
people they don't know and then interview them to find out if their
assumptions were right.
-- Scrambler, a video music magazine with an indie rock focus.
-- High Wire, a virtual stage for stand-up comedy from nationally
touring comics to amateur impersonations.
-- Wet Paint, short-form edgy animation.
-- Firehouse, sponsored by Rescue Me, Firehouse features real stories
from real firefighters
-- Moving Targets, a sketch variety channel coming soon to Crackle.

Crackle has secured the exclusive, worldwide distribution rights to Mr. Deity, the brilliant, biting original comedy from writer/director Brian Dalton. Saturday Night Live alumna Julia Sweeney has dubbed it "Hilarious! I laughed really, really hard." The 10 episodes currently on the site have received over 5.7 million views since March 2007. As a result of the overwhelming viewer response, Crackle has committed to an additional 10 episodes for Season Two which will premiere in Moving Targets, Crackle's upcoming sketch variety channel.

-- Unique Editorial Perspective - Crackle's new entertainment model
includes an editorial perspective that combines the diverse voice of
its audience, cultural tastemakers, and third-party partners who work
in concert to spotlight and surface the most riveting videos.
Crackle's weekly People's Choice Awards give the audience a say in
what is featured too.

-- One-of-a-Kind User Experience - With Crackle, audiences will view
videos in widescreen, 16x9 format, and have continuous viewing
capability even while surfing through different channels on the site.
The first major site to offer this seamless, dynamic stream of videos,
Crackle audiences will no longer have to suffer through interruptions
while browsing and discovering new videos.

-- Branded Environments for Advertisers - Crackle offers powerful brand
building opportunities for advertising partners. In the coming
months, Crackle's premium channels will be paired with advertising
sponsors as well as distinctive 'skins' to create unique branded
environments that support the advertiser and genre specific videos.
Advertisements will appear on each channel's homepage, in addition to
airing within the video player, creating a seamless branded
environment within the network.

-- An example of Crackle's innovative sponsorship opportunities
includes Sony Electronics presenting sponsorship of all high
definition viewing on Crackle, as well as providing a High
Definition Headquarters with tips for producing, editing and viewing
in high definition.

About Crackle

Crackle, Inc., a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company formerly known as Grouper Networks, Inc., is a streaming entertainment network dedicated to the discovery and development of pioneering video creators across a diverse range of genres. Crackle delivers programmed and customized video streams to a global audience via a multi-platform, syndication network that includes Sony devices, IPTV, leading social networks and one-click viral Web distribution. Crackle launches the most innovative creators with on-going collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment and other leading fame partners. Visit Crackle's new site at www.crackle.com.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com/.

Source: Crackle, Inc.

CONTACT: Shari Doherty of Crackle, Inc., +1-415-877-4082, or
shari@grouper.com, or Taryn Langer of Group SJR, +1-212-751-3392, or
tlanger@groupsjr.com, for Crackle, Inc.

Web site:

http://www.crackle.com/
http://www.sonypictures.com/

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