VidAngel Raises $600k to Launch Streaming Movies & YouTube Clean-Up App for Families
Salt lake City, UT (PRWEB) July 25, 2014 -- VidAngel, a website and web app that allows you to stream movies & watch YouTube without the bosoms, blood, or bad words, raised $600 thousand in seed capital from Alta Ventures, Kickstart Seed Fund and Stoneway Capital. Like an ultimate remote control, VidAngel BETA is now available to give movie and video fans the option to filter out offensive content and still enjoy the genius of Hollywood.
“Consumers are more selective than ever, expecting customized products and services,” stated Paul Ahlstrom, Managing Director for Alta Ventures. “We invested in VidAngel because of the proven management team and their innovative product that provides families more choice in controlling what comes into their homes.”
Think Wikipedia collaboration for family-friendly video filters. VidAngel is powered by a rapidly growing volunteer community of avid fans of family-friendly video. Community members tag potentially offensive swearing, sex and violence in movies, TV shows and YouTube videos. These tags provide a customizable filter so viewers control what they see and hear based on their personal values and content preferences.
“VidAngel expands Hollywood’s market base as they seek ways to reach more viewers by adjusting their films for different audiences,” explains Neal Harmon, CEO of VidAngel. “There is the Studio’s Final Cut for theaters. The Director’s Cut for the artists. The Airline and Broadcast Cut for the FCC. The Middle Eastern cut for Islam. And fan cuts like people uploading just sex scenes from Game of Thrones to YouTube. There seems to be a cut for everyone. But, one major group was missing, a Family Cut for streaming. Hence, why we created VidAngel.”
During VidAngel’s BETA testing over 10,000 families subscribed to VidAngel to create their own cut of each movie for just their family. Viewers choose exactly what they want to filter, meaning turn off just F-words, or just one nude scene, or any of thousands of configurations. VidAngel’s wildly successful launch video drives home the point at http://ow.ly/zy3aT.
“VidAngel is like a really powerful remote control,” explains Harmon, “You set up your remote before you start your movie and then enjoy the show without worrying about covering your kids eyes.”
About one half of 900 American families polled say they would prefer a more family friendly version of movies if given the option. Even more surprising, nine out of ten movies rented on the VidAngel system would NOT have been watched without filtering. This means that 90 percent of VidAngel rentals are NEW business for Hollywood.
VidAngel’s approach to filtering is legal and explicitly protected by the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005. This law protects your right to remove “limited portions of audio or video content of a motion picture, during a performance in or transmitted to that household for private home viewing, from an authorized copy of the motion picture.”
Join the VidAngel community and filter favorite movies, TV shows and YouTube videos for free on desktop or laptop computers. Because VidAngel uses Google Play and YouTube, fans can easily rent almost all new releases, including new releases not available on Netflix. Initially available for Google Chrome browser, extended functionality and access is under rapid development.
About VidAngel
VidAngel is founded by the Harmon brothers, who are well known for creating the award winning YouTube sensation Girl’s Don’t Poop for Poo~Pourri (more than 27 million YouTube views) and co-founding Orabrush and Orapup, another award winning YouTube breakthrough. http://www.VidAngel.com
Danielle Durange
Pilmer PR
(704) 350-5373
ddurange(at)pilmerpr(dot)com
Danielle Durange, PILMERPR, +1 7043505373, [email protected]
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