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Flixster has raised $7.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Flixster.
Flixster has raised $7.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Flixster was a San Francisco, California-based social-networking movie website that allowed users to discover films, rate actors, view trailers, and connect with other moviegoers. The platform accumulated over 100 million individual film reviews from its user base and raised $19.5 million in total venture capital funding during its operational history. Early financial backing for the company came from notable angel investors including Bebo founder Michael Birch and venture capitalist Kevin Hartz. The organization expanded its industry footprint by owning the popular review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes before eventually being acquired by Fandango, a subsidiary of Comcast NBCUniversal, in 2016. Following the acquisition, the platform ceased its primary United States operations in 2018 as users were migrated to Fandango's internal digital video streaming services. Flixster was originally founded in 2006 by entrepreneurs Joe Greenstein and Saran Chari.
Flixster has raised $7.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Series B in April 2008.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2008 | $5M Series B | — | Lightspeed Venture Partners | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2007 | $2M Series A | — | Greylock, Lightspeed Venture Partners | Announced |
Flixster has raised $7.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Flixster's investors include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Greylock.
Key people at Flixster.
High-Level OverviewFlixster is a technology company that built a popular social-networking platform centered on movies, enabling users to discover new films, access reviews and trailers, and connect with others who share similar tastes. It served millions of users monthly through its website and mobile apps, offering features like movie showtimes, UltraViolet digital rights access, and streaming capabilities. Flixster’s product primarily targeted movie enthusiasts seeking a centralized community and convenient access to movie-related content, solving the problem of fragmented movie discovery and viewing experiences. The company experienced significant growth, reaching over 20 million combined mobile app downloads by 2010 and becoming a top movie app on iOS, Android, and BlackBerry platforms[1][2].
Origin StoryFlixster was founded in January 2006 in San Francisco by Joe Greenstein and Saran Chari. The idea emerged from the founders’ vision to create a social network dedicated to movies, combining community interaction with movie discovery tools. Early traction came from its viral marketing strategies and the launch of mobile applications starting in 2008, which helped the company rapidly expand its user base. A pivotal moment was its acquisition of Rotten Tomatoes in 2010, which significantly enhanced its content offering and influence in the movie review space. In 2016, Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes were acquired by Fandango, marking a new phase in its corporate evolution[1][2][3].
Core Differentiators- Product Differentiators: Flixster combined social networking with movie discovery, integrating user reviews, trailers, showtimes, and digital rights management (UltraViolet) in one platform.- Developer Experience: It supported multiple platforms including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone, ensuring broad accessibility.- Speed, Pricing, Ease of Use: The mobile apps were highly rated for ease of use and quick access to movie information, contributing to its status as a top movie app.- Community Ecosystem: Flixster fostered a large, engaged community of movie fans, enhanced by its acquisition of Rotten Tomatoes, which added a trusted critical review aggregation system[1][2].
Role in the Broader Tech LandscapeFlixster rode the wave of social networking and mobile app proliferation in the mid-2000s, capitalizing on consumers’ growing desire for integrated entertainment experiences. The timing was crucial as smartphones became ubiquitous, and digital rights management standards like UltraViolet emerged, allowing users more flexibility in how they accessed purchased content. Flixster influenced the broader ecosystem by pioneering social movie discovery and integrating critical and audience reviews, setting a precedent for later platforms that blend content aggregation with social features. Its acquisition by Fandango positioned it within a larger entertainment ticketing and streaming ecosystem, reflecting market consolidation trends[1][3].
Quick Take & Future OutlookFollowing its acquisition by Fandango in 2016, Flixster’s standalone website was discontinued in 2018, with the brand continuing primarily as a mobile app. The future of Flixster as an independent platform appears limited, as the market increasingly favors integrated streaming services and personalized recommendation algorithms (e.g., Netflix). However, its legacy in social movie discovery and review aggregation remains influential. Trends such as AI-driven personalized content curation and direct-to-consumer streaming may further diminish the role of traditional movie community platforms like Flixster, but its early innovations helped shape how audiences engage with film content digitally[1][4].
