Revision3 Corporation is a company.
Key people at Revision3 Corporation.
Revision3 Corporation was founded by Jay Adelson (Chairman, Founder).
Revision3 Corporation was founded by Jay Adelson (Chairman, Founder).
Key people at Revision3 Corporation.
Revision3 Corporation was a pioneering media company that built a TV network for the web, creating and producing original broadcast shows on niche topics, primarily technology, gaming, comedy, politics, DIY, and movies.[1][2][5] Headquartered in San Francisco, it targeted tech-savvy audiences seeking on-demand, specialized content, solving the problem of fragmented internet video by converging TV-style programming with internet distribution for loyal, niche communities.[1][2] Founded in 2005, it raised $9M, grew into the top non-fiction web-original video network, and was acquired by Discovery Communications (now Discovery Channel) in May 2012 for around $30M, after which it operated as a subsidiary under Discovery Digital Networks.[1][4]
Revision3 was founded in April 2005 in Los Angeles by Jay Adelson, Kevin Rose, and David Prager, with early involvement from Dan Huard, Keith Harrison, and Ron Gorodetzky—many former TechTV employees.[2][3] The idea emerged from frustrations with prior "revisions" of video: cable TV's broad appeal and PC-based internet video's lack of business model or audience loyalty; Revision3 aimed for a third revision merging TV and internet for on-demand niche content, enabled by iPods, TiVo, mobile, and broadband.[2] Show development started in July 2003 via "thebroken," a hacking-focused video podcast by Rose and Huard, gaining early traction post-TechTV's G4 merger, before relocating to San Francisco.[2]
Revision3 rode the early 2000s broadband and mobile video boom, pioneering web TV amid shifts from cable to on-demand streaming, influencing the rise of platforms like YouTube by proving niche, ad-supported original content could build audiences.[2] Its timing capitalized on post-TechTV talent and tools like iPods/TiVo, predating major OTT services and validating micro-networks for targeted communities, as seen in competitors like Next New Networks.[1] It shaped the ecosystem by accelerating creator economies and digital media acquisitions, paving the way for Discovery's digital expansion and today's niche streaming wars.[1][4]
Post-2012 acquisition, Revision3 integrated into Discovery Digital Networks, expanding to five networks before leadership transitions like CEO Jim Louderback's 2014 departure to pursue new ventures.[4] As a historical player, its influence endures in modern web TV, but no recent activity suggests it fully sunsetted under Discovery's evolving portfolio. Trends like AI-driven content personalization and short-form video (e.g., TikTok) could revive its niche model if reimagined, potentially evolving Discovery's assets amid streaming consolidation—echoing its original vision of loyal, on-demand audiences in a fragmented media world.[2]