Crackle

Crackle was a mid-tier AVOD platform that competed in the free streaming space but struggled to match the scale of Tubi and Pluto TV before its shutdown.

Crackle was a free, ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) streaming platform that provided consumers with access to movies, television series, and original content without a subscription fee. Originally launched as Grouper in 2004 and rebranded to Crackle after acquisition by Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2007, the service built its identity around offering Hollywood films and original programming supported entirely by advertising revenue. Sony later sold Crackle to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (CSSE) in 2019, which merged it with Redbox and other streaming assets to form a broader free streaming portfolio. Within the AdTech ecosystem, Crackle was significant as an early and prominent player in the AVOD space, demonstrating that ad-supported streaming could attract meaningful audiences and advertising budgets at a time when subscription models dominated. The platform offered advertisers access to a cord-cutting demographic through pre-roll, mid-roll, and branded content opportunities, and it competed directly with services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and Peacock's free tier. Crackle also produced original programming, which helped differentiate its content library and attract both viewers and premium advertisers. The platform's story came to an end following the financial collapse of its parent company. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July 2024, triggering a wind-down of its streaming operations. Crackle ceased service in mid-April 2025, and its trademarks were auctioned off on April 23, 2025. The shutdown marked the end of one of the longer-running AVOD brands in the United States, leaving its advertising inventory, audience data, and content relationships to be dissolved or acquired through the bankruptcy proceedings.