There is a lot of great video content on the web – the problem is finding the right thing to watch. 5by, the video discovery platform acquired by StumbleUpon in September 2013, solves that. 5by founder Greg Isenberg wanted to surface the best web videos based on a user’s moods and preferences to eliminate the guessing game associated with searching for videos.
In a LinkedIn Influencer post about Isenberg and the ‘Anatomy of a Million Dollar Idea,’ Isenberg tells writer J.T. O’Donnell: “I was trying to find an app that would serve me content based on my mood and preferences. Similar to music apps like Pandora or Spotify, I wanted to be able to sit on my iPad and have short videos queued up instead of having to watch TV or manually search for them on the web. When I realized no such app existed, I immediately got started on the project to create one.”
In addition to personalized mood and preference-based content, the app – which recently won the People’s Voice Webby Award for Best Entertainment App – Handheld Device – also features channels such as “Basketball,” “Cool,” and “TV”. Theo Tabah, Head of Content, is 5by’s lead curator, and helps scour the web for videos that are about to go viral. Theo and his team then select the best videos for each channel.
In our first installment of a partnership with 5by, we take a look at the top videos of the week from 5by’s TV channel. The videos selected are based on user engagement, reactions, favorites and shares. Here’s Tabah’s take on his team’s picks for the week:
Samuel L. proved that he’s still got it by reciting his infamous ‘Pulp Fiction’ speech entirely from memory on The Graham Norton Show. Within a few days the video won over the Internet and quickly escalated to over 1 million views.
With everyone buzzing about the finale of ‘Game of Thrones’ (Season 4) and release of Netflix’s original series ‘Orange is The New Black’ (Season 2), we had to showcase the two villains fans love to hate. It’s hard to believe they’re the same person when out of character in these clips.
John Oliver’s new HBO show is gaining serious traction, and for good reason. Check out the Stephen Hawking interview and you’ll see what we mean.
Lastly, America’s favorite talent show is known for its awesome acts but you have to watch this magician’s tricks to understand why it’s been viewed 5 million times in one week.
Samuel L. Jackson Recites His Infamous ‘Pulp Fiction’ Speech on The Graham Norton Show
Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) and Jimmy Kimmel Exchange Insults Game of Thrones Style
Pablo Shreiber on ‘Stache’ – Orange is the New Black
Stephen Hawking Interview on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Bar Magician Blows Judges Away on America’s Got Talent