Bleacher Report
Four high school classmates from Menlo School in Atherton, California gathered to build a sports website in 2005. Dave Finocchio, Zander Freund, Bryan Goldberg, and Dave Nemetz shared a passion for Ken Griffey Jr. that sparked their initial writing efforts. By the spring of 2007, the team secured office space in Menlo Park for just $650 per month with help from friends J.B. Long and Ryan Alberti. The group announced Series A funding during their public launch in February 2008. Investors included Hillsven Capital, Transcoast Capital, and Vimeo founder Jakob Lodwick. Eight months later, they secured $3.5 million in Series B funding from Gordon Crawford and SoftTech VC. A Series C round led by Crosslink Capital brought an additional $10.5 million in December 2010.
Time Warner acquired Bleacher Report through Turner Broadcasting System on the 6th of August 2012 for $175 million. David Levy, president of sales at Turner, cited rapid growth and loyal users as key reasons for the deal. Brian Grey served as CEO until October 2013 when he stepped down following integration pressures. Dave Finocchio took over leadership after Grey left and reported to Matt Hong, Turner Sports Chief Operating Officer. Zander Freund departed the company entirely in 2009 while Bryan Goldberg and Dave Nemetz transitioned out of VP roles during the acquisition process. Dorth Raphaely became General Manager in September 2014 replacing Finocchio temporarily before he returned as CEO in January 2016. Howard Mittman eventually took over as CEO in late 2019 before resigning in June 2020 due to staff concerns about diversity issues.
Bleacher Report launched House of Highlights in 2015 acquiring a popular sports-themed Instagram page dedicated to highlight videos. The company introduced B/R Gaming in 2016 focusing on video games and esports content. Gridiron Heights debuted in October 2016 as an animated web series satirizing NFL stars and executives. B/R Kicks opened its doors in 2018 targeting sneaker collectors and enthusiasts. The organization created B/R Betting in 2019 to cover sports wagering topics exclusively. A partnership with All Elite Wrestling began establishing Bleacher Report as the exclusive home for their pay-per-view events in the United States. Turner secured broadcasting rights to AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage through parent company agreements. Game of Zones ended production in 2020 after running multiple seasons featuring animated NBA figures parodying HBO shows.
Early criticism targeted Bleacher Reports initial commitment to an open publishing model allowing any registered user to post articles. SB Nation Senior MMA editor Luke Thomas described the operation as the Walmart of Journalism with toothless amateur coverage. Tech columnist Vivek Wadhwa accused the site of dumbing down the web through custom-manufactured garbage in an October 2012 SF Weekly article. Deadspin published a narrative by former columnist Tom Schreier detailing his three-year journey writing over 500 articles for just $200. Schreier generated nearly three million page views while working as what he called one more drone pumping content to get clicked on. The Onion lampooned these themes in December 2012 highlighting concerns about low-quality search-optimized slideshow content production.
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Common questions
Who founded Bleacher Report and when was it created?
Four high school classmates from Menlo School in Atherton, California founded Bleacher Report in 2005. The founders were Dave Finocchio, Zander Freund, Bryan Goldberg, and Dave Nemetz.
When did Time Warner acquire Bleacher Report and for how much money?
Time Warner acquired Bleacher Report through Turner Broadcasting System on the 6th of August 2012 for $175 million. David Levy cited rapid growth and loyal users as key reasons for the deal.
What new divisions did Bleacher Report launch between 2015 and 2019?
Bleacher Report launched House of Highlights in 2015, B/R Gaming in 2016, Gridiron Heights in October 2016, B/R Kicks in 2018, and B/R Betting in 2019. These divisions focused on highlight videos, esports, animated series, sneakers, and sports wagering respectively.
Why did Howard Mittman resign as CEO of Bleacher Report in June 2020?
Howard Mittman resigned as CEO in June 2020 due to staff concerns about diversity issues. He had taken over leadership in late 2019 before stepping down that year.
How did critics describe the early open publishing model at Bleacher Report?
Critics described the initial commitment to an open publishing model as allowing toothless amateur coverage and dumbing down the web. SB Nation Senior MMA editor Luke Thomas called it the Walmart of Journalism while Tech columnist Vivek Wadhwa accused the site of producing custom-manufactured garbage.