Stirr

Last updated
Stirr
Stirr TV logo.png
Stirr logo
Type of site
streaming multi-channel platform
OwnerSinclair Broadcast Group (2019-2024)
Thinking Media (2024-present) [1]
URL stirr.com
CommercialYes
Launched16 January 2019;5 years ago (2019-01-16)
Current statusActive

Stirr is an American ad-supported video streaming service owned by Thinking Media. The streaming service is available on the web and via apps for iOS, Android devices and various streaming TV devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Android TV. Stirr's slogan is, "the new free TV."

Contents

History

Sinclair Broadcast Group began developing its technological infrastructure for the service before July 2017. The Stirr streaming service was announced by Sinclair in October 2018. Sinclair hired Scott Ehrlich to head up the service and hired staff in Los Angeles and Seattle. [2] Ehrlich is the Vice President of Emerging Platform Content at Sinclair. [3] Stirr was launched on January 16, 2019 [4] via a website and apps for iPhones, Android devices and various streaming TV devices, [4] Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. [5] With the pending acquisition of the Fox Sports Networks, Sinclair indicated that they were looking at synergies between Stirr and those RSNs. [6]

Stirr was sold to Thinking Media on January 24, 2024. [1]

Channels

Original Format under Sinclair's Ownership

Stirr originally drew on programming from the Sinclair TV stations and other streaming live channels with some programming available on demand. [4] Although there are several US city regions to choose from when navigating the service, users do not have any geographic restrictions on what they can view. [7] There were 20 national channels at launch on January 16, 2019 [5] with expectations of having 50 by the end of the year. [7] Ultimately, this number peaked to 100 channels. [8]

Stirr City was the primary streaming channel which pulls content based on the location/station selected. When network programming ran on the local OTA channel, Stirr City carried an alternate schedule drawing from the other Stirr channels. WJLA-TV of Washington, D.C. is set as the default if no Sinclair news-carrying station is nearby. [4] Second feeds can also be added to a local station's 'channel' during breaking news or severe weather events, as is done for WBMA-LD's Stirr channel, where meteorologist James Spann's live coverage of tornadic events in the Birmingham, Alabama market and Alabama in general is popular nationwide.

Additionally, Stirr had a number of private label channels, which at launch consisted of Stirr Movies, Stirr Sports and Stirr Life. [5] In addition, the service carried TV networks that Sinclair owns or hold a stake in like Comet, Stadium and The T. [9] Also, Stirr has TV series based channels. [10] [11] Some outside-produced channels are present on the platform, including Buzzr and Circle (the latter owned by a rival of Sinclair, Gray Television), which Stirr stated was the most popular channel on the platform as of July 2019. [12]

Current Format

The service no longer carries Sinclair's networks or the Stirr City channels, but a variety of other FAST channels.

Business

Stirr general manager is Adam Ware. [9] Sinclair vice president of emerging platform content is Scott Ehrlich, [7] under whom the streaming service was built. [2] While free, Sinclair's leaders plan on adding a premium pay tier of programming. [2] Sinclair Digital, Compulse and Sinclair’s local stations would coordinated between them with ad revenue shared with content partners. [5] Sinclair promotes Compulse, Sinclair's digital advertising unit, through its local stations. Although Stirr is composed of Sinclair owned streams and stations, Sinclair has its own streaming platform, Hummingbird, as well. [9] The last official press release referring to the service as an operating concern was on June 2022. [13]

2024 sale

Stirr was sold by Sinclair Broadcast Group to Thinking Media in January 2024. Due to the sale, all remaining live streaming content—by that point only the four remaining Sinclair-owned subchannel networks, as Sinclair had shut down Stirr City and cancelled its agreements with all other outside channels— was removed from the service. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Cheng, Roger (24 January 2024). "Sinclair Confirms Sale of Free Live Streaming Site STIRR to Startup". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Bloom, David (December 6, 2018). "Sinclair's Ripley STIRRs The Pot For New National, Localized Streaming Service". Forbes. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Netflix Turns Up Heat In Online Video's Shark Pool As Three More Services Jump In". TV[R]EV. 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Mae (January 16, 2019). "Sinclair debuts Stirr streaming service for its local TV stations". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Perez, Sarah (January 16, 2019). "TV broadcaster Sinclair launches STIRR, a free streaming service with local news and sports". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  6. ↑ Hayes, Dade (May 8, 2019). "Sinclair Looking To Add Live Sports Broadcasts To Its STIRR Streaming Service". Deadline. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 Littleton, Cynthia (January 16, 2019). "Sinclair Enters Streaming Arena With Entertainment Bundle and Local Channels". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Sinclair is Selling its Free Streaming Service STIRR". 23 January 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 Lafayette, Jon (January 16, 2019). "Sinclair Launching Stirr With National, Local Programming". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  10. ↑ Bouma, Luke (July 20, 2019). "Stirr Just Added Three New Channels to Its Lineup". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  11. ↑ Bouma, Luke (October 26, 2019). "The Free Streaming Service STIRR Has Added 6 New Channels to Its Lineup". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  12. ↑ Bouma, Luke (July 17, 2019). "Sinclair's Free Stirr Streaming Service Plans to Add 12 New Channels & Hits 1 Million Downloads". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Sinclair Names Adam Ware Senior Vice President, Growth Networks Group". Sinclair, Inc. June 15, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
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