Media and entertainment
Media and entertainment: the closure stories and lessons of 121 startups.
121 startups
Gazete Duvar
An independent online newspaper launched after the 15 July coup attempt that lasted nine years
Closed2016 – 2025Nabız (Nabd Türkiye)
The Turkish edition of Nabd, the Arab world's news app, aggregating more than 300 Turkish sources
Closed? – 2024Superpeer
The platform where experts and influencers held paid one-to-one calls and livestreams
Closed2011 – 2023BuzzFeed News
BuzzFeed's Pulitzer-winning investigative journalism and news division
Closed2011 – 2023Dergilik (Turkcell)
Turkcell's digital publishing platform offering hundreds of magazines and newspapers in a single app
Closed2007 – 2022Bobiler.org
The photomontage community that brought "monte" culture to Turkish internet humour
Closed2020 – 2022Nimo TV Türkiye
The live-streaming platform through which China's Huya gathered mobile gaming streamers in Turkey
Closed2004 – 2020Alkışlarla Yaşıyorum
The video site that became Turkey's archive of comedy clips during the years YouTube was blocked
Closed2018 – 2020Quibi
The streaming service that raised $1.75 billion for short shows made to be watched on a phone
Closed2011 – 2019MoviePass
The monthly cinema subscription buried under its own subscriber boom
Closed2014 – 2018Radar Radio
The online radio station that was a stage for London's underground music until allegations of harassment and e
Closed2003 – 2016Gawker Media
The blog network behind Gawker, Gizmodo, Kotaku and Lifehacker
Closed2006 – 2015Grooveshark
The music service that grew on user-uploaded songs and was closed by copyright lawsuits
Closed2010 – 2015Rdio
The music streaming service known for its social features that spread to 85 countries
Closed2012 – 2014Aereo
A streaming service that brought local TV channels online through tiny rented aerials
Closed2011 – 2013Turntable.fm
The social listening site where users took turns playing DJ in virtual rooms
Closed2006 – 2010Lala
The music service that started with CD swapping and moved to 10-cent-a-song cloud streaming
Closed2000 – 2010LimeWire
The peer-to-peer file-sharing program that became the emblem of music sharing on the Gnutella network
Closed1995 – 2002Broadcast.com
A pioneer of internet radio and live streaming, and Yahoo's most expensive acquisition
Closed1999 – 2001Napster
The peer-to-peer file-sharing app that took MP3 music sharing mainstream
Closed2017 – 2026Humensis
French publishing group
Closed2016 – 2026PubPub Legacy
Publishing platform
Closed2003 – 2025Feelgood Scene Film og TV
Norwegian television production company
Closed2008 – 2025FiveThirtyEight
American news website
Closed2003 – 2025Les Moutons électriques
Media and entertainment
Closed1991 – 2025MRP Matila Röhr Productions
Finnish film production company
Closed2007 – 2025Ordet
Japanese animation studio
Closed2022 – 2025Relevo
Sports-related website
Closed2013 – 2025VIVOplay
Venezuelan online television channel
Closed2020 – 2025VShojo
Virtual YouTuber (VTuber) talent agency in the United States
Closed2019 – 2024NewsNet
News-oriented digital broadcast television network
Closed1994 – 2024Pol-ka Producciones
TV and film production company, record label based in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Closed2021 – 2024PRISM Project
English-language virtual YouTuber group
Closed2003 – 2024Redbox
American company specializing in DVD and Blu-ray rentals via automated retail kiosks
Closed2003 – 2024Rooster Teeth
American production company
Closed1995 – 2024Shoptime
Media and entertainment
Closed2022 – 2024Tenet Media
American right-wing media company
Closed2023 – 2024The Messenger
American news website
Closed2023 – 2024viiins
Media and entertainment
Closed2011 – 2023Gay Star News
News website related to LGBT
Closed2013 – 2023Gfycat
Video hosting service
Closed2015 – 2023LINE LIVE
Media and entertainment
Closed2020 – 2023Yuno Production
Japanese virtual YouTuber agency
Closed2020 – 2022AXEL-V
Japanese virtual YouTuber group
Closed2000 – 2022Editorial Meteora
Editorial catalana
Closed2002 – 2022Morgan & Claypool Publishers
Media and entertainment
Closed2009 – 2022Never Say Die Records
Record label based in London, United Kingdom
Closed2010 – 2022News360
Personalized news aggregation app for smartphones, tablets and the web
Closed2004 – 2022Novemberfilm
Norwegian film and television production company
Closed2015 – 2022WakuWaku Japan
Japanese pay TV channel
Closed2011 – 2021Mediakraft Networks
German multi-channel network
Closed2003 – 2021Metacafe
Video sharing website
Closed2015 – 2021Mondaze.tv
Media and entertainment
Closed1990 – 2021Next Digital
Hong Kong media company
Closed1996 – 2021Radio Disney
American youth-focused radio station chain
Closed2006 – 2021Stone Music Entertainment
South Korean music distribution company
Closed2015 – 2020HOOQ
Singapore-based video streaming provider
Closed2010 – 2020Metromuster
Media and entertainment
Closed2016 – 2020Mixer
Live streaming video platform owned by Microsoft
Closed2007 – 2020Peacock Productions
Long-form production unit of NBC News
Closed2001 – 2020Rádio Globo
Brazilian radio station
Closed2018 – 2020V. Lenzer Verlagskollektiv
German publisher
Closed2018 – 2019Entum
Management office specializing in virtual YouTubers
Closed2014 – 2019Studio Roqovan
Los Angeles company
Closed1995 – 2019Xebec
Japanese animation studio
Closed1993 – 2018Bongo Comics Group
American comic publisher
Closed1996 – 2018Defy Media
American digital media company
Closed2012 – 2018Feral Audio
Podcast network
Closed2015 – 2018go90
American video streaming service
Closed2002 – 2018HGST
American hard disk drive manufacturing company
Closed2008 – 2018Scripps Networks Interactive
American media company
Closed2007 – 2018Smotri.com
Media and entertainment
Closed2007 – 2018Super Deluxe
Entertainment company
Closed2004 – 2018Truveo
Video search engine
Closed2006 – 2017CBS Records
US record label
Closed1992 – 2017Computerra
Russian publishing house
Closed2008 – 2017Guvera
Music streaming service
Closed2003 – 2017LoveFilm
UK-based provider of DVD-by-mail and streaming video on demand in the UK and Germany
Closed2009 – 2017Maker Studios
American record label
Closed2014 – 2017Presto
Australian streaming service
Closed2014 – 2017Vidme
Video hosting service
Closed2010 – 2016Alchemy
Film production company
Closed2008 – 2016Aupeo
Internet-radio
Closed2008 – 2016MicroPower Technologies
Media and entertainment
Closed2005 – 2016Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction
American television production company
Closed2008 – 2016TakePart
Television series
Closed2009 – 2016TF1 International
Film production company
Closed2015 – 2016Vessel
Video hosting website
Closed1997 – 2016Wind-up Records
US record label
Closed2007 – 2015Openfilm
Video sharing website
Closed2009 – 2015Prometheus Global Media
New York City-based publishing group
Closed2004 – 2015Relativity Media
American media company located in Beverly Hills, California
Closed2009 – 2015Stardom Entertainment
South Korean record label
Closed2004 – 2015Top Up TV
UK pay TV sertice
Closed2003 – 2014Bischoff Hervey Entertainment
American production company
Closed2000 – 2014DailyCandy
Online media company
Closed2005 – 2014Mecom Group
British newspaper publishing company
Closed1999 – 2014Streampower
Media and entertainment
Closed1999 – 2014Tiglon
Media and entertainment
Closed2004 – 2014éditions Nicolas Chaudun
French publishing House
Closed2012 – 2013Atflick
Swedish company
Closed2001 – 2013Chapman Entertainment
British television production company
Closed2004 – 2013Punto Radio
Media and entertainment
Closed2010 – 2013The Newsweek Daily Beast Company
American media company
Closed2007 – 2012EMI Group Limited
British media holding company; founded Oct. 2007
Closed1997 – 2012NASA Image eXchange
NASA meta-search engine of photographic digital images
Closed2009 – 2012Switchover Media
Italian television broadcaster
Closed2009 – 2011Dedicated Records
American record label
Closed2002 – 2011Pixoff
Media and entertainment
Closed2000 – 2011Radical Axis
American animation studio
Closed2006 – 2010Mortification Records
Canadian record label
Closed2005 – 2010Xinhua Finance Media
Media group based in Beijing, subsidiary of Xinhua Holdings
Closed2008 – 2010Zaplive Media
German live streaming and web TV company, 2008 to 2010
Closed2007 – 2009SpiralFrog
Early music streaming service
Closed2000 – 2007Go Fish Pictures
American entertainment company
Closed2003 – 2007MovieBeam
Video-on-demand service
Closed2000 – 2007My-Tv
Italian internet television founded November 2000
Closed2000 – 2007Revolution Studios
American production company
Closed1997 – 2000Grimsaem
South Korean animation studio
Closed1997 – 2000Rogue
American film production company
Closed1992 – 1999Work Group
American record label
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This section is compiled from public sources (Wikidata, news archives and company announcements). Figures are given as they appear in those sources; unknown fields are left blank. If you spot a mistake in an entry, you can send us a correction.