Whipclip, a new app that lets you share video clips from TV shows, has teamed up with Comedy Central and Justin Bieber for “The Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber,” which airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET.
WME-backed Whipclip, which launched in the App Store on March 26, allows users to share clips during live broadcasts from Whipclip’s TV partners. Along with Comedy Central, Whipclip’s partners include ABC, CBS and Fox. Music labels Universal Music Group and Sony Music are also partners. Clips can be shared via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr), as well as through emails and texts.
Whipclip was co-founded by former Demand Media CEO Richard Rosenblatt. He tells The Wrap he got the idea for the app in January 2014, following the NFL’s NFC Championship game. He was eager to quickly share video of NFL star Richard Sherman’s on-camera rant, but instead had to search YouTube for relevant clips.
While Whipclip users can legally pull a clip based on the most recent two minutes of a live broadcast, the app does not allow you to continue watching the show. Clips can’t be longer than 30 seconds and to avoid spoilers, end of show clips aren’t available.
Along with WME, other high profile investors include Raine Ventures, Institutional Venture Partners and Greycroft.
9 Overnight Internet Sensations: From 'Alex From Target' to 'Hot Mug Shot Guy' (Photos)
Alex Lee, a 16-year-old bag boy at a Dallas Target store, became known simply as "Alex From Target" after a customer snapped his picture and posted it on Twitter. Lee became an overnight Internet sensation and landed a one-on-one with Ellen DeGeneres.
Alex Minsky went viral after his modeling shots hit the web. An Afghanistan vet, Minksy lost a leg after his Humvee ran over a roadside bomb. Instead of hiding his prosthesis, Minsky flaunted it on camera. His pictures became so popular, the California native was invited to New York to sit down with the ladies of "The View."
Chris Crocker, the boy in front of bedsheets tearfully begging people to “Leave Britney (Spears) alone!" got his big break after his video garnered an astounding 4 million views in two days. The YouTube clip inspired dozens of parodies by big-name celebs. He signed a show deal with Logo TV and has since proudly made a transition into gay porn.
Antoine Dodson was interviewed by a local TV crew after an intruder attempted to rape his sister. The interview became an Internet sensation and even got its own auto-tuned song by The Gregory Brothers which sold thousands of copies on iTunes.
Jeremy Meeks became "The Hot Mug Shot Guy" after he was arrested on gun and gang-related charges and his mugshot was posted on the Stockton, California police department's website. Women swooned, and Meeks made the news and reportedly signed a modeling contract worth $30,000.
Sean Kory hit it big after his own mug shot hit the web. Kory was arrested in Santa Cruz, California in November for allegedly assaulting a man dressed up as a Fox News reporter at a Halloween parade.
Chris Kohrs, also known as "The Hot Cop of San Francisco," became a global obsession earlier this year after a stranger on the street snapped his photo. A Facebook page started by one of his fans garnered an eye-popping 50,000 followers in less than a week.
EJ Johnson, son of Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, went viral after paparazzi caught him coming out of a West Hollywood restaurant clutching a Birkin bag while holding hands with a male friend. Johnson landed a lead role in E!'s "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills."
Tardar Sauce, better known as "Grumpy Cat," became a Tumblr sensation, soon landing the feline its own movie.
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Teen Alex Lee became a star after an off-the-cuff photo became a social media phenomenon. Here’s TheWrap’s list of people who rode the wave of viral popularity.
Alex Lee, a 16-year-old bag boy at a Dallas Target store, became known simply as "Alex From Target" after a customer snapped his picture and posted it on Twitter. Lee became an overnight Internet sensation and landed a one-on-one with Ellen DeGeneres.