CNN Cuts Ties From Well Known American YouTuber Casey Neistat: Get To Know His Story Behind Co-Founding Beme and It's Apparent Crisis
After buying the company for $25 million in November 2016, CNN has finally parted ways with Casey Neistat's Beme. Initially, CNN bought the YouTube channel featuring Casey as host called Beme News.
After buying the company for $25 million in November 2016, CNN has finally parted ways with Casey Neistat's multimedia company, Beme. Initially, CNN bought the YouTube channel featuring Casey as host called Beme News.
Previously, Casey organized 'Beme' as a smartphone app in 2015. Beme, the company worked in partnership with CNN appealing the younger demographic but it couldn't maintain itself at the level of the challenging world.
CNN Shuts Down YouTube Star Casey Neistat's Beme
CNN has finally parted ways with the YouTuber Casey Neistat. Casey made headlines back in November 2016 when CNN bought his company, Beme for $25 million.
CNN bought the company to transform it into an independently operated daily online news show that had 6 million viewers at the time.
With a huge fan following of Neistat, a viral online filmmaker, CNN tried to appeal the new generation into the cable news channel's fold.
Sources say that Neistat and his Beme cofounder Matt Hackett decided to leave the company.
During an interview with BuzzFeed News, Neistat revealed his inability to work with the strategy for "Beme News" because of creative differences and straining process.
"I couldn’t find answers. I would sort of disappear, and I would hide, and I would make YouTube videos for my channel because at least I would be able to yield something."
"I don’t think I’m giving CNN what I want to give them, and I don’t think they’re getting value from me."
When CNN bought Beme, it was initially focused on "timely and topical video and empowering content creators to use technology to find their voice."
Meanwhile, the announcement was a notable turnaround for CNN's digital operation. Beme is currently organized by 22 people and CNN would re-employ most of the team; some of them will lose their jobs.
Story Behind: Making and Downfall Of "Beme"
Neistat, a renowned online filmmaker, launched Beme as a "smartphone app" in July 2015.
The first version of the app was released on 17 July 2015. The New York Times explained that Beme's user experience is "as if the phone becomes a stand-in for one's body, the camera facing outward to capture what the user is experiencing."
It enabled users to record and upload short, unedited video clips on a feed. An amazing thing about the app was that those videos could only be captured when the smartphone is held near to the chest.
The idea was aimed to inspire authenticity as the videos were unable to be seen on-screen. The app later shut down earlier in January last year.
Though the app was shut down, the team worked on the new product. Beme faced long struggles in the digital media industry with increased pressure and competition in the world ruled by giants like Facebook and YouTube.
Buzzfeed News addressed that CNN's digital unit faced a $20 million budget downfall in 2017.
On 25 January 2018, Casey Neistat released a YouTube video 'Beme Update' in which he declared that he, Beme CTO and Co-founder Matt Hackett had crucial time with CNN and Beme.
He further stated that he was not fired nor did he quit CNN but he's no longer working with CNN under the certain mutual agreement.
Quick Facts about Casey Neistat
- Born on 25 March 1981 in Gales Ferry, Connecticut.
- He dropped out of high school at 15.
- Before living in New York City, he worked as a dishwasher at a seafood restaurant.
- He was hired as a temporary model at the new One World Trade Center.
- He worked with his brother making a series of films about the artist's sculptures and installations.
- Achieved international recognition with his three-minute film iPod's Dirty Secret in 2003.
- HBO purchased an eight-episode TV series, The Neistat Brothers for $2 million which was produced by Casey Neistat, Van Neistat, Tom Scott, and Mason Daugherty.
- His video 'Bike Lanes' gained the 8th position on the Top 10 Creative Videos of 2011 list.
- Has an estimated net worth of about $12 million.
- Stands at a height of 5.74 feet (1.75m).
