TV Time, a well-liked app for monitoring the reveals you’re watching and fascinating in neighborhood discussions, is shutting down. The corporate introduced by way of in-app messages that TV Time’s app can be discontinued, not providing service after July 15, 2026.
The corporate blamed the expense of operating the platform as a motive behind the choice, however a shift to a extra AI-focused enterprise appears to be the actual wrongdoer.
“Whereas we liked supporting TV Time, it was not sustainable to proceed working the service as a free app, and there was not sufficient demand for a paid app,” the message learn. “To everybody who tracked, found, and shared their love of TV and flicks with us, thanks. Your ardour and enthusiasm made TV Time greater than an app. You made it a neighborhood.”
TV Time’s shutdown marks the tip of one of many bigger TV fan communities on-line, and underscores how the expansion of the AI business is shifting firms’ priorities. As companies race to construct AI merchandise, client apps are generally shuttered, even when they’ve energetic consumer bases. One other instance of this development is read-it-later app Pocket, which nonetheless had loyal customers however closed down as its proprietor Mozilla prioritized constructing out Firefox and AI-powered looking experiences.
Owned by Whip Media, TV Time’s app has north of 26 million lifetime installs, per information from app intelligence supplier Appfigures, and noticed almost 29,000 new downloads over the previous 30 days. (Whip Media itself usually referred to TV Time’s greater than 25 million customers in advertising supplies.) Beneath Whip Media, TV Time’s information helped energy a enterprise intelligence ecosystem for the media business. That meant the app alone didn’t should be worthwhile as a client product, as a result of the info it generated was the actual worth.
Issues have modified on the firm in more moderen months. Whip Media was acquired by direct lender Blue Torch Capital in early 2025, which envisioned extra of an AI-focused future for the corporate.
Beneath its new possession, Whip Media pivoted from offering the sentiment evaluation, rankings predictions, content material optimization, and different information that might be knowledgeable by TV Time, to as an alternative give attention to extra probably worthwhile paths. This now consists of its AI-powered automation and workflow administration instrument, Helix, which is used to boost streaming analytics and provide chain orchestration.
What’s not clear is why the corporate wouldn’t promote the still-popular app as an alternative of discontinuing it. (Probably, it could not have needed to assist one other firm generate the type of information that might make it a extra formidable competitor within the media and leisure area.)
Whip Media notes that the info collected by way of TV Time is not going to be used as a part of any industrial service after TV Time ends, and everybody’s private information can be deleted.
The corporate says the app can be faraway from the app shops on July 15, however earlier than then, customers can request a obtain of their information by a GDPR-compliant export tool.
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