Bye bye Crackle

Last week's news that Crackle is shutting down hit me hard. Back when I cut the cord in 2011, Crackle was my first experience with free ad-supported TV. I was hooked on its original and independent content, especially the short-form videos and series.

Crackle was special to me. While other services have since adopted and even perfected the concept, Crackle was a pioneer. And now it's shutting down:

The company, sagging under the weight of nearly $1 billion in debt and a tall stack of unpaid bills, filed for bankruptcy protection on June 29. During bankruptcy court proceedings, it secured a “debtor in possession” loan of $8 million designed to help it resume paying workers after nearly a month of no paychecks and also restore their medical benefits. Deadline had earlier reported on the delays in pay and health care.

On Wednesday, HPS Investment Partners, which has been one of the company’s backers and arranged for financing for the DIP loan, said it could not extend any additional financial resources. Duly notified, CSSE made a motion to shift the Chapter 11 case to Chapter 7, and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Thomas M. Horan gave his approval.

My Streaming Life is sad to see it go. Crackle will always hold a special place in my streaming journey.