The Orchard today announced it has acquired BalconyTV, a global music channel featuring artists playing on balconies from across the globe. Past performers on BalconyTV include such artists as Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Kimbra who have helped the channel generate over 50 million video views.
Founded in 2006, by three friends in Dublin, Ireland, BalconyTV has built its channel by scouting up-and-coming artists in their regions and filming performances on balconies from Dublin, London, Barcelona and Brooklyn to Delhi, Tel Aviv, Johannesburg and Melbourne. Each week fifty new videos are added to BalconyTV.com.
The Orchard, a music, video and film distribution company, will continue to develop the video catalog, open new balconies and increase engagement across the channel. The Orchard currently distributes other digital video content including a documentary channel Opus Docs and the sports network Echo Boom Sports.
“As a global distributor we operate in markets across the world to work with local labels and BalconyTV has done the same on an artist level,” Orchard CEO Brad Navin wrote in an email to Billboard. “They’ve built a tremendous music discovery channel with both an active fan component and producers in each local market. Now, we can introduce select clients to the global BalconyTV community as part of our marketing effort and we’ll further expand the promotional opportunity for artists by introducing new audiences across new platforms.”
While the Orchard declined to give financial details of the acquisition, CrunchBase reported Balcony.TV had received $871,000 in funding, including $750,000 in Series A funding last summer from Polaris Venture Partners, Lerer Ventures and Greycroft Partners. According to TechCrunch, at one time, former MTV Networks CEO Judy McGrath served in an advisory role for the channel.
“We literally started BalconyTV on our apartment balcony in Dublin,” Stephen O’Regan, Founder of BalconyTV, said in a statement. “Since then it’s been incredible to see such a simple idea generate so much passion from music lovers all over the world.“
BalconyTV videos are currently viewable through YouTube, Vevo, Daily Motion and Muzu, among others and will receive increased distribution via The Orchard through services such as Hulu. The Orchard has said it will use the platform, which allows viewer to vote on artists, to further develop BalconyTV acts.
It’s certainly been an interesting ride, O’Regan stated, “and now with The Orchard’s experience and network we can continue the journey.”
