Celeb news going strong despite downturn

Bambi Francisco Roizen · October 28, 2008 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/4c2

Buzznet CEO says user-gen site saw its best quarter yet

It must be that during a downturn, people turn to celeb news to live vicariously through stars. And, there's nothing like soaking up busted weddings, wardrobe malfunctions and sex tapes, when the world just doesn't feel right. 

Buzznet, a user-generated and edited site about musicians, and its Celebuzz property, a site that houses a number of bloggers, such as The Superficial and Celeb Slam, is seeing its traffic accelerate during these times. 

"We haven't seen much of a difference... Right now, we had our best quarter in Q3, and Q4 is looks like it's going to be significantly greater than Q3," said Tyler Goldman, CEO of Buzznet. Tyler and I were on the same panel at Digital Hollywood in Santa Monica on Monday. Now, seeing higher traffic is something many sites, particularly financial sites, are seeing. But while some sites can't sell all the inventory, Buzznet's doing just fine. Sell-through rates are extremely high, he said, though he wouldn't say how high.

Part of the reason for the increase in Buzznet and Celebuzz traffic is that the sites draw very young audiences, he said.

Given Buzznet's user-gen model, Tyler hasn't had to make cuts in production to keep expenses down. "A typical content by us is programmed by 5,000 users following our editorial lead," he said. "We’re not out there with 12 cameras and 45 writers. We do this because [mash-up approach] because it creates a better experience."

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Bambi Francisco Roizen

Founder and CEO of Vator, a media and research firm for entrepreneurs and investors; Managing Director of Vator Health Fund; Co-Founder of Invent Health; Author and award-winning journalist.

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Buzznet.com is a vibrant social media destination representing the next evolution of social networking.

Buzznet distinguishes itself from traditional media sites and social networks that are focused on profile pages and communication tools by enabling Web users to program dynamic multimedia communities around the music and pop culture topics they are most passionate about.

More authentic, content rich and frequently updated than a website, and more interactive than a blog, Buzznet's integrated media and community platform allows its users to network like never before with leading bands, trendsetters and their peers through self-created content, videos, photos and journals. This unique user-centric approach has attracted more than 10 million users who program, by contributing, combining, providing context and connectivity, making Buzznet a top destination for people seeking the most current and authentic content and news.