In 2019, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment acquired a majority stake from Sony, taking full control by 2020.

Long before Tubi, Pluto TV, or Freevee took over the market, Crackle was the go-to app for watching completely free, ad-supported Hollywood movies and TV shows.

Founded in 2004 as an online video site called Grouper , it was purchased by Sony Pictures in 2006 for $65 million and rebranded as Crackle.

Boasts a massive, diverse library of movies and cult classics.

Crackle even ventured into high-quality original programming, famously launching Jerry Seinfeld’s hit series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee before it eventually moved to Netflix. 📉 Ownership Shifts & Financial Struggles

Offers heavily curated free movies and premium add-ons.

Burdened by heavy losses and massive debt, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment collapsed and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2024, which was quickly converted to Chapter 7 liquidation in July 2024.