Sony closing Crackle streaming service in the UK

Sony Pictures Television is closing its online channel Crackle in the UK at the end of the month.

Users clicking through to the site today were met with a message that read: “We’d like to thank all those who have supported and enjoyed Crackle UK. As of April 1, 2014 Crackle’s UK service will no longer be operating.”

A footer reads: “Goodbye. Thanks again to all who have supported and enjoyed Crackle UK”, before a subsequent screen opens with the message: “Many thanks”. A standard servicethen  resumes.

The ad-supported service launched in the UK in 2012 and had original content including Jerry Seinfeld’s web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (pictured), which now runs to three seasons. It also carried older TV series and movies.

Outside the US, Crackle has been launched in Australia, Canada and Latin America. In the UK, SPT recently launched a UK version of its anime channel, Animax, as a subscription video-on-demand service.

Sony has inked agreements with connected TV makers including Samsung and LG to have a Crackle app on their service as well as carrying it on Sony Bravia sets. In the US it is also available on the Apple TV service.

Sony would not clarify the reasons for shutting the online channel and could not immediately verify the status of the other international Crackle services. However, it did affirm its commitment to the US service, which it said is performing well, recently registering 30 million streams in a single month.

New US content will be unveiled by Crackle at the Digital Content NewFronts programme launch event in New York next month.