{{Short description|Defunct American video-streaming website}} {{Use American English|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox website | name = Rabbit | logo = Rabb.it logo.png | type = Content-sharing | url = {{url|https://www.rabb.it}} | commercial = Yes | registration = Optional | launch_date = 2013 | current_status = Defunct as of July 31, 2019 }}
'''Rabbit''', also known as '''Rabb.it''', was a video streaming website and mobile application. Launched in 2014, and based in California, United States, the service enabled multiple people to remotely browse and watch the same content in real-time.<ref name="venturebeat-20181108" />
A host could create a room, invite others to it (or, alternatively, set it to public so the room appeared on the site's homepage for anyone to join), and share content using a virtual computer called a "Rabbitcast," or using the Google Chrome extension "Share on Rabbit." Whatever content the host opened was displayed to the other users in the room<ref name="venturebeat-20181108">{{Cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/11/08/rabbit-lets-you-remotely-watch-online-videos-with-your-friends/ |title=Rabbit lets you remotely watch online videos with your friends |date=2018-11-08 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |access-date=2019-05-05}}</ref> along with audio and video. Rabbit offered text and video chat alongside this functionality.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/style/love-in-the-time-of-binge-watching.html|title=Love in the Time of Binge-Watching|last=Rosman|first=Katherine|date=2015-02-13|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-14|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2019-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414135309/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/style/love-in-the-time-of-binge-watching.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Unlike other popular streaming websites such as YouTube and Netflix, Rabbit did not host the content viewed on it. Instead, Rabbit streamed a virtual computer (Rabbitcast) with a browser, which could then be used to navigate to other websites and content. A Rabbitcast was a Rabbit-hosted, shared Firefox browser that could be viewed and controlled by anyone within the room.<ref name="fastcompany" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2019/07/16/long-distance-relationships-bond-touch-bracelets-hugging-shirts/1561418001/|title=How to deal with a long-distance relationship? Try this tech|website=USA TODAY|language=en|access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref> The built-in web browser had an ad-blocker pre-installed.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://lifehacker.com/rabbit-lets-you-watch-netflix-youtube-browse-the-web-1678199419|title=Rabbit Lets You Watch Netflix, YouTube, Browse the Web with Friends|last=Ravenscraft|first=Eric|website=Lifehacker|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-14|date=1 August 2015|archive-date=2019-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414135310/https://lifehacker.com/rabbit-lets-you-watch-netflix-youtube-browse-the-web-1678199419|url-status=live}}</ref>
== History == After a beta release in 2013<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/this-startup-thinks-that-its-solved-a-major-problem-with-video-chatting-2014-8|title=A Startup Named 'Rabbit' Thinks That It Solved A Major Problem With Video-Chatting|last=Jacobs|first=Harrison|website=Business Insider|access-date=2019-08-06|archive-date=2019-08-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806234008/https://www.businessinsider.com/this-startup-thinks-that-its-solved-a-major-problem-with-video-chatting-2014-8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://xconomy.com/new-york/2014/08/25/video-chatting-and-watching-gets-a-social-makeover-from-rabbit/|title=Xconomy: Video Chatting and Watching Gets a Social Makeover from Rabbit|date=2014-08-25|website=Xconomy|language=en|access-date=2019-08-06|archive-date=2020-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028171814/https://xconomy.com/new-york/2014/08/25/video-chatting-and-watching-gets-a-social-makeover-from-rabbit/|url-status=dead}}</ref> which offered limited Mac-only functionality, the company redesigned Rabbit as a web app in the summer of 2014. The service took off, adding 400,000 users by the end of the year.<ref name="fastcompany">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3041667/the-worlds-top-10-most-innovative-companies-of-2015-in-video |title=The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Video |last=Staff |first=Fast Company |date=2015-02-09 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US |access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref> With around 3.6 million monthly active users,<ref name="linkedin" /> Rabbit users viewed content using the service for an average of 12.5 hours a month, with the most active users doing so for 28.5 hours a month.<ref name="venturebeat-20181108" /> The company had 30 employees worldwide as of May 2019.<ref name="venturebeat-20181108" />
In July 2019, Rabbit CEO Amanda Richardson announced that the site was soon to cease operations; a round of VC funding had failed in May, and Richardson was forced to lay off staff and begin shutting Rabbit down immediately.<ref name="linkedin">{{Cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hitting-wall-amanda-richardson |title=Hitting The Wall |last=Richardson |first=Amanda |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en |access-date=2019-12-24 |archive-date=2019-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210105449/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hitting-wall-amanda-richardson |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite announcements that all staff members had been let go, the site remained semi-functional until July 31, 2019 when the servers were shut down.<ref name="venturebeat-20190731" />
On July 31, 2019, it was announced that its remaining assets—intellectual property, software stack, and several patents—had been acquired by fellow streaming service Kast.<ref name="venturebeat-20190731">{{Cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/31/kast-acquires-remnants-of-group-watch-company-rabbit/ |title=Kast acquires remnants of group-watch company Rabbit |date=2019-07-31 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |access-date=2019-08-06 |archive-date=2019-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801071012/https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/31/kast-acquires-remnants-of-group-watch-company-rabbit/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== References == <!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official}}
Category:American entertainment websites Category:Defunct video on demand services Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2019