Saban, Disney Invest in Playbuzz

NEW YORK: Playbuzz, an online creation platform for quizzes, games, video and other content, has raised $15 million in new funding, led by Saban Ventures with participation from The Walt Disney Company.

Playbuzz plans to use the investment to further enhance its proprietary content-engagement platform and expand its sponsored content business. Existing investors 83North, Carmel Ventures and FirstTime Ventures also participated in the investment round.

The Playbuzz platform is used by publishers, brands and content creators to create and distribute content in formats meant to optimize audience engagement and social distribution. Examples of Playbuzz’s content formats include slideshows, flip cards, galleries, quizzes, lists and video snaps.

“Playbuzz enables publishers and brands to create content that matches today’s content-consumption habits, while generating meaningful engagement and new monetization opportunities,” said Shaul Olmert, co-founder and CEO of Playbuzz. “The support of global leaders in media, such as Saban and Disney, will enable us to expand both our editorial reach and sponsored content business.”

“Engaging content is the key to media consumption, and Playbuzz has positioned itself as the leading platform for media companies and brands to create and distribute such content across all devices,” said Barak Pridor, the managing partner at Saban Ventures, who joins Playbuzz’s board of directors following this financing round. “Playbuzz’s unique network, and distributed sponsored content offering, make it the ideal platform for editorial and commercial growth of its partners.”