Rumble Acquires CallIn, David Sacks’ Podcasting Platform
Rumble Inc (Nasdaq: RUM), the right-wing video-sharing platform, announced late yesterday that it has acquired CallIn, the San Francisco-based podcasting and live-streaming platform founded by technology entrepreneur and investor David Sacks.
Its acquisition of CallIn can be seen as a major coup for Rumble. The podcasting platform will give Rumble a major presence in the podcasting and live-streaming markets. It will also give Rumble access to CallIn’s reported base of over 1 million users, including Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson.
In a statement, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski said that the acquisition of CallIn is “a major step forward for Rumble.” He said that the platform will “allow us to offer our users a more comprehensive experience.”
As part of the acquisition, Sacks is set to join the board of Rumble beginning in the latter part of June. Sacks, like Rumble backer Peter Thiel, is a PayPal alumnus, joining in 1999 and serving as the payment company’s COO in 2002.
“As a passionate proponent of the creator economy and the free flow of ideas, I strongly support Rumble’s unwavering commitment to free speech in the face of growing censorship and government overreach,” Sacks said in a statement.
The acquisition is the latest in Rumble’s moves toward expansion. The video-steaming platform has gained popularity among conservative-leaning personalities whose videos are more likely to get banned from other popular platforms, particularly Alphabet-owned (Nasdaq: GOOGL) YouTube. The right-wing video platform positions itself as “immune to cancel culture.”
Earlier this year, Rumble launched partnerships with political commentators Steven Crowder and Dan Bongino. To bring in more users, it has also expanded into combat sports such as Knuckle Fighting Championship and Power Slap, the slap-fighting organization founded by UFC President Dana White.
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At its earnings call on Monday, it announced a partnership with the Republican National Committee for the first debate of the Republican presidential primaries in August. This is likely to recoup the users it lost in the last quarter after the bump it got from the US midterms last year.
The company also saw its Q1 losses go beyond expectations.
Rumble last traded at $9.99 on the Nasdaq.
Information for this story was found via Rumble, MarketWatch, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
