Stingray Group Inc. (formerly Stingray Digital and Stingray Digital Group) is a Canadian music, media and technology company based in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, with offices in

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Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, as well as in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, the

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Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The company was established in 2007 by Eric Boyko and owned by Boyko Investements Corporation. Stingray provides retail and consumer services, including audio and video channels, digital signage, subscription content, karaoke products, and in-car and on-board infotainment content.

Stingray Radio Stingray Radio Inc. is a Canadian radio broadcasting conglomerate owned by Stingray Group. It owns and operates 101 radio stations in Canada, making it the largest radio conglomerate in Canada. It also once owned two now-defunct television statio ...

operates over 100 radio stations across Canada. It is Canada's first-largest owner of radio stations

History

Stingray was founded in May 2007 by Eric Boyko and Alexandre Taillefer, in partnership with Telesystem, following the purchase of

karaoke is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone. Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...

company Soundchoice for $6 million. This gave them a catalogue of karaoke songs and a karaoke channel, allowing them to create The Karaoke Channel (now known as Stingray Karaoke).Doug Alexander
"Stingray Digital Raises C$140 Million in IPO,"
''

Bloomberg Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...

'', May 26, 2015.Damon van der Linde
"Stingray Digital Group Inc plays to a bigger crowd with first acquisition since IPO,"
''Financial Post'', July 24, 2015. Later that year, the company acquired cable TV commercial-free music service Galaxie from the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

for $65 million, renaming it

Stingray Music Stingray Music is a Canada-based international multi-platform audio service that broadcasts continuous streaming music and other forms of audio on multiple channel feeds. The service is owned by Stingray Digital. It was originally founded in 1 ...

.Paul Delean
"Stingray Digital in a growth groove,"
''

Montreal Gazette ''The Gazette'', also known as the ''Montreal Gazette'', is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper which is owned by Postmedia Network. It is published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the only English-language daily newspape ...

'', July 24, 2014.Grant Robertson
"Stingray goes live with deal for Concert TV,"
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', August 4, 2010. Taillefer exited the company in 2010. In 2011, Stingray acquired Music Choice Europe.Grant Robertson
"Stingray Digital to buy London's Music Choice International,"
''The Globe and Mail'', April 4, 2011. In May 2015, Stingray raised $140 million in its

initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...

. The sale gave the firm a market value of $296 million. It began trading on the

Toronto Stock Exchange The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX; ) is a stock exchange located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the List of stock exchanges, 10th largest exchange in the world and the third largest in North America based on market capitalization. Based in th ...

on June 3, 2015, under the ticker RAY.A. Novacap sold most of its stake in the company after the IPO. On May 2, 2018, Stingray announced its intent to acquire Newcap Radio for $506 million, marking the company's expansion into terrestrial radio broadcasting in Canada. The sale was completed on October 26, 2018, with the family of company founder Harold R. Steele becoming Stingray's largest third-party shareholder. In December 2018, the company changed its name to Stingray Group. Although its services face competition from consumer-targeted streaming offerings such as

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

and

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

, the company had continued to emphasize its use of manually-curated playlists for its services (as opposed to algorithmic recommendations), and its focus on international expansion into territories where pay television is experiencing growth, and promoting complementary services such as mobile apps. In January 2022, Stingray acquired

InStore Audio Network Stingray Advertising is an American broadcasting company that provides in-store background music, music, video content and audio advertising for use in supermarkets, Pharmacy, drugstores, and other retail stores. It is owned by the Canadian media ...

, rebranding the company as Stingray Advertising the following year.

Properties

Business services

* Stingray Business, a provider of in-store music licensed for commercial use, audio-visual systems and TV screens * Chatter Research * Stingray Advertising

Karaoke services

* Stingray Karaoke, a licensed karaoke supplier and an interactive television and Internet service * Yokee Karaoke * Kid's Karaoke * The Voice Karaoke * Sing Karaoke by Stingray

Mobile apps

* Stingray Karaoke * Kid's Karaoke * Singing Machine * Stingray Music *

Qello Qello Concerts (also known as Qello, Stingray Qello) is an American-based entertainment company founded in 2010, in New York, by Brian Lisi, Bob Frank, and Richard Johnson. Qello is the parent company of digital streaming service Qello Concerts ...

Concerts by Stingray * Stingray Classica * Yokee karaoke * Yokee Guitar * Yokee Piano * Piano Academy * The Piano Keyboard * Stingray Music for Businesses

TV Channels – concerts and shows

* Stingray iConcerts, an on-demand service broadcasting live music performances * Stingray Classica * Stingray Djazz *

Concerts by Stingray

TV Channels – 4K UHD

Stingray Naturescape Stingray Naturescape is a Canadian-based specialty television channel owned by Stingray Group. The channel primarily broadcasts a rotation of various nature scenery videos with accompanying audio from the nature scene pictured with sometimes non- ...

(formerly Stingray Ambiance), a television channel showing relaxing scenery accompanied by soothing music * Stingray Now 4K * Stingray Festival 4K

TV Channels – music video

* Stingray Country * Stingray Loud * Stingray Juicebox * Stingray Retro *

Stingray Vibe Stingray Vibe is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Stingray Digital. The channel broadcasts hip-hop, rap, R&B, rhythmic pop and EDM/Dance music videos. The channel was launched on September 7, 2001 as MuchV ...

* Stingray Pop (formerly Stingray Hits!) * Stingray Now 4K * Stingray CMusic * PalmarèsADISQ par Stingray * Stingray Latin Hits

Original content

* Stingray Pause Play * Evolution of a Song * Behind the Vinyl * Songbook

Radio and broadcast stations

, a group of terrestrial radio and television stations in Canada, formerly operating as Newcap Radio and Newcap Broadcasting.

Competitors

Music Choice Music Choice (abbreviated as MC) is an American television music service that digitally broadcasts audio-based music channels and video-related content to cable television providers in the United States. In 2019, it reached 65 million household ...

, which launched in 1991, is owned by Microsoft, Arris, Sony Corp. of America, EMI Music Publishing, Time Warner, Comcast, Cox Communications and Charter Communications. Music Choice is in 72 million American households. The company filed the lawsuit against Stingray Digital in the

U.S. District Court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...

for the Eastern District of Texas in June 2016 over

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

infringement. The patents in dispute are U.S. Patent Nos. 8,769,602, 9,357,245, 7,320,025 and 9,351,045 pertaining to the on screen formatting of Stingray Digital's channels. Stingray countersued Music Choice on August 29, 2016, calling it a "smear campaign".

Acquisitions and partnerships

From its founding in 2007 through 2015, Stingray Digital acquired 18 companies, at a total cost of $150 million.Bertrand Marotte
"Stingray ups ante in mobile music sphere with new version of its app,"
''The Globe and Mail'', July 6, 2015."Stingray Digital said to seek about $120M in IPO,"
''Montreal Gazette'', April 24, 2015. Its first purchase was Soundchoice, followed by Galaxie, from the

. In 2009, Stingray announced it would be acquiring the majority of assets in Max Trax from

Corus Entertainment Corus Entertainment Inc. (often simply known as Corus) is a Canadian mass media and television production company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It h ...

. In August 2010, the company purchased Concert TV, a US video on demand service carrying recorded musical performances. In April 2011, Stingray announced that it was purchasing London-based music streaming company Music Choice International, helping Stingray expand into Europe and Africa. In May 2013, Stingray purchased the Canadian accounts of eMedia Network. In 2014 Stingray acquired Lite TV from the Archibald Media Group, and purchased

Mood Media Mood Media Corporation is an international in-store provider of music, digital signage, hold music, on-hold messaging, scent, integrated audio/video, and interactive mobile marketing products. It was founded in 2004, and is based in Austin, Te ...

's residential digital music service in Latin America for $16 million.Nicolas Van Praet
"Entrepreneur behind Galaxie music is betting on TV's survival,"
''Financial Post'', January 24, 2014. In February 2015, Stingray acquired in-store commercial display company Groupe Viva. In July 2015, Stingray announced it would pay $8 million for

-based Brava Group, operator of thematic television music channels Brava NL, Brava HD and Djazz.TV, with 35 million subscribers in 50 countries in Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean, with plans to bring the channels to the US, Canada and Latin America. In 2009, Stingray signed an agreement with

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

to become a content partner by launching TheKARAOKEChannel

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

channel. In 2015, Stingray invested in AppDirect, which develops online stores for business software applications, and made a deal with

Air Canada Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada, by size and passengers carried. Air Canada is headquartered in the borough of Saint-Laurent in the city of Montreal. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and cha ...

to be the music provider on its flights. Stingray also has hotel chain partners, to feed Stingray's music into guest rooms.David Friend
"Montreal's Stingray Digital wades into music streaming waters,"
''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'', July 6, 2015. On June 21, 2016, Stingray announced that it would acquire the

MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...

spin-off channels MuchVibe, MuchLoud, MuchRetro, and Juicebox from

Bell Media Bell Media Inc. (Canadian French, French: ) is a Canadian media conglomerate that is the mass media subsidiary of BCE Inc. (also known as Bell Canada Enterprises, the owner of telecommunications company Bell Canada). Its operations include nati ...

. The group of channels were previously owned by

CHUM Limited CHUM Limited was a Canadian media company based in Toronto, Ontario in operation from 1945 to 2007. The company was founded in 1945 as York Broadcasters Limited when it launched CHUM (AM), CHUM-AM 1050 but was acquired by salesman Allan Waters in ...

. In May 2017, Stingray acquired Israel-based Yokee Music LTD, provider of three social music apps regularly ranked in the music category's top 10 in 100 countries: Yokee, Yokee Guitar, and Yokee Piano. In January 2018, Stingray acquired the assets of New-York based Qello Concerts, the world's leading over-the-top (OTT) streaming service for full-length, on-demand performances, concert films, and music documentaries — reaching users in more than 160 countries. In June 2018, in partnership with

ADISQ ADISQ (; ) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the independent record labels, independent music industry in Quebec. It was created in 1978. Since 1979, it has also organized an annual awards ceremony for musicians and singer ...

and its website PalmarèsADISQ, Stingray launched PalmarèsADISQ par Stingray, a new music channel devoted to Quebecois and French-Canadian music. In August 2018, Stingray announced that it had made a $120 million takeover bid for its main competitor in the United States,

. In January 2019, Stingray abandoned the bid, shortly after having reached a deal with

Altice USA Altice USA, Inc., commonly known as Altice, is an American telecommunications provider with headquarters in New York City, owned by the Franco-Israeli businessman Patrick Drahi. The company delivers pay television, Internet access, telephone se ...

to replace Music Choice on its cablesystems. Stingray Brava was closed and merged with Stingray Classica on March 1, 2019.

References

External links

Stingray Radio Stations

Official website

Stingray Music website

Stingray Business website
{{Stingray Group Canadian brands Canadian companies established in 2007 Radio broadcasting companies of Canada Television broadcasting companies of Canada Companies based in Montreal Mass media companies established in 2007 2007 establishments in Quebec Companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange