The Blip Blog • This week is Check Week at blip.tv. We’re sending...

This week is Check Week at blip.tv. We’re sending out hundreds of thousands of dollars to independent show creators. And this is one heck of a check week. Our last check week — for fourth quarter of last year — was a huge record for us. We sent out more money to show creators in January than we had sent in the previous six months combined. This check week beats that record. We’re sending 25% more money to show creators this week than we did last time. 39% more shows are receiving payments. A full 30% more shows are receiving checks worth more than $1,000.

Here at blip.tv we’re building the next-generation television network. Our mission is to make independently produced shows sustainable. It’s thrilling — unbelievably exciting — to be sending these checks and PayPal payments out. These payments are going to help people pay their rent, upgrade their equipment, go full-time. These checks are going to put food on the table for show creators. These checks prove that it’s possible to start your own show, to bootstrap, to have full creative control, to own your show and still make money.

We’re creating a new industry here. Together. Show creators, advertisers, distribution partners and the team here at blip.tv. We’re changing the way that media is produced and consumed. We’re making it possible for people to pursue their passions. To turn hobbies into careers.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our sales team — Evan, Rafi, Phil, Katie, Liz and Andrea — and to thank our advertisers. General Motors, AT&T, Samsung, Scion, Starbucks, PepsiCo, Chili’s, Nikon, Canon, MetroPCS and more. Thank you for supporting independent Web shows.

And thank you, show creators. Thank you for taking your dreams into your hands. Thank you for creating your own media. Thank you for moving outside the studio and network system that’s dominated the industry for sixty years. Thank you for taking a risk. Thank you for making great shows. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to help.

The photo above features, left to right, Katie, Aaron, Tom and Eric. Evan, our VP of Sales, is up front. They’re holding the checks we’re sending out this check week. Not shown: the tons of PayPal payments that we’re sending out.

This is just the beginning. Check week in fourth quarter was awesome. Check week in first quarter is better. Check week in second quarter is going to be huge. Twice as big. We have some big new software releases coming out soon. We’re building our team. Together, we’re building an industry.