Upstart HealthGuru.com Emerges As Online Health Video Leader: Up 261% in Views This Year

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fast-growing upstart HealthGuru.com more than quadrupled its monthly video views during the course of 2010 and starts 2011 as the largest destination for health video on the Web. Fueled by a 261% increase in total video views in 2010, HealthGuru.com was the #1 destination site on the Web for health video in six of the last seven months – and is further bolstering its leadership position with the launch of a redesigned website. (comScore Video Metrix®, 12/10, Internal Data)

“Our goal from day one was to ‘win’ the health video vertical by creating the most compelling content, by developing the largest video library, by engaging the largest audience, and by constantly innovating how video is used within health and wellness.”

“In December alone, Health Guru’s content was viewed more than 35 million times – through the site, its syndication network and YouTube – over 40% of the 80 million online health video streams we estimate were viewed on the Web,” said CEO Joshua Silberstein. (comScore Video Metrix ®12/10, Internal Data)

To better serve this rapidly growing audience, in late December HealthGuru.com relaunched with a rebranded and completely redesigned website that puts video – and video-centric applications – at the forefront. The new website features an interface designed specifically for information-driven video and applications that deliver original user experiences, such as video quizzes, video-enabled surveys, and soon to be released video health assessments. Video quizzes address such topics as “Your Body on Drugs” (College) and “The Best Chance to Get Pregnant” (Pregnancy), while surveys explore such topics as stress, medical ethics, and eating disorders.

Health Guru’s library of 2,000 health videos is organized into eight channels – College, Sexual Health, Diet and Fitness, Mental Health, Beauty and Grooming, Pregnancy, Baby, and Conditions A-Z – that address hundreds of topics, provide coverage on 125 health conditions, and feature more than 50 doctors and experts from leading institutions such as Stanford and Johns Hopkins.

Added Christopher Bruno, EVP and co-founder, “Our goal from day one was to ‘win’ the health video vertical by creating the most compelling content, by developing the largest video library, by engaging the largest audience, and by constantly innovating how video is used within health and wellness.”

During 2010, HealthGuru averaged 3.3mm unique visitors monthly – an increase of 96.6% versus the prior year. At the same time, the number of video views delivered by Health Guru grew from 2.4mm in December 2009 to 14.9mm in December 2010 – making it the #1 destination site for health video on the Web six of the past seven months (comScore Video Metrix®, 12/10). In addition to being viewed broadly, Health Guru’s content was also viewed deeply, with 11.4 minutes of video watched per viewer – #1 among the top 10 destination sites for health video (comScore Video Metrix®, 12/10).

HealthGuru.com has benefited from strong investor support, having received investments from two leading East Coast venture firms, Village Ventures (whose portfolio also includes Everyday Health, the largest health property on the Web) and Castile Ventures. Village Ventures partner Bo Peabody serves as Health Guru Chairman and co-founder.