Broadcast.com was one of the first Internet radio and streaming media companies. It was founded as Cameron Audio Networks in 1989 by Cameron Christopher Jaeb. In 1995, Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban invested in the company and took over daily operations, renaming it Audionet, then Broadcast.com in 1998. In 1999, it was acquired by Yahoo in its most expensive acquisition ever (as of 2025), making Mark Cuban a billionaire.[1] In 2002, the service was discontinued.
The company streamed 448 radio stations and 65 television stations, including 24-hour/day coverage from BBC and CNN. It had license deals with 450 college and professional sports teams. It also had available for streaming 1,500 films, 1,600 audiobooks, and more than 3,000 music albums.
History
The company was founded in 1989 as Cameron Audio Networks, named after its founder Cameron Christopher Jaeb, who received an initial investment from his father. Jaeb wanted a platform for people to be able to listen to out-of-town sports games. The original idea, a shortwave radio that would receive broadcasts inside a sports venue, morphed into a handheld device that would receive customized satellite broadcasts.