Eyal Arad has navigated a transformative journey in his role as co-founder and CEO of Videocites, an artificial intelligence-powered platform focused on social media measurement. Originally founded to tackle anti-piracy detection, Videocites has adapted to meet the growing demand from sports industry leaders for insights on user-generated content (UGC) across the internet. This shift has enabled the company to track social media engagement for rights holders’ brands beyond their owned channels, offering crucial data for negotiations with commercial partners and strategies aimed at enhancing fan engagement.
“The ‘ripple effect’ is something that we’ve been using in every discussion with every rights holder and brand,” Arad shared in a recent interview, highlighting the significance of measuring social media’s ripple effect as a primary focus of the company’s efforts. In alignment with this evolution, Videocites is undergoing a rebranding to Ripple Analytics, supported by the Chicago-based communications firm The Branded Agency. The company plans to introduce several upgrades to its platform in the near future.
Ripple Analytics is set to split its flagship product, MediaTrack, into two offerings. MediaTrack Lens will continue to analyze clients’ social media performance across owned and affiliate channels as well as UGC, now incorporating advanced features such as AI-driven sentiment analysis for audio and video content. The second offering, MediaTrack Landscape, will provide rights holders the tools to benchmark their performance against competitors, measuring metrics like raw views and effective media value—a vital monetary measure in today’s competitive landscape.
Arad expressed the importance of understanding content performance, stating, “Every brand on the planet needs to know what its content is doing, what it’s worth, who is engaging with it and how can you make it bigger.” He emphasized Ripple Analytics’ mission to provide these insights not just at scale but swiftly, empowering sports properties in their social media strategies.
The NBA has been a pioneer in adopting Ripple’s technology and has recently expanded its partnership with the company for another multiyear term. The league’s Senior Vice President of Digital and Social Content, Bob Carney, articulated the advantages Ripple offers in connecting with content creators who engage with the NBA brand on social media. With the complexities of evolving social media algorithms, Carney noted the necessity for broader engagement strategies, leveraging partnerships with accounts that can serve as brand extensions.
Additionally, Elevate, another portfolio company of Ripple’s lead investor, Velocity Capital Management, also recognizes the strategic value of Ripple’s services. Elevate’s Senior Director of Insights, Sponsorships, and Brands, Alyssa Melanson, highlighted how Ripple’s analytics platform aids in benchmarking various brands and properties across owned, affiliate, and UGC platforms. This capability positions Elevate as a trusted advisor for clients seeking insights for partnerships, negotiations, and strategic planning.
Ripple Analytics reported a successful closing of 2025, having doubled its revenue since the beginning of 2024, benefiting from a diverse client base encompassing leagues, teams, brands, and agencies across numerous sports. The company also secured an undisclosed follow-on investment from Velocity, intended to bolster Ripple’s sales, marketing, and distribution efforts. Velocity’s founding partner, David Abrams, emphasized the platform as a worthwhile investment rather than merely an expense in a competitive market where brands vie for the same advertising dollars.
