For those of you who fell in love with Craftsy, turned Bluprint, I have some bad news. It’s parent company, NBCUniversal, has decided to shutter the business.
A letter from the CEO John Levisay announced the news earlier this week.
“It is with profound sadness and disappointment that I write you this email. When we started the business in 2010, our goal was to provide passionate enthusiasts access to the best teachers in the world. Your classes have made people’s lives better across the globe,” Levisay said. “After 10 years and virtually millions of customers served, NBCU has made the decision to close the Bluprint business over the next few months.”
Levisay co-founded Craftsy (originally called Sympoz) along with Bret Hanna, Todd Tobin, and Josh Scott. In May 2017 NBCUniversal bought a majority stake in Craftsy. Levisay stayed on as CEO. After the purchase, the company was renamed Bluprint and the model changed from a la carte classes that were a deep dive into a particular craft, to a subscription model offering shorter, lighter craft content that was more entertainment-focused.
The company is working on a plan to make sure those who have purchased classes in the past will have the ability to continue to access their content.
I’ve been a long-time fan and customer of Craftsy/Bluprint and am very sad to see yet another craft site/organization close up shop. For those of you who have purchased classes from the company in the past, make sure you log on and check your settings so you are sure to stay up to date on their plans.
Hopefully, all the employees will find other opportunities within NBCUniversal. This is a terrible time to lose your job.
