MIPTV 2010 – CANNES. Starling, a new social TV platform that connects TV audiences and integrates them with broadcast media, was launched today by Kevin Slavin. Designed for mobile devices, tablet computers and the web, it provides viewers with a platform to chat, play, and interact, around a show, and with each other.
Starling builds on the emergent trend of “co-viewing,” which generates active social media chatter when fans of a show gather online. It connects fans with other fans of the programme, and friends to what their friends are watching. Users engage each other around the shows they already enjoy, and discover new shows through the social graph.
“Viewers will be able to use Starling to scan comments from friends and other fans of the show, in sync with the TV broadcast. Watching a show becomes a social activity, where the audience becomes aware of the audience. It’s like a real-time watercooler,” said Slavin, President of Starling, in a statement
For production companies and broadcast organisations, Starling retains viewers by deepening their relationship to a TV show and activates the audience, turning fans into participants. It encourages viewers to discover new TV shows through their social network. For sponsors and advertisers, Starling delivers a new layer for broadcast, creating a new channel for companies looking for turnkey solutions to effectively use social media.
Starling’s Early Access Program provides us with the opportunity to explore new channels to connect with our audience, which extends Fremantle’s legacy in doing so for many years. Emergent behaviours in social media are building a new and connected audience, and we look forward to the ways that Starling could help Fremantle to amplify, augment and engage this trend,” said Gary Carter, COO at FremantleMedia Group.
JWT also joins the EAP on the advertising side: “We are very excited to be a part of Starling’s Early Access Program. Our clients already know that social media plays a crucial role in their communications and they are quickly becoming aware of its potent relationship with broadcast media. Having the ability to build a turn-key solution that creates a bridge between TV and social media while finding dynamic ways to weave in brand experiences is of paramount importance,” said David Rosenberg, Director of Emerging Media at JWT.
The team behind Starling are leading executives from game development, advertising, broadcast and production. The Starling team consists of Declan Caulfield, CEO; Kevin Slavin, President; and Kenny Miller, Director of Americas.
