IBC 2012 – AMSTERDAM. Broadcasters are using the ability to syncronise the main TV display with a second screen to encourage viewer engagement on both programmes and advertising.
Christian Bombrun, deputy managing director, M6 Web said the French commercial broadcaster had taken advantage of its popular catch-up TV app to offer a second screen platform.
An update to the app, found on two thirds of France’s iPads and half of its iPhones, introduced additional functionality that by listening to what is on-air makes it possible to push content to the second screen.
“We can give more information to the user, a recipe, more details on a science show, and without the viewer doing anything,” said Bombrun. “We think there is huge opportunity, not only for the subscribers, but also the advertisers that can develop new ways of working with the subscriber.”
David Jones, EVP marketing, Shazam is using similar technology, describing the Super Bowl as the coming out party, with the entire four hours providing those with the Shazam app additional statistics on the game. One third of the commercial broadcast were ‘Shazam-enabled”, allowing additional information to be pushed to the screen.
Jones said the number of Shazam tags made during a typical broadcast were equal to combined Twitter and Facebook postings.
The war of social networks has truly begun.
