Zeebox has been re-launched as Beamly, “the content and social network for TV”, on the iPhone, iPad, Android and the web.
With the Beamly app, viewers now have a 24/7 destination where they can follow the shows and stars they love; find and follow other fans; discover what to watch; and interact live.
Commenting on the development, Ernesto Schmitt, CEO and co-founder, said: “The rebrand to Beamly is a celebration of the huge development our app has been through since launching two years ago, originally as a simple program guide and synch experience.
“The initial phase of social television and 2nd screen was limited to apps providing a companion experience for audiences while watching TV. However, people’s emotional engagement with TV spans the whole day: they want to read up on stories about the shows and stars they love in the morning, discuss plotlines over the watercooler in the afternoon, and carefully plan what to watch in the evening – long before ever switching on the TV itself. While they watch, they want a great interactive experience that synchs with what’s on screen. And after the show is over, they want to chat and share socially with other fans.
“Beamly for the first time brings together all of these touchpoints with TV in a single app, all day long.”
Anthony Rose, CTO and co-founder said: “We’ve already seen a marked progression in the behaviours of users since gradually introducing our new social features over the past few months. The social effect of users following other users, for instance, lifts frequency by 9x to over 21 visits per user per week, and usage to over 500 minutes per user per week – so we’re pretty excited. And since almost 2/3rds of our users are now female, and the 16-24 age bracket is our core, the new Beamly brand captures the zeitgeist of these millennials perfectly.”
Beamly is available free from the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Google Play for Android, on the web and coming soon to Windows Phone.
