Tandberg Television--the company which over the past year or so has purchased VOD infrastructure provider, N2 Broadband, interactive TV technology and services provider, GoldPocket Interactive, IPTV content delivery company, SkyStream Networks, and Internet video company, Zetools--recently teamed with NBC to develop a broadband, two-screen interactive TV application to accompany the latter's live broadcast of the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards (note: Tandberg also developed an ITV application for NBC's broadcast of the Golden Globes earlier this year). The "NBC Emmy Awards Interactive" app, which was sponsored exclusively by Target, provided viewers with exclusive, live, behind-the-scenes video feeds, as well as real-time blog postings, written backstage by NBC producers. It also invited viewers to answer broadcast-synchronized trivia questions and polls: viewers could earn points for each correct answer and compare their responses to those of other viewers. Among other things, they could rate the stars' outfits, grade their speeches and predict the evening's winners.
According to Tandberg, the app's broadcast-synchronized interactive experience enhanced NBC's live telecast by "heighten[ing] the suspense before each winner is revealed while providing viewers an immediate connection to both the prestigious awards ceremony and--through live poll results--each other." Any viewer who used the app could be chosen at random to win one of 10 $500 gift cards given away by Target. "Enabling viewers to interact with each other while providing them with a more exciting and in-depth way to watch the Emmy Awards was a key consideration for this year's telecast," Stephen Andrade, NBC Entertainment's VP of interactive development, said in a prepared statement. "We're tremendously excited to provide television fans with a way to access exclusive behind-the-scenes video feeds and blogs from the awards show while interacting in real time with their fellow television fans." Added Braxton Jarratt, Tandberg's SVP of marketing and business development: "The recent rise in social networking sites and other peer-driven technologies proves that consumers are eager to seek out new levels of interactivity with their peers. Our work on NBC's telecast of the 58th annual Emmy Awards shows how interactive technologies can enable cutting-edge networks like NBC and advertisers like Target to deliver a more dynamic experience to viewers that will enrich their enjoyment of the show and their engagement with brands."
The Primetime Emmys telecast also featured mobile interactivity: US wireless carrier, Sprint, teamed with AirPlay Network, a San Francisco-based company which specializes in developing games that allow viewers to play along with TV programs, to create a play-along application for the telecast. The app, which was offered to Sprint customers free of charge and which represents the first commercial deployment of AirPlay's technology, was accessed by texting "Emmy" to the shortcode, 7777, on Sprint or Nextel phones. (Note: texting the shortcode also allowed Sprint customers to view the line-up of this year's Primetime Emmy categories.) The app, entitled "Emmys Airplay Live," invited players to compete against reality TV host, Jeff Probst ("Survivor"), by predicting the Emmy winners and comparing the accuracy of their predictions with those made by Probst, a predetermined group, or the national audience. Players were awarded points for correct answers, and could also score bonus points by answering trivia questions during the Emmy Awards' live broadcast. Other elements of Emmys AirPlay Live included live commentary on the Awards, real-time polls and post-event polls. "Our partnership with AirPlay is creating the ultimate opportunity for fan engagement and is a perfect complement to our Emmys sponsorship," Tom Murphy, Sprint's VP of sponsorship marketing, said in a prepared statement. "Sprint is constantly developing ways for subscribers to experience and interact with the things they love by bringing them closer to the action."
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