--Minerva Networks Powering Interactive TV Widget-Enabled IPTV Offering for Costa Rica's ICE
--Netflix Launches iPhone/iPod Touch App
--NetPlay TV's New iPhone App Lets Users Interact with its Interactive TV Gambling Programming
Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up/summary format. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.
--Cameron Death Promoted to SVP and GM of NBC Universal Digital Studio
--Comcast Increases VOD Movie Line-Up for Customers in Pacific Northwest by 450%
--MobiTV DRM Allows Video Downloads to BlackBerry Torch for Local Playback
--Total Immersion's Augmented Reality Slot Machine Returns
Here are some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:
--Recent Releases Dominate Avail-TVN's List of Top-20 Most-Watched VOD Movies
--Betfair to Offer Interactive TV Sports Wagering Apps on Samsung's Connected TV Platform
--Launch of Boxee Box Delayed until November, My Damn Channel Launches on Boxee
The [itvt] editorial team is on the road this week, so we are covering most stories in round-up/summary form, and we anticipate that there will be some additional interruptions of our regular news publishing schedule beyond that. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience to our readers.
--Bravo in Partnership with Mobile Social Network, Foursquare
--Elisabeth Murdoch Stresses Importance of Social Media to Future of TV
--NBCU Unveils Plans for Measuring Multiplatform Viewing of its Olympics Coverage
--Sky Betting and Gaming Shifts Focus from Interactive TV to Online
Because the [itvt] editorial team is busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show (March 3rd-4th in San Francisco) and on our new EBIF Intensive event (March 5th in San Francisco), we will be covering most stories in summary/round-up form over the next few weeks. Here is a round-up of interactive TV content news for the past few days:
 Australian interactive TV company, Two Way Limited, has provided December performance data for Tab Active, the ITV wagering service which it developed in partnership with Tabcorp Holdings and Foxtel, and which is available to Foxtel and Optus TV subscribers in Sydney and Melbourne.
Australian interactive TV company, Two Way Limited, said Wednesday that Tab Active--the interactive TV wagering service which it developed in partnership with Tabcorp Holdings and Foxtel, and which is available to Foxtel and Optus TV subscribers in New South Wales and Victoria--enjoyed its strongest performance to date in October.
--Show Produced by Interactive TV Specialist, Two Way Media
 In a move that it describes as part of "a concerted effort to broaden its revenues beyond traditional TV advertising," UK commercial terrestrial broadcaster, Five, has launched a daily interactive TV bingo show on its Web site. Entitled "The FreeBingo Show" and produced by interactive TV specialist, Two Way Media, the hour-long show is designed to increase awareness of and drive traffic to a suite of online gaming services operated by Five: the broadcaster launched branded bingo and casino egaming services in August, following the signing of a strategic agreement with online gaming company, PartyGaming.
--ADB Issues Cautiously Optimistic Update, Says it Has "Redistributed" Osmosys' Resources
--War of Words between Kudelski and Arcadia over Kudelski's OpenTV Bid
--Cisco Demo's Widget-Enabled EPG for Cable Operators Switching to IPTV
--Crunchyroll Launches Anime App for Boxee
--Motorola Launches HD Set-Top with Optional MoCA Interface
--New Interactive TV Games System Will Place Players Side-by-Side with Drivers in Real Races
--TiVo Launches in New Zealand
--Two Way Limited's Interactive TV Betting Service Shows Growth
--Ustream Enables Simultaneous Publishing of Comments to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, AIM
--Virgin Media Enjoys Record VOD Usage in Q3
Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue (as well as some stories from last week's SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Denver, which our editorial team was unable to attend):
--Sky Poker Interactive TV Service to Reward Winner of its 200 Millionth Hand
 BSkyB and Microsoft announced Wednesday that the Sky Player broadband video service will be added in the UK to Windows Media Center in Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system, enabling live and on-demand over-the-top viewing of Sky's pay-TV content, including movies, sports coverage, entertainment and children's programming and more. Earlier this year, the companies announced a deal to offer Sky Player on the Xbox 360 (see the article published on itvt.com May 29th): that service is slated to launch October 27th.
NetPlay TV, a UK-based company that specializes in live interactive TV gambling (note: the company recently acquired Two Way Gaming, a joint venture between Two Way TV and Win Gaming, and, as part of that deal, took over the production of interactive TV gaming channel, Challenge Jackpot, which offers programming on the UK's Virgin Media cable, Sky satellite and Freeview digital terrestrial platforms--see the article published on itvt.com, May 19th; the company also recently announced a distribution deal with Scottish commercial terrestrial broadcaster, STV, that sees the latter offering live interactive TV casino programming--
Read more
--Endemol Considering Interactive TV Poker Show for Xbox Live
 Microsoft said Monday that "1 vs. 100 Live," the avatar-driven interactive TV version of the Endemol-developed "1 vs. 100" game show format that it beta launched on its Xbox Live service this spring, is proving highly popular, having been downloaded by over 2.5 million people (which makes it one of the top-10 Xbox Live content downloads to date), and with up to 200,000 people around the world playing it every day. In one evening alone, the company says, over 215,000 people in Europe and 230,000 in North America "dressed their avatars" to participate in the interactive game show.
--Also Launches Live Retail Betting Products with Stanleybet International
NetPlay TV, a UK-based company that specializes in live interactive TV gambling (note: the company recently acquired Two Way Gaming, a joint venture between Two Way TV and Win Gaming, and, as part of that deal, has taken over the production of interactive TV gaming channel, Challenge Jackpot, which offers programming on the UK's Virgin Media cable, Sky satellite and Freeview digital terrestrial platforms--see article published on itvt.com, May 19th), announced Monday that it has signed a distribution deal with Scottish commercial terrestrial broadcaster, STV, that sees the latter launching what is billed as "the first live interactive TV casino on a national
 UK-based interactive TV design company, Pushbutton, announced last month that it has teamed with gambling channel, Sky Vegas, to launch an interactive TV version of the arcade-style, "tumbling faces" gambling game, "Chain Reactors," on the latter's service on the UK's Sky satellite-TV platform. In order for a player to win money, a series of what Pushbutton describes as "amusing and quirkily animated tumbling faces" must match up in clusters of at least five in a grid. Lining up the faces causes a "chain reaction," wherein the matched faces disappear in a puff animation. New faces then tumble down the screen to replace them.
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The 2nd Annual TVOT NYC Intensive
The second annual TVOT NYC Intensive took place on Monday, December 5th at 730 Third Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. We would like to thank everybody who participated and attended for making the event a success!
Read more about the highlights - video and photos to be posted soon.
To find out about future event sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, contact us at swedlow@itvt.com or 415-824-5806
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