NBC Universal revealed earlier this week that the single-screen interactive TV application it is offering on Time Warner Cable systems in association with the new Bravo channel reality TV show, "Top Chef," is now garnering average viewer response rates as high as 26%--up 300% from the show's March premiere. (Note: the application, which was built by and is based on technology from interactive TV technology and services provider, Navic Networks, allows viewers to use their remotes to respond to a series of topical questions. The polls appear as pop-up screens, timed to occur at precise moments throughout the hour-long show. Navic's technology records and compiles the responses and displays the results to viewers in real time in each local market.) The show's finale later this month will live feature voting across three platforms: set-top boxes, mobiles, and the Web.
Jonathan Dakss, NBC Universal's director of interactive TV product development, recently spoke to [itvt]'s Tracy Swedlow about the "Top Chef" application and NBC Universal's other recent and ongoing interactive TV projects, about its recently announced Technology Growth Center and its TV360 initiative, about its games partnership with Visiware, about its future interactive and multiplatform TV plans, and more.
[itvt]: What are your responsibilities at NBC?
Dakss: What I do tends to fall into two categories: the first part of what I do is work across all the NBC Universal businesses to educate them about what interactive TV can do and how it works, and also work directly with those businesses to launch interactive TV projects. The second part of what I do is lead development of in-house ITV technologies that we can leverage, in order to make it easier for producers, networks and the like to roll out interactive TV, and in order to reduce the cost of launching ITV projects.
[itvt]: How did you get started in interactive TV? What's your background?
Dakss: I got started in the interactive TV space way back in 1997, when I was a grad student at the MIT Media Lab. I had developed--along with my professor--a technology for tracking objects on television, and in video in general. And what we did was we combined that technology with video editing and authoring software, so that we could create interactive television productions.
The most famous of these productions was something called "HyperSoap." It was a soap opera, and the entire cast was wearing clothes from JC Penney. Also, the props were all items from the JC Penney catalogue. You could watch the soap opera and be entertained by it, but you could also lean forward and highlight different objects in the show with your remote control, and find out what they cost--and then press another button and purchase them from JC Penney.
The software we had developed saw a lot of interest from television companies and other media companies, to the point where it made sense to found a company in order to commercialize and license the technology.
So, myself, a colleague at the MIT Media Lab, and my professor founded a company, called WatchPoint Media, that took that technology and commercialized it. However, what we soon found out was that the technology was still very much ahead of its time, despite all the hoopla about interactive TV that was going on back then.
But what we also realized was that the technologies that we'd built for delivering the kind of complex interactive experience you had with "HyperSoap" could be applied to enhanced television, where you would also need frame-accurate and pixel-accurate information about the video, in order to have, for example, a poll that was synchronized with a show. We had spent a lot of time and energy developing algorithms for maintaining synchronization across cable and satellite, analog and digital platforms, and that fueled the development of a variety of products. But probably the best-known product was a piece of software called "Storyteller."
[itvt]: Which is now owned by GoldPocket/Tandberg Television, correct?
Dakss: Yes. It's still basically what it was when we developed it: an authoring tool that creative folks can use to very easily create one-screen interactive TV content that's synchronized to linear television.
So we expanded WatchPoint to Europe: we opened an office in London in partnership with Ascent Media, and I was in charge of opening up that office and of bringing people from WatchPoint there, and of getting that office integrated into the television community in London.
We then--myself and Andy Miller, who was one of the other co-founders, and was CEO of the company at that time--sold WatchPoint to GoldPocket in 2003. Together with GoldPocket, we made the decision to relocate the London office back to Los Angeles, to GoldPocket's headquarters. So I moved back to LA, and I've been here ever since.
[itvt]: What led to the decision to sell WatchPoint to GoldPocket?
Dakss: Originally, we were both Boston-based companies--they were in Cambridge, we were in Boston itself. So we had actually known about them before they made their move to LA, and we continued--every once in a while--to, as it were, check up on each other, to see how things were going. We started talking to them formally towards the end of 2002, and it soon became clear that combining the two companies would result in something that was much greater than the sum of its parts. We thought that the work they'd been doing at that point in two-screen interactive TV and wireless-based interactive TV was the perfect complement for what we were doing, which was very one-screen focused. At the same time, they also recognized that they needed to expand their product offering--based on all the work that they had been doing with television networks--to incorporate technologies in the cable and satellite space.
[itvt]: Why did you leave GoldPocket?
Dakss: Well, I had a great time with GoldPocket. Before joining GoldPocket, my role had been very technical: I was the CTO of WatchPoint. After joining GoldPocket, my role became a hybrid of business and technology. I felt that I personally achieved a lot while I was at GoldPocket. I was directly responsible for things like the launch of GSN interactive TV with Oceanic Time Warner Cable, the launch of various interactive services with Bell ExpressVu, and interactive launches with a number of other operators in the US. That was very exciting, because all the technology that we had developed at WatchPoint was really, for the first time, getting into the hands of consumers.
But I basically came to the realization that I had been doing a lot of the same things for around five years--if you combine my time at WatchPoint with my time at GoldPocket. I felt that it was the right time for a change.
Around the time I was starting to think that, I was contacted by NBC Universal. They told me about a new group that they were forming called the Technology Growth Center. This group really sounded appealing to me. Basically, they wanted to put together, in the same group, a set of experts in a variety of different advanced technology areas, who would then be able to work across all of the NBC Universal businesses--the NBC broadcast network, the cable networks, the television stations, the movie studios, the theme parks--to help enable those businesses to grow via new technology. It just sounded to me like a perfect fit, so I joined NBC Universal in June of last year.
[itvt]: It seems that NBC was at the forefront of interactive TV in the US in the mid and late 90's, but then was very quiet for several years. Now, there seems to have been a change of strategy over the past year or so, and NBC seems to be jumping back into the game. Why is that?
Dakss: You're absolutely right. There was a time when NBC was truly at the forefront of interactive TV, and I'd like to think that it's now returning to that position. I think what's fueling this is something that's being experienced throughout all of the media industry, which is the fact that consumers are no longer consuming media just by watching it on TV in their living rooms: they're doing it via the Web, via mobiles, via portable devices like the iPod. And so, the best way for a company like NBC to engage those consumers is to reach out to them, and make our content accessible to them on different platforms. Interactivity is a terrific way to do that, and it's also something that we've found has very broad appeal to our advertiser-partners.
Also, while our channel Web sites used to be purely promotional, they are now effectively businesses. And there's no better way to build awareness of our online presence and to drive traffic to those sites, than to feature online elements during our shows.
[itvt]: What are NBC's priorities, in terms of the new platforms that it's exploring--single-screen interactive TV? Broadcast-synchronized two-screen ITV? Mobile phone-based interactivity? VOD? Broadband TV?
Dakss: I think you're going to see us be leaders in all those spaces. NBC Universal Television CEO, Jeff Zucker, recently announced that there's going to be a large initiative within NBC, called TV360. It's effectively a way of saying to production companies, to studios, to advertisers, that we're no longer thinking just about what you see on your TV screen, when we think about a show. Everything is going to have a package associated with it, in which there will be a VOD component, a mobile component, and an online component. And it's going to become truly part of the DNA of how NBC programs its shows.
Just to give you one example of how the TV360 strategy is going to work: this summer, we're going to be launching a show called "Treasure Hunters," which is unparalleled in scope, compared to anything that's been on television, before. Picture it basically as "National Treasure" and the "Da Vinci Code" and the "Amazing Race" all rolled into one. The show basically follows teams that are searching for a treasure that's worth millions of dollars. They'll use historical secrets and codes and things like that, plus compete in all sorts of physical, strenuous challenges across all different types of terrain and landscapes, in order to find a hidden treasure. The show's going to have its own treasure hunt online and via mobile that will be integrated into the linear part of the show. Viewers at home will be able to participate: they'll have clues they'll need to find and puzzles they'll need to solve. There's never been anything like it before on television.
[itvt]: Will viewers be able to interact with the show via text messages during the broadcast?
Dakss: There will definitely be components involving text messaging, but I can't say any more than that.
[itvt]: Will the show feature a single-screen interactive TV application?
Dakss: No, it won't feature single-screen. However, while we're on the topic of single-screen, have you seen the application we did with Time Warner Cable and Navic for "Top Chef"? That's a great application, and you'll definitely see more of those types of applications from us going forward.
[itvt]: Why did you decide to wrap single-screen interactivity into that show in particular?
Dakss: Various reasons: we wanted to start with a cable show--as you know, it's on Bravo; we wanted to time it for early in the year; and the show was one that we felt very strongly would be a hit. I'd say the ratings have shown it's already off to a great start.
[itvt]: Was there something about the show itself that made you think it would be particularly appropriate for interactive TV?
Dakss: It was a very natural choice, simply because it's contest-reality at its best. The contestants are great and have very strong personalities, and the challenges are really difficult--so it seemed natural that people would want to express themselves about who they thought was going to get kicked off this week.
[itvt]: Should we expect to see more single-screen interactive TV apps from NBC Universal going forward?
Dakss: I think you're definitely going to see more and more from us in that area. It's something that we as a broadcaster want to do. But it's also something that we're seeing a very strong interest in from advertisers and sponsors.
[itvt]: So you're saying that advertisers are proactively asking you for single-screen interactive TV applications?
Dakss: Yes. They're approaching not only us, but the MSO's as well. So it's definitely something that I'd say the industry is seeing a lot of demand for. However, even though the ITV industry has definitely grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years, and even though a lot of things that not too long ago were just trials and demos are now deployed, we're still not at the point yet where we have a unified platform for single-screen interactive TV--or even a single vendor or partner that could help bring us to the full set of distributors and their platforms in the US. I'd say that, now more than ever, we're seeing why standards are so important: things like the CableLabs ETV initiative, things like OCAP. They are what will make it easy and cost-effective for a network to launch single-screen interactive content.
[itvt]: You worked on the ETV spec, correct?
Dakss: Absolutely. I was one of the co-authors of the ETV spec, so I'm very familiar with it.
[itvt]: I take it that NBC is in talks with the cable industry about what you guys need in OCAP and ETV.
Dakss: Those discussions are definitely going on. We have ongoing discussions with the MSO's about a variety of different platforms and technologies--things like DVR, copy protection, VOD, and of course ITV.
[itvt]: Even when these standards are implemented, do you feel that developing for them will be complex, will be a challenge?
Dakss: I think it may be considered complex, but frankly, so long as there's a unified platform, the complexity can always be addressed--through authoring tools, scripting languages, and things like that. At this point, from our perspective, we are just interested in seeing these standards deployed. Even if it's Version 1.0, just to see them get distributed and get traction is what's most important for us.
[itvt]: Let's talk some more about your current interactive TV applications. You recently launched a mobile application and a Web application to accompany "Deal or No Deal." How did that go?
Dakss: We've been very pleased with the response. It's definitely become a hit, and we see the numbers growing night-over-night. We give away a total of $30,000 a night to users of those apps--$10,000 per time zone. You can send a text message for $0.99 or you can go on the Web and play for free.
[itvt]: Can you say how many people are voting on a nightly basis?
Dakss: I can't tell you that, I'm afraid. But I can say that we've definitely been pleased with the results.
[itvt]: You also recently offered an interactive TV service, called "NBC Olympics Now," to accompany your coverage of the Olympics…
Dakss: We were definitely very happy with that. As far as I know, it's the first time that a television network has launched a single-screen ITV application that's this advanced across multiple platforms simultaneously. The app was available on EchoStar's DISH Network, on DirecTV and on Time Warner Cable. On DISH and DirecTV, there was a mosaic that allowed you to navigate and view all of the NBC Universal channels that featured Olympic content. The app also allowed you to view a medal tracker, headlines, and stats and bios on the athletes. That part of the application was consistent across all three platforms.
[itvt]: So to summarize some of the recent interactive TV applications you've offered…
Dakss: I can list them for you: "Deal or No Deal"--interactivity via text messaging and online; the Golden Globes--a two-screen Web-based application; the Olympics--a single-screen application on Time Warner Cable, DISH and DirecTV; "Project Runway--The Finale"--text and online voting; "Top Chef"--a single-screen app, as I mentioned, and also a text-alert service, where you get broadcast-synchronized alerts sent to your phone from the cast of the show itself, while you're watching the show. We're also now running an interactive vote for "The Apprentice" on NBC, where you can vote for who you think should get fired and possibly win $10,000.
[itvt]: You also recently entered a deal with Visiware, under which Visiware will develop a catalog of interactive TV games based on Universal properties, and offer them on its Playin'TV games channel. Could you tell us a little about that?
Dakss: Yes. We've developed two games with them so far, based on the movie, "King Kong." There's a Kong quiz game, which, was the first game we developed with them and which has launched on Bell ExpressVu and DirecTV Latin America; and there's a Kong adventure game, which is even better than the first. It's an arcade-style game that's patterned after the movie. That is going to launch on DISH, Bell ExpressVu, DirecTV Latin America, and all the other platforms where Playin'TV is currently distributed.
We obviously do a lot of merchandising on games platforms, but the Kong quiz game was the only place that you could go and see all of the photos and production stills and artwork from the movie in one place. The game lets you access something like 300 stills and pieces of artwork. I think for fans, it is a great experience.
Now with the adventure game, you actually get to play as the different characters in the movie. So one minute, you're Kong; the next minute, you're Jack. As you succeed through each level, you get to see a still from the movie. So, basically, you get taken forward in the plot, as it were. So it's as if you're playing through the movie--culminating, of course, with the final scene with Kong in New York.
[itvt]: How did the partnership with Visiware come about?
Dakss: That was something that I worked on with a fellow named Bill Kispert. Bill oversees all of gaming for the company. He had actually done some experimentation in the past with one-screen interactive TV games: basically, he had been approached by BSkyB, which wanted to license "The Hulk" to make it into a game on the Sky platform. It did fairly well, but Bill had been mostly focused on the more popular, more traditional gaming platforms, such as consoles and PC's and--more recently--mobiles.
Once I joined the company, I got together with Bill, and we took a look at what was going on in the interactive TV games industry. As I'm sure you know, it's really growing quite rapidly, and it's become probably one of the top moneymakers in the interactive TV space. At the same time, I would say that, in general, NBC Universal as a company is very seriously interested in casual gaming. Simply because casual gaming really does speak to the same viewing audience that we have for our programming. Casual gaming, too, is quite a big industry--bigger than you'd probably think.
So, with these things in mind, Bill and I basically canvassed the interactive TV games landscape for who we thought would be the best partner--both in terms of distribution reach on an international scale, and in terms of quality and of appreciation for the kind of brands that we represent. You see, if you look at the Universal catalog, it has a lot of properties that would really lend themselves to being made into games: "Jurassic Park," "The Mummy," "The Fast and the Furious," to name but a few. Anyhow, we really clicked with Visiware, and I'd say that, so far, the relationship has been really great.
Visiware really understands what it means to be an international channel. If you think about it, they're in so many countries, and they have so many things to take into consideration--different languages, different set-top box hardware and middleware platforms, and so on. In order to be able to run a profitable enterprise the way they do, they have to be able to streamline their operations, but still provide a quality product. So that was one of the things that we liked about them.
[itvt]: You mentioned just that NBC Universal is interested in casual games. Will all the casual games you develop be based on your brands, or are you also planning to offer more traditional, unbranded casual games?
Dakss: I think you'll probably see both. As you probably know, we recently acquired iVillage. I can't say for sure what our casual gaming strategy will be relative to iVillage. But you can imagine that there are games that we can do that might not necessarily have the NBC brand, or that might not necessarily be based on one of our shows or movies, but that are simply entertaining and that are something that people would enjoy online or on their phone.
[itvt]: Is NBC Universal interested in applications and services based on user-generated content?
Dakss: Yes, definitely. There's a whole component of our Technology Growth Center group that focuses purely on broadband. And they're actively working with our sites to develop community-based tools for publishing and blogging and things like that.
As far as we on the interactive TV side of the group are concerned, a recent project that I didn't mention earlier, but that I think really speaks to the value of user-generated content, is something that we did with the "Suze Ormond Show." Over two weekends, we allowed viewers to send messages from their cell phones, and we took their messages and put them on the air.
[itvt]: Messages on what kinds of topics?
Dakss: They typically were responding to the topics that Suze was discussing. On the first show, the topic was dating, and I think the question that she asked the audience was: "On the first date, who should pay? Should it always be the guy that pays?" Then on the second show, which dealt with financial dishonesty, the question was: "Is it ever OK to lie to your partner about your finances?" Both questions got a pretty broad response.
So the idea was that viewers could listen to Suze and the guests she had on her show talking about these topics, but then they could also look down and see what the community-at-large had to say about them. This was a text-to-TV application: you would send your text message, and then you'd see your message scroll across the screen during the show.
[itvt]: Could you give us an idea of the kinds of interactive TV services NBC Universal will be rolling out in the coming months?
Dakss: We've been very pleased with our voting applications--for example, the ones we did for "Deal or No Deal" and "Project Runway." So I think you'll see interactive TV voting extended in various different ways. We're also going to be looking for new and interesting ways for people to participate in shows and in community-based applications through their cell phones. So I'd say we're going to be going a few steps beyond just voting.
Online, I think what you'll see--in addition to the more traditional types of two-screen ITV--is more immersive experiences behind our shows. Experiences that incorporate video, alongside broadcast-synchronized elements.
As far as one-screen is concerned, the app we did for "Top Chef" was very successful, so you'll see us do more things like that. There are lots of discussions underway now with our cable MSO and satellite partners about the types of value-added applications that we can create together. So I think you'll be seeing more of those over the coming year.
[itvt]: Will we be seeing more interactive and multiplatform elements offered in conjunction with scripted shows, as opposed to reality TV and game shows?
Dakss: Yes. Definitely. I think that, in many ways, speaks to that TV360 concept that I mentioned earlier. You'll be seeing an interactive component, an online component, a VOD component, a mobile component and so on offered in conjunction with all major programming--not just with unscripted programming, but with dramas and comedies. Those things will just become part of the fabric of a show. I think our senior management understands the power that adding interactive and multiplatform components to a show can have, both in terms of ratings and in terms of appeal to sponsors.
[itvt]: What convinced them?
Dakss: I think it was a number of factors. There was definitely a significant demand from our advertisers. But also, in a lot of ways, it was because interactive is something that we're very well positioned to do: we have a substantial on-air presence and a substantial online presence--and we also have sponsors that sponsor not only our programming but our Web sites--so it makes sense to bring the two together, by encouraging our viewers to go online and experience what we can offer online. There are things that NBC and our other networks can do that a Yahoo or a Google simply can't. We can say to 20 million viewers--as was the case with the Golden Globes--that they can go online right now and, suddenly, there's a huge rush of viewers to our sites. That kind of behavior isn't something that a traditional Web site normally experiences, and it can be very powerful.
[itvt]: What developments in interactive and multiplatform TV are you personally most excited by?
Dakss: Well, I'm definitely excited by the world of single-screen. Simply because, to me, there's nothing more powerful than an application that a viewer can control using their remote. I'm also very excited by the TV360 idea, if for no other reason than because I myself am engaged with multiple platforms--I'm always doing something on my cell phone or my iPod. I also love what' s going on now in terms of more and more content related to a show being available online. So that you can watch a show and then go online and have a really rich experience that extends the show. So those are the developments that I find exciting.
URL: http://www.nbcuni.com
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