A decade ago, when viewers tuned into their favourite television programme, they never imagined that they could do more than simply watch the latest shows and talk about them with their friends and coworkers the next day. Today, as our lifestyles become increasingly digital, the passive act of watching television is steadily becoming far more interactive, with viewers multi-tasking on their mobile devices whilst watching television. This is known as the 'second-screen' phenomenon, where the mobile becomes an interactive part of regular TV viewership. You only need to look at how busy Twitter feeds become when high-profile programming such as the Brits or BAFTAs are broadcast to see that watching TV is becoming an ever more interactive experience these days.
Interactive TV isn't exactly a new invention, but, until recently, it wasn't an activity readily adopted by most viewers. One of the main reasons for this has been that there simply hasn't been a convenient way to encourage most people to interact with television programming. Until recently, the premise of interacting with TV meant that you had to have special gadgetry to do it, or, in the case of the 'red button' feature here in the UK, that it would interrupt the viewing of other people who may be in the room at the time. Even using a PC or laptop while watching is awkward, as it requires people watching at home to launch a browser window, then remember and type specific URLs for the show or the brand campaign in question. It's no wonder then that interactive TV didn't really take off until smartphones and tablets have become more ingrained in people's daily lives.
Nowadays, with the use of mobiles, and increasingly tablets, the opportunities for interactive television are greater than ever. The main reason for this is that mobile apps are available for almost every possible need from being your alarm clock to helping you check bus and train times to providing information from news to weather to restaurant reviews. Smartphones and mobile usage is rapidly taking over as a standard way of life - in fact, within the next three years, mobile access to the internet will surpass that of computers. When you look at these findings together, you have more than a trend - you have a tidal wave that points to mobile devices, be they phone or tablet, as the ideal candidate to revolutionize interactive television. Viewers can now literally use their mobiles to interact with what they're watching, whether it's to get more information about the shows they love or order products they want to buy in the moment.
Currently, our mobile devices provide us with a variety of ways to take advantage of the second-screen experience. They range from a simple social check-ins where people tell their friends what they are watching, to using "super-fan" apps developed for particular shows such as X Factor, which provide special mobile features and games related to that one programme.
However, the check-in apps are struggling to reach scale and maintain repeat usage from those who try it, suggesting that simply checking in is not compelling enough. And, the network and show-specific app are good for a specific group of people who watch a specific show, but the typical viewer of a typical show is not going to take the time to find and download numerous show apps. At Shazam, we believe that what people are really looking for in their second-screen experience is a rich offering that includes access to exclusive content and offers, as well as social features.
So, what's in it for consumers is pretty easy to understand - but why should broadcasters and advertisers invest in this technology? We believe the second screen enables them to extend engagement and encourage people to get more involved.
Shazam is a media discovery company. What we mean by this is that we have a technology that allows us to listen to any content, whether it's a song, TV show or advert, and identify what it is as well as give users additional information about it. Shazam is known by many for our mobile phone app, which more than 200 million people worldwide use to tag songs. Now, we're expanding to include television, as well, so that people can use the app to discover and share more content that they love. When viewers take the time to use Shazam with a show, they can interact with it in their own time - either during the broadcast or maybe the next day building a stronger bond with the program. For advertisers, second screen engagement can take a 30-second advert into two, three, even five minutes of engagement with a brand, giving people more information and a more personal interaction.
All signs point to mobile technology being the cornerstone of interactive television. Building what that interaction looks like and what will drive engagement - both from the app perspective as well as that of the show or brand - is developing at an increasingly rapid pace. Mobile has revolutionised the very act of watching television itself, opening up many possibilities for the future of television programming, advertising and fans alike, but this is just the start.