Fans chat in real time with TV and sports stars in new format that syncs with TV
LOS ANGELES – ConnecTV, the social TV network for television fans, announced a unique new SocialTV Timeline that dynamically syncs on your mobile devices to whatever show you’re watching, and offers a stream of integrated news, bios, special info, polls, and celebrity tweets. ConnecTV’s SocialTV Timeline also puts front and center “guest star” chat with stars from hit programs “Pretty Little Liars,” “Dancing With the Stars,” and “X-Factor,” as well as Super Bowl and Heisman Trophy-winning sports celebrities.Just tap on any content unit in ConnecTV’s “SocialTV Timeline” and it immediately springs to life, expanding to offer news, polls, play-by-play sports and more. Share with friends, sign up for upcoming show alerts, create a ConnecTV viewing party or chat with stars and other fans – all with one touch. Fans can access ConnecTV’s new features free on smart phones, tablets and computers by downloading the ConnecTV app in the iTunes Store or at ConnecTV.com. The new SocialTV Timeline is also available for syndication by third parties as a simple module that works in smart phone and tablet applications as well as on web pages, allowing users anywhere to sync to TV across more than 400 channels.
The SocialTV Timeline showcases TV and sports stars as well as Internet celebrities chatting with fans in real time as they watch their favorite shows and games or in ConnecTV’s Watercooler. Among the “guest stars” showcased in ConnecTV chat: Keegan Allen of ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars,” Val Chmerkovskiy of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars,” Apollo Nida of Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Beilee Madison co-star of Billy Crystal’s “Parental Guidance,” Chris Rene of Fox’s “X-Factor,” Super Bowl XXXIV champion and St. Louis Rams tight end Roland Williams, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Oakland Raider Tim Brown and Internet celebrity Michael Buckley.
“ConnecTV is primarily focused on a great user experience that enhances television viewing – rather than distracting you from the ten foot experience by pulling your focus in dozens of different directions,” said ConnecTV Co-Founder Ian Aaron. “By giving our million users – and growing fast – a companion experience to television programming and marketing that they can act on with one touch, ConnecTV leads the way in fast-forwarding television into a truly social and interactive medium.”
“All the play-by-play action on the field now comes to life in real time on ConnecTV with a stream of deep stats, player bios, news and more,” said former Oakland Raider Tim Brown, who chats with fans on ConnecTV. “Joining the conversation with my super sofa warriors or sports bar titans is the most fun way to watch every game.”
The SocialTV Timeline launch follows the announcement of ConnecTV’s AdSync Network, which enables “view-sers” to act immediately on relevant television ads and promotions by tapping on synchronized companion ads on their second screen devices: Buy now, get a special promotional offer, watch additional product videos, find the closest store or enter a contest. SocialTV Timeline and the TV AdSync Network comprise the core of ConnecTV’s new social television platform that syncs with every show across more than 400 national channels, local stations and regional sports networks.
The new suite of ConnecTV features launches with an innovative graphical design that showcases the conversation around your favorite shows as well as a one-touch social integration that instantly connects viewers with their friends and followers throughout the social sphere. The design mission: To make TV more engaging, more compelling and more fun.
Consistent with the new design’s focus on driving the conversation around television, ConnecTV showcases its “Watercooler” initiative launched over the summer. Watercooler features national and local celebrities in sports, news, and entertainment chatting about the day’s top news on TV. The Watercooler premiered on ConnecTV around the 2012 London Games with Olympic Gold Medalists Bruce Jenner, Greg Louganis, Aaron Peirsol, Amanda Beard, and Clyde Drexler, and has continued through the new year with pop culture icon Michael Buckley sparking social media conversation around tent-pole programming such as the Golden Globes, “Dancing with the Stars” and “Vampire Diaries.”
ConnecTV’s new mobile interface is designed as a stream of dynamic cells, which, when touched, instantly expand to provide users with more in-depth information and real-time interactive functionality, including purchasing capabilities, in-depth and play-by-play sports statistics, relevant user polls, and connected social media – as well as enabling chat that is synchronized with the show you are watching.
The free ConnecTV app offers companion programming content and social interactivity elements that sync with any program from any TV source: cable, satellite and IPTV – live or time-shifted. ConnecTV uses a proprietary combination of content-recognition algorithms, closed caption data and a diverse mix of content meta-data to drive the accuracy, relevancy and speed of synchronization with broadcast programming – along with a tight technical integration into leading social media networks including Facebook and Twitter.
ConnecTV’s new platform syndication opportunity for SocialTV Timeline and the AdSync Network launches with the top broadcast media companies’ television stations across America: Belo Corp., Cox Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., Post-Newsweek Stations, Raycom Media and Schurz Communications.
About ConnecTV
ConnecTV is the biggest social network designed specifically for TV fans—a “second screen” companion entertainment experience that complements the video programming delivered from Cable, Satellite, Telecom, Over-the-Air or On-Line Service providers. ConnecTV is accessible on iOS or browser-based devices. It is coming soon for Android. ConnecTV automatically connects television viewers while they watch their favorite programs and synchronizes engaging second screen content, including latest news, celebrity information, trivia, polls and play-by-play sports stats. ConnecTV subscribers can see what TV shows their friends are watching, invite them to a “viewing party” and start a real-time conversation. ConnecTV also makes it easy to share viewers’ favorite TV moments using Facebook, Twitter and email. ConnecTV has partnered with 10 leading broadcast groups, including Barrington Broadcasting Group, Belo Corp., Cox Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., Post-Newsweek Stations, Raycom Media and Schurz Communications. Several of these broadcasters – the joint venture that is Pearl – have made an undisclosed investment in ConnecTV. ConnecTV was founded by pioneering executives at the intersection of media, entertainment and technology: Ian Aaron, Alan Moskowitz and Stacy Jolna. ConnecTV’s Board of Directors includes James Zukin, the founder and former Chairman of investment bank Houlihan Lokey, and Roger Keating, Senior Vice President of Hearst Television.
