Given the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets also on the Italian territory, the television landscape both digital terrestrial and via satellite is increasingly enriching opportunities related to the so called "second screen". (May 2014)
We're talking about "interactive TV" which is for the viewer to increase the experience of linear telly viewing and that ends up constituting the real convergence, so longed for years, among the different worlds of television, the Internet and mobile devices.
To change to the pitch of the tv, straddling among Experience enrichment, social tv, couch commerce, interactive adv, polls, video extras infos and more, there are many different companies and start-ups. Among these players in Italy at the moment, let's quote Vetrya. "The basic idea is to open up various new marketing opportunities," says the CEO Luca Tomassini taking the example of channel "Super!".
In practice, today's television operators, publishers and broadcasters - mainly because of the fragmentation of the audience over 1000 channels and extra opportunities – are all looking for new opportunities to monetize. The idea beneath is striving to exploit the natural return channel consisting in specific applications, through the Internet. Vetrya is an Italian group specializing in providing multi screen platforms, Media asset management, mobile entertainment, Internet TV and broadband services.
In the background, however, a new model of interaction between the viewer and the various channels is proposed, through on purpose applications provided through different media. The style follows the path laid by Super! a new dtt tv channel launched on 9th december 1013 by the De Agostini publisher. Just to give an idea, only one month after the launch the main application boasted 125,000 downloads.
The basic concept is quite simple since many viewers can "play" with the tv channel through fun quizzes, win the exclusive gadgets and be updated in real time on the schedules of the various activities.
The data relating to the users of this service are very interesting indeed, since the new channel involves more than 10,000 people a day connected via the applications. The interaction is done via smartphones and tablets even if the traditional TV channel is in full development. The concept is rather than "second screen" it is more correct to speak of "multi screen" where each device is considered an extension of the main entertainment opportunities provided by the TV high quality channel. In this sense we report of interactive formats in which all programs can greatly benefit and sport broadcasts on top of that; not surprisingly broadcasters and content providers increasingly seek to follow the viewer-consumers on all devices by offering a user experience optimized on each device.
The advertising world also sees this interaction with the customer as a great opportunity to intercept the preferences and customize the ads to stimulate "buying impulse".
The viewer on his side is at ease since beside the tv linear program he is capable to apply a free choice of contents and media, so as not to be more passive in front of a screen. In practice he continues to benefit from the high quality made possible by the TV channel without sacrificing the many expressive personal possibilities typical of the Web.
The interactive platform that makes it possible for this interaction is called "Tivin"; it provides a CMS that manages all content and services related to the transmission broadcast live and on-demand. After listening to the audio television it automatically operates synchronizing the transmission with the interactive application via the return channel of the Internet. So the publisher or broadcaster may combine a number of interactive services that can be "monetized", such as interaction with the world of social networks, and personal comments and sharing, providing approval, a rating of each television program in real time, augmenting the reality on the broadcast channel for example by additional cameras, additional information, and views from different angles, live polls and voting, bonus contents, interactive advertising and eventual purchase of related products.
