TV Tune-In Lets Big Media Jump On The Audience Interactivity Bandwagon

There is a growing trend of companion applications to television shows that bring a second screen to interactivity with TV shows and movies. Apps like GetGlue, Miso, and Tunerfish all add a second platform where users can check-in to a show, earn points and rewards for participation, and interact with social networks. A new player is about to launch in the space that adds a white-label platform for audience engagement for television shows. TV Tune-In, developed by Rogue Paper, is a real-time, companion viewing and mobile app development platform for media companies to help drive viewership, conversation and interactions for television shows and content.

TV Tune-In’s CMS allows media companies to develop branded iPhone and iPad apps for television shows and channels. The apps aims to attract fans around live viewing of their favorite show, event, or sports team. Users can actively comment, Tweet and Like their favorite show, chat with friends, play trivia games, watch exclusive video content, photos and more. As users interact with the application, they can earn rewards like virtual badges. One compelling feature for TV Tune-In is the ability to time-shift interactions and commentary in case you aren’t watching a show live.

The idea behind the platform is that media companies can launch their own interactive “second screen” experience, as opposed to forming deals and partnerships with other startups. And TV Tune-In has struck two high-profile deals with big-name media companies to create branded iPhone and iPad apps for popular television shows (Rogue Paper declined to name the partners but will announce the deals in the next few weeks).

Founded by Sima Sistani and Stephanie Boyle, Rogue Paper has assembled an impressive group of advisors including Twitter CEO Dick Costolo; Antonio Lucio, CMO of Visa; Walter Delph, VP at NewsCorp Digital; James Finn, Head of Innovation and Business Strategy at O2/Telefonica and Doug Mandell.

TV Tune-In may be on to something. While apps like Miso and GetGlue grow in terms of users, media companies could provide a similar interactive experience in-house. Licensing TV Tune-In’s platform has the potential to be a cost-effective way for a television content company to access fans and develop and control their own second screen and interactive mobile applications.