I'll be reviewing MTV's latest interactive television marketing strategy app in an upcoming blog. Till then, check out MTV's press release below which gives a good overview. A screen shot from the app courtesy of MTV is followed by their press release.
MTV Launches Co-Viewing Second Screen Companion App ‘WatchWith’ for iPhone To Provide Additive Content and Social Experience Around MTV Shows
08.18.11
WatchWith Connects Fans and MTV Talent with a Socially Curated Experience tied
to Primetime MTV Shows
Multiplatform Experience Available on iPad, Desktop and now iPhone
New York, NY, August 18, 2011 –MTV today announced the release of the WatchWith iPhone app; a co-viewing second screen experience that delivers complimentary and additive content to fans by curating the social conversation on Twitter and Facebook and connecting them with the stars of their favorite MTV shows, including Jersey Shore, Teen Wolf and Awkward. In the last month, MTV has launched WatchWith as a desktop experience and as an iPad app.
“With WatchWith, we can deliver curated MTV content and interactions with our talent to an engaged audience during the moments they want it the most,” said Colin Helms, Vice President of MTV Digital. “Our approach is to provide an additive layer around our shows to encourage fan participation, without distracting from the core viewing.”
Developed by Rogue Paper, WatchWith features a custom filter that displays the best and most “liked” comments in real time including pushing one’s own followers and friends to the top of the feed. As the timeline of the show progresses, WatchWith delivers relevant content tied to the narrative directly into the stream, including photos and videos of specific characters, actors and show moments.
Looking to provide fans with a unique opportunity to connect with and interact with their favorite MTV stars and cast members, WatchWith showcases comments and re-tweets from the show’s cast, who will be live tweeting during each episode’s premiere. Whether watching an episode premiere live or at later date, WatchWith records the social commentary in tandem with the timeline of the show. In addition, the iPhone and iPad apps provide a comprehensive content offering including videos, photos and news pieces.
“From listening to our audience, we’ve designed the experience to be light, easy-to-navigate, highly intuitive and available on a myriad of platforms and devices,” said Michael Scogin, VP of Mobile for MTV. “Our continued focus will be to provide a consistent second screen experience that is platform agnostic, but platform aware.”
The iPad and iPhone apps are currently available for free download in the iTunes App store. The desktop WatchWith experience is available on the Teen Wolf and Awkward homepages on MTV.com.