Red Bee Media has announced a deal with FX UK to create and produce the network’s first ever companion app, developed to support the return of the critically acclaimed series, The Walking Dead, using Civolution’s digital audio watermarking technology. Cecilia Parker, General Manager, FX UK commented: “The Walking Dead is such a fertile property online already that developing that discussion further on to the next level of engagement without compromising the viewing experience was a natural next step for us. Red Bee Media were the ideal partners given their wealth of experience in second screen activity.”
The audio watermarking technology allows audiences to accurately sync the second screen experience to the television program, both live and on demand. Digital audio watermarking embeds indelible and imperceptible metadata about each show, such as timecode, which is then extracted and interpreted onto the second screen device. This is the first time that digital audio watermarking technology has been deployed commercially as part of a TV companion app in the UK.
Bill Patrizio, CEO, Red Bee Media commented: “We are proud to work with FX UK to deliver this cutting-edge, first of its kind, second screen experience to consumers across the UK. The convergence of mobile and social technological innovation and consumer adoption is effecting dramatic changes to nearly every aspect of the industry. It is now widely acknowledged that multi-tasking in front of the TV is increasingly commonplace and research tells us that 60%1 of people in the UK concurrently watch TV and go online at least two or three times a week.
“This provides us with an opportunity to help our partners to build lasting relationships between their content and consumers by offering a new dimension in engagement that fuels excitement, deepens experiences and extends consumers’ enjoyment without detracting from the main screen.”
The second screen experience will provide audiences with a new, social and immersive way to engage with the TV series including the ability to predict the number of zombie kills in each episode, watch as the action unfolds, and share your results via Facebook or Twitter; select and watch previous zombie kills according to episode, character or weapon; view trailers of upcoming episodes; and see what’s being said about The Walking Dead on Twitter and interact with the Twittersphere. The app will be available free of charge from February 3 and will be available on both iPhones and iPads, while the second season of The Walking Dead will air on February 17.
