Social television app Zeebox has been downloaded more than one million times in the United States over the last three months, adding some weight to its claim of being the market leader in delivering additional content to a second screen.
The company says that the free app, available for iOS and Android devices, has seen “an unparalleled rate of consumer adoption” in America, fuelled in particular by popular TV shows such as The Voice and Grimm on NBC, Jersey Shore on MTV and Boardwalk Empire on HBO.
Jason Forbes, USA Managing Director of Zeebox said:
“Zeebox seems to have struck a chord with US consumers hungry for a richer multi-screen experience in discovering and being social across their favorite TV shows.
Our partners NBCUniversal, Viacom, Comcast and HBO have made great use of the interactive toolkit zeebox offers, translating into consumer engagement of around 30 minutes per session across our mobile apps.”
The Zeebox app allows users to access an interactive TV guide and see what tweets are being posted about the show they’re currently watching, but also view related links and news pieces, cast information and program credits.
On a game show, such as NBC’s “Take it All” for example, users can participate in live votes, polls and a synchronized Zeebox game, which is then shown nationally on a leaderboard at the end of each episode.
Some of these ideas will likely be replicated in rival apps such as Xbox SmartGlass, however Zeebox also has a feature called “Zeetags”, which helps users find out more about what’s being mentioned or displayed in the show in real-time. That, at least for now, is a unique selling point which has resonated with Zeebox users.
Zeebox hit the United States in September last year, where it partnered with 30 prominent broadcasters including Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, HBO and Cinemax. It’s a British startup, which has seen investment from domestic satellite TV giant BSkyB, among others.
It follows the company’s launch in Australia in June, and was later rolled out to the Republic of Ireland in December.
It’s difficult to predict whether Zeebox will continue this level of growth in the United States moving forward, although Forbes added: “It’s been a great first few months, but new types of partnerships and further product innovations in the coming quarter will accelerate zeebox growth even further. Watch this space.”
We will.
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