Comcast, NBCUniversal, Twitter form Social TV Partnership
A social convergence seems to be happening in the digital universe, as a slew of entertainment players are forming alliances with the 140-character social blogging site Twitter.
Close on the heels of Viacom announcing its partnership with Twitter to launch something called Twitter Amplify for companies to deliver social video advertising campaigns around Viacom platforms, here comes a new joint venture.
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), NBCUniversal and Twitter announced Wednesday a strategic partnership to more directly connect the millions of Twitter users with television viewing.
[ Also Read: Twitter Bosses Expected to Pocket US$3.7 Billion from IPO ]
In the first step of the partnership, Comcast engineers created a new feature called “See It” that will give millions of Xfinity TV customers the ability to instantly access TV shows, movies and sports directly from a Tweet. See It will debut in November with shows from NBCUniversal’s networks.
The companies also announced an advertising partnership with NBCUniversal in Twitter’s Amplify program which drives awareness of TV programs by embedding sponsored, real-time video clips in tweets.
[ Also Read: Amitabh Bachchan Invites You to Follow Him on Twitter ]
Comcast and Twitter are also already exploring additional opportunities to integrate social TV conversations into Comcast’s X1 platform – the company’s entertainment operating system.
Each day, Twitter plays host to the real-time conversation around the live broadcast of television shows. With See It, Xfinity TV customers who discover new shows and movies in their Twitter feeds will be able to tune in to those programs with the click of a button.
[ Also Read: What Are Your Twitter Fans Saying About You? ]
Comcast See It
The See It button will enable a menu of consumption options, including being able to:
- tune to live TV or start a show On Demand on their set-top box
- tune in to a show online or on their mobile device
- set DVRs
- set a reminder
- buy theater tickets through Fandango
“See It is a simple yet powerful feature that creates an instant online remote control,” said Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation. “Twitter complements the live viewing experience and is an ideal partner for Comcast and NBCUniversal.”
