Turner rolls out second-screen app across Asia Pacific and Europe after positive trial
Turner has announced it will roll out its second-screen ‘Gumball VIP’ app across 10 Asia Pacific and Europe markets in the next six months.
The results of the trial have encouraged Turner to roll out the app in the Philippines and Singapore in late 2018.
The app combines the linear TV viewing of Turner’s Cartoon Network channel’s series ‘The Amazing World of Gumball’ with interactive and second-screen activity. The technology is licensed by Austrian start-up Tonio.
Viewers who download the free app from the iOS App Store or Google Play and will receive a push notification before linear transmission of the episodes. It will then use a robust audio watermarking technology, which connects to the episodes by listening for audio triggers, to pose fun quiz questions about what is happening on screen.
Correct answers win stars and unlock codes, which can be redeemed on the Cartoon Network websites for prizes.
In a 2017 trial, Turner claimed the app usage demonstrated an appetite for dual-screen activity, with average TVR increasing from previous comparable periods by up to 44%. In addition, it said the second screen experience showed an uplift in older kids coming to the channel, proving that appointment-to-view moments can win linear audiences.
Daily reach among older kids (10-15) was up against all benchmarks during the trial, with a 22% increase year on year and a 108% increase versus February half term stats in 2017.
The results of the trial have encouraged Turner to roll out the app in the Philippines and Singapore in late 2018, and in Australia and New Zealand in January 2019.
“Linear TV remains a key medium for kids, but what we need to do is ensure that it remains relevant in today’s world where there is a big shift in how our fans watch and engage with our content. Using this innovative technology allows us to do just that, by digitising the linear TV viewing experience and adding that all-important element of interactivity,” said Patricia Hidalgo, the chief content officer at Turner EMEA and international kids strategy.
“At Turner, we proudly create environments that our fans can move through seamlessly. We are in a world without limits and by creating fun, engaging and rewarding second screen experiences which complement our incredible original content on TV, we are giving our fans across the world something that is truly unique.”