Just saw this on my ITV Today newsletter. (http://www.itvt.com)
It's an interactive TV dealio for Star Trek on TNN. Follow along with the show, play the quiz, etc... -Kevin --------- TNN Debuts STB and 2-Screen Apps for "Star Trek: the Next Generation" TNN (the acronym originally stood for "The Nashville Network," but the network has since been re-positioned as "TV's first network for men." It is targeted at 18-49 year-olds) is bringing interactivity to the popular syndicated show, "Star Trek: the Next Generation." From March 31st through April 25th, TNN's nightly broadcasts of the show will feature "iTREK LIVE," an ITV service (available both as a single-screen app on ATVEF-enabled set-top boxes and as a 2-screen Internet app) supported by GoldPocket Interactive's EventMatrix technology. The service will allow viewers to test their knowledge of each evening's episode via trivia questions (some of the answers will be found in that episode, while others will require a broader knowledge of the show), and compete for inclusion on live leaderboards (global and local leaderboards featuring each evening's top 10 highest-scoring viewers will be offered). Viewers will also be able to participate in live polls (the results will be displayed immediately), chat with other viewers (note: chat functionality is offered only on the 2-screen app. Viewers can create their own chat rooms if they prefer), and access background information on the show. Participating viewers will be entered into a sweepstakes whose daily prizes include Star Trek encyclopedias and Star Trek-themed Monopoly games. They will also be eligible for the iTREK LIVE grand prize, an "Alien Road Trek" tour in a Winnebago motor home, during which they will visit 3 sites apparently of interest to UFO enthusiasts: the Socorro radio telescopes in Minnesota, the Barringer Crater near Flagstaff, AZ, and Area 51 outside Las Vegas. Sponsors of iTREK LIVE and of TNN's broadcast of the linear-TV show include AOL, JC Penny and Sony Pictures. Dano Spina, director of marketing promotions at TNN, told [itvt] last week that his department looked at a variety of properties over the last year with an eye to making them interactive. They eventually settled on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" because they were looking for a franchise that already had a fanatical following, and because qualitative research they carried out over the past year-and-a-half showed that Star Trek fans wanted more show-related content. "Fans don't just want to see the show thrown up there, they want to see something extra," Spina observed. [itvt] asked Spina whether Star Trek fans specifically requested interactivity: "They mentioned a number of things, and interactivity did come up," he said. Fans expressed interest in being able to play along while watching the show and in having the stars or other hosts provide contextual information about the show or their own experiences on it. "In a nutshell, fans want more packaging and info around the show," Spina said. TNN is also hoping that the show's interactive features will attract new viewers: "I think if you are offering up something that combines online interactivity with the TV viewing experience, it will attract more than your normal Star Trek fan base," Spina explained. [itvt] asked Spina why TNN decided to deploy a single-screen version of the iTREK LIVE service when the number of ATVEF-enabled set-top boxes in the field that can support such an application is still quite low: "My feeling there is why not?" he said. "If we are going to explore this technology, let's use it to the fullest extent. Let's see what kind of response we get with the set-top box application." If the interactive version of "The Next Generation" proves successful, the network is considering giving the same treatment to other Star Trek properties, such as "Deep Space 9," "Voyager," and the various Star Trek movies: "We'd like to look back and see how iTREK LIVE performed for us, not necessarily only from a ratings standpoint," Spina said. "If this promotion gathers heat, there could be a long term-life for it. In general, offering a deeper entertainment experience for our viewers is our primary goal." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
