Looking to strengthen the ties between social networks and live TV, Metrological is introducing a new service that ties a Twitter experience to the set-top box and the big screen.
Metrological, a Netherlands-based company that specializes in TV apps, said the cloud-powered “Watch with Twitter” offering will deliver a tight integration of both sides.
“The core goal for us is to integrate the TV and app experience,” Robert Cloudt, head of content management and strategy at Metrological, said, noting that his company is using Twitter APIs to enable a “lean back” TV-focused capability.
Metrological said its approach is managed by a browser-based implementation of the Metrological Application Platform.
Among the features, he said the implementation will show trending tweets, including tweets with embedded video, alongside the show being watched. Metrological’s Twitter tie-in will also enable the viewer to pull up a carousel view of trending programs that are based on Twitter data, Cloudt explained.
He said Metrological has deployment commitments for Watch with Twitter for next year, but couldn’t be more specific than to say that rollouts are being targeted for next year. Comcast, Liberty Global and Ooredoo, a telecom company based in Qatar, are among Metrological’s announced partners.
In that group, Comcast already offers a trending guide view and a trending now icon that is native to its X1 platform/user interface based on Twitter chatter. In February, Liberty Global announced a “Watch with Twitter” app for its Horizon TV platform.
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And there are other recent examples. At last month’s Apple product event, Twitter showed an app for the Apple TV that puts the Twitter feed/conversation alongside the live feed of a live NFL game being streamed on Twitter that tied in tweets, stats, and polls, and real-time “reactions” that are associated with the matchup.
“We are delighted to be working with Metrological on this integration that will allow operators to bring Tweets together with broadcast TV live on the set-top box,” Brenda O’Connell, director of business development for Twitter in EMEA, said in a statement. “This app gives people the best of both worlds - the ability to sit back and watch TV, while incorporating the immediacy of Twitter. Viewers will be able to instantly see for themselves what all the buzz is around a particular piece of content.”
