Screenvision, a major player in cinema advertising, and second screen provider Shazam have announced that they have formed an exclusive alliance to bring interactive ads into movie theaters. Shazam already offers a second screen application that allows viewers of TV programming to interact with additional ads and material on smart phones, tablets and other Internet-connected devices.
The alliance is an example of how some of these second screen apps could also be tied to entertainment experiences outside the home in stadiums, bars, theaters and other venues.
As a result of the agreement, the two will synch up ads on Screenvision's theater screens with Shazam's mobile and "second screen" technologies in a way that will allow users to interact with many of the ads they see before a movie.
The Screenvision cinema advertising network includes over 14,300 screens in 2,300 plus theater locations across all 50 states.
"By working with Shazam, Screenvision now has an unparalleled scale to reach our movie going audience, who tends to be tech-savvy and armed with smartphones, with a predisposition for connecting and sharing the interesting things they discover," said John McCauley, Screenvision's senior VP of strategic alliances. "With our national cinema network reaching nearly 40 million moviegoers monthly and Shazam's 90 million and growing U.S. user base, advertisers have the ultimate platform to reach the mass market and to get them to act on their message."
As part of the effort, Screenvision will air 15-second reminders within the preshow to alert moviegoers to pull out their phones and be ready to use the Shazam app.
