Ogden, UT- This Thanksgiving, CBS is bringing real-time Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts to TV sets across the U.S. Throughout the country, anyone tuning in to its annual coverage of the Macy’s Day Parade can have their thoughts or pictures seen on national television by millions of viewers. The only requirement: tag each post with #tdaycbs.
Last year marked the first time CBS used Vidpresso in its coverage of the Macy’s Day Parade. CBS showed Instagram photos of dozens of people watching the parade from home out to millions of others watching. Because of its success and warm reception, the national television network is bringing this feature back for the second consecutive year.
The tool serves multiple purposes for viewers and broadcasters alike. Audiences engaging with the parade can share their experiences with friends, which in turn drives audience engagement and helps bring more viewers back to the television screen. Additionally, it encourages viewers watching at home to easily connect with each other by having them focus on one universal social media discussion that is featured on the television broadcast for other participants to see. It also strengthens a sense of community across the nation, allowing Americans to celebrate with each other over social media as they sit back and observe the holiday festivities. Because of this, people watching from all over the country can feel like they’re part of the historic parade.
In the past, executing something like this would consume massive amounts of time and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Streaming live social media feeds traditionally requires expensive proprietary hardware and a painstaking operating process. Vidpresso simplifies this, only requiring an internet connected device, a scan converter, and a subscription to its software. After all of these pieces are in play, broadcasters simply choose which posts to send to air. In no time, the selected posts flow across TV screens in the form of tickers and graphics.
Randall Bennett, Founder of Vidpresso, couldn’t be more thrilled to see the integration used again in such a major American tradition, mainly because of the major benefits it brings to both the broadcasters and audiences.
“We’re excited to partner once again with CBS. Our system’s simplicity means their team can focus on presenting the parade to viewers around the world, and not have to reinvent the wheel to get the audience involved.”
