by Gariné Tcholakian Noise Digital is bringing the after-show water cooler session to the desktop. CTV show fans who want to rave and rant about last night's eps now have a social community online in which to do it, through the new CTV Primetime Widget.
The desktop app, created by Vancouver-based Noise Digital (the first it's developed for any Canadian broadcaster), is integrated with Facebook extensions and delivers CTV-branded content with customizable features, like format choice for content delivery - text-only, text and image, video, flash or animation - and a dynamic skin that can be changed according to show preference. Once viewers identify their picks, the widget filters content so they only receive relevant info, like new ep reminders, links to previews or full online eps on CTV.ca. To help keep them engaged, show trivia, games, contests and special interviews are also part of the CTV-branded menu. Viewers can also track upcoming eps through the widget's program sched and sign up for reminders or promo and contest news updates.
Through the Facebook app, viewers can connect with friends around CTV content, create fan pages for their favourite shows or participate in quizzes and polls. (And in true Facebook style, they'll also receive updates on their friends' quiz scores and can find out which shows friends are watching.)
"By creating a widget and integrating it into Facebook, we created a platform that pushes real-time information to people where they spend a lot of their time," Noise Digital president and CEO Trevor Carr tells MiC. "The widget creates a richer TV-viewing experience because it bridges the gap between the broadcast and online experience," he adds.
