HyperTV Enhances TV Viewing with Unique Second Screen Platform; Introduces Skilled Management Team
Successful campaign with X Factor Italy propels HyperTV into U.S. market as broadcasters look to take back control of TV viewing habits
New York, NY(18 Mar 2013)
HyperTV (
www.hypertvx.com), a company that allows broadcasters and advertisers to create unique interactive experiences for TV viewers on any mobile device using its customizable platform, has fully established its operations in the U.S. with a highly skilled management team.
Led by CEO and Founder Claudio Vaccarella, who throughout his career has led several multi-million dollar technology companies, HyperTV’s management team includes Co-Founder Peter Sung and Senior Board Adviser Vincent Grosso.
Mr. Sung’s most recent accolades include building and executing the global digital and mobile strategy for MediaVast, which was acquired by Getty Images in 2007. He was also the first to head BET’s mobile practice as vice president and general manager, and was co-founder of immersive video company Condition One, which is backed by investor Mark Cuban. Senior board advisor and industry veteran Vinnie Grosso has been recognized for heading up AT&T’s interactive TV efforts and NBC’s web affiliate business. He was also chief operating officer of Primedia’s Software on Demand business, and CEO of Intel-backed start-up Into Networks. He will provide strategic counsel to HyperTV on product and business development.
“Our main goal is to empower entertainment companies to take back control of their mobile strategy by putting second screen development back into the hands of the creative team,” said Mr. Vaccarella. “Through gaming mechanics like collecting, achieving, and socializing that increase user engagement, we’re offering new monetization opportunities that allow content creators to finally harness the true revenue potential of the second screen and bring it closer to the high CPMs demanded by the ‘first screen,’ the TV itself.”
Already seeing success in Europe, HyperTV completed a campaign with X Factor Italy in December 2012 that saw 358,000 downloads of the application, more than 4 million total page views, and 2.6 million users visiting the app. The campaign incorporated HyperTV’s unique voting feature that allows viewers to tap on the screen of a mobile device creating a virtual “Applause-o-meter” registering every ‘like and dislike” in conjunction with the live TV show. With this feature, X Factor generated 12 million votes and more than 90 million taps as viewers were able to interact in real-time with the show. Additionally, conversion rates were extremely successful with 96 percent of those who downloaded the application effectively using it with an average visit time of 24 minutes.
“The second screen isn’t a new concept for television executives and content creators,” said Mr. Grosso. “With the penetration of smart phones and tablets, media companies know about the increasing number of TV viewers watching TV with a mobile device in hand. But the first generation of second screen companies failed to understand that the audience isn’t ‘turned on’ by consuming ‘related content,’ like static photos, videos, or information during the show.”
“If media companies have failed to see the ROI in second screen to date, it isn’t due to any inherent limitations of the medium, it’s because highly engaging tools like Adaptive Widgets weren’t available to make the second screen an immersive and monitizable part of the TV viewing experience.”
HyperTV offers broadcasters and producers increased benefits over the traditional TV watching experience by providing a platform that offers seamless interaction and optimized engagement with television. This solution gives broadcasters and producers engaging gaming and transactional capabilities appealing to new audiences who increasingly use mobile devices as part of their media experience. Similarly, for advertisers, HyperTV provides high viewing levels, and transactional capabilities that can increase customer loyalty. The interface is customizable and can be tailored in real-time to the brand’s needs during the show. In addition, the application’s monitoring and reporting capabilities allow for a greater understanding of consumer behavior that is critical for brand strategy and targeting.
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About HyperTV
HyperTV (
www.hypertvx.com) has developed a platform, based on proprietary Adaptive Widget technology, that allows broadcasters and advertisers to create unique interactive television experiences for viewers on any mobile device. By treating the second screen as an integral and seamless part of the viewing experience, HyperTV improves audience engagement, deepens brand loyalty and reinvents the mobile advertising revenue model for maximum return on investment. The HyperTV platform provides real-time application management and monitoring capabilities with a number of tools including social network integration, mapping and location services, video and image libraries, gamification settings, and other features designed to help entertainment companies produce the second screen the way they produce television product..
Headquartered in New York City with a research and development center in Rome, Italy, HyperTV is fully funded by Vejo Park, an incubator of companies at the intersection of digital technology and media.