SMNYC Sneak Preview: Keynote: Microsoft and Fremantle Beat the BUZZR with Gamified FAST
Streaming Media returns to New York City, the epicenter of the digital media universe, May 20–22 with Streaming Media NYC, chaired by Media Industry Cartographer Evan Shapiro and curated in conjunction with the Streaming Media editorial team. Located in Manhattan’s Midtown East at the dazzling InterContinental New York Barclay, Streaming Media NYC features three days of engaging programming on cutting-edge topics and packed with dynamic panelists and keynote speakers from the upper ranks of the media firmament.
Game On!
Could retro content reimagined reshape the future of interactive TV? On Tuesday, May 21, Microsoft CTO Andy Beach and Fremantle SVP, Global FAST Channels Laura Florence will answer that question in Streaming Media NYC's opening keynote, "Beat the BUZZR! How Microsoft & Fremantle Are Gamifying FAST & Capitalizing Interactive TV." They'll discuss the new Beat the BUZZR platform, how it ingeniously turns watching old game show reruns into thrilling a lean-forward experience, the collaboration that brought it about, and the AI under the hood.
Leveraging content from the Fremantle BUZZR Network's deep reservoir of classic TV game shows from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, Beat the BUZZR launches FAST viewers headlong into the game with quizzes, trivia, and personalized insights, pointing the way to revolutionary, readily monetizable opportunities for interactive FAST. Leveraging the collaborative strengths of Microsoft Advertising, NVIDIA, and other key technology partners including Streaming Media NYC Gold Sponsor MediaKind, Prime Focus Technologies, SymphonyAI, and Alice & Smith, Beat the BUZZR models new ways the intelligent application of data and AI can transform how audiences engage with FAST content and how brands can reap revenue from that engagement.
The idea behind Beat the BUZZR, Florence told an audience at NAB 2024, sprang from a simple question: "How can we make old content feel new, and become best in class in FAST?" The answer arrived in a phone call from Andy Beach, and "the solution we were looking for dropped in our lap."
Florence wasn't Beach's first call, as he searched for a partner who wanted to explore new ways to leverage "dusty, static content archives," but she was the first to understand exactly where he was going, and recognize that he could align the technology partnerships needed to get there: "How do we put together an ecosystem that delivers an interactive experience that can also deliver ROI?" Beach asked.
As soon as Florence grasped what he was proposing, her response was immediate: "We're doing this."
How did Microsoft, Fremantle, and their technology partners amass the rich data resources and build the scalable tech stack to make this new interactive platform viable, and create the "watch party vibe" to make it irresistible to viewers? Join Andy Beach and Laura Fremantle for their Streaming Media NYC keynote and get the inside scoop on how Beat the BUZZR came to be, and how this AI-fueled gamification platform may well reveal an interactive TV future that's both popular and profitable.
The "Beat the BUZZR" keynote kicks off the first full day of Streaming Media NYC on May 21. Check out the full program here to learn more about the conference’s action-packed offerings.
Register today for Streaming Media NYC! Early bird pricing ($100 off) available through April 26.
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