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–Teams with NBC on Two-Screen App for 2008 Figure Skating Championships

LiveHive Systems, an Ontario-based company that specializes in
two-screen interactive TV solutions, said last week that it has signed an
agreement with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to provide a
synchronized interactive experience on www.raptors.com to
accompany broadcasts of the Toronto Raptors’ NBA playoff games.
Dubbed “Raptors Shot Caller presented by Ford,” the new service
debuted last Sunday in conjunction with the start of the Raptors’
first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic. Fans access the
service by going to the Raptors’ Web site and clicking on a “Shot
Caller” game banner, or by simply going directly to
raptors.nanogaming.com. The service includes the standard line-up of
entertainments offered by LiveHive’s flagship NanoGaming platform,
including real-time game predictions, trivia questions, and instant recall
challenges: fans who register for the service receive points for
answering questions correctly and making accurate predictions, and
high-scorers can win such prizes as autographed Raptors jerseys and
playoff tickets. The fan with the highest single-game score will also
win a grand prize. The service also implements a number of features
provided by the newest version of the NanoGaming platform, including
polling, group play (fans can invite their friends to play along with
them, so that the group can have its own competition and leaderboard),
enhanced live chat (allows fans to interact with sponsors, teams and
broadcasters), and a downloadable Facebook application that lets users
compare their scores with those of their Facebook friends and broadcast
their own results after each game on their personal newsfeed.
LiveHive’s new deal with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment builds on
an existing relationship with the company: in January, LiveHive
provided a similar service for MLSE during regional telecasts on Leafs
TV of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey games.

In other LiveHive news:

• The company was recently tapped by Comcast SportsNet and the
  Philadelphia 76ers basketball team to develop a Web-based two-screen
  interactive TV service to accompany broadcasts of 76ers games. The
  service, dubbed “Get to the Net” and based on the NanoGaming
  platform, debuted in early March and is being offered during every
  76ers game program produced by Comcast including during the
  playoffs. Accessed either via comcastsportsnet.com or Sixers.com, the
  new service presents fans with a stream of game-related questions and
  challenges, including game predictions, memory challenges and trivia
  on the 76ers and basketball in general. Players accumulate points for
  correct answers, and compete against one another to win prizes based
  on their point totals: the prizes are awarded after each game, with the
  highest-scoring viewer winning use of a luxury suite at the Wachovia
  Center for an upcoming 76ers game. The service also includes a live
  chat application, and allows fans to download a “Get to the Net”
  Facebook application to access bonus statistics, earn badges and
  compare their results with those of their Facebook friends. According
  to LiveHive, “Get to the Net” was the first service of its kind to be
  offered in conjunction with NBA team telecasts. The new service has
  been promoted on the air by Comcast SportsNet during broadcasts of
  its shows “SportsDay,” “Daily News Live” and “SportsNite,” and is
  also promoted during halftime breaks of 76ers games.

• The company was recently tapped by NBCSports.com to create a
  two-screen interactive TV service to accompany NBC telecasts of the
  2008 US Figure Skating Championship. Dubbed “Skate-Off,” the
  service allowed viewers to answer trivia questions and make real-time
  predictions, in order to score points and win prizes “This will be the
  first time that figure skating has gone this route in live TV telecasts,”
  LiveHive president, Dave Bullock, said in a prepared statement.
  “Figure skating is a huge sport, and through NBCSports.com Skate-Off
  we can deliver interactive TV to a brand new audience. Fans want to
  interact and engage with the competition, which includes athletes and
  other viewers, while they are watching. NanoGaming will let figure
  skating fans experience the excitement of the US Championships as the
  action unfolds.”