itvt

–Company Offers Multiscreen Apps for US Open Golf, French Open Tennis
–Expands its DISH Decision 2008 Application

Satellite TV provider, DISH Network (formerly EchoStar), has signed
an interactive TV advertising agreement with NBC Universal that will
see it providing interactive trigger capabilities to the latter’s 14
television networks and channels and to 10 NBC owned-and-operated
TV stations. The capabilities will allow DISH subscribers who are
equipped with DVR’s to use their remotes to request more information
on advertised products or to receive coupons for product discounts.
“Our agreement with DISH Network is part of NBCU’s ongoing
initiative to make television advertising more effective and provide
better accountability for our clients’ media investments,” NBC
Universal’s president of sales and marketing, Mike Pilot, said in a
prepared statement. “With this deal, we’re extending our ability to
provide RFI capability to any commercial on any NBCU network–an
important step and a unique capability in the market as we work with
our clients to better understand and adapt to the new ways consumers
are watching television.” Added DISH Network’s VP of advertising
sales, Michael Finn: “Bringing the capabilities and national reach of
DISH Network’s interactive TV platform to the network level with
NBC Universal brings national advertisers the scale and
return-on-investment that they have been searching for. Inserting
on-screen triggers in the full suite of NBCU networks allows viewers
the ability to interact with an advertiser’s brand and request more
information–a powerful proposition that we know to be valuable to
both advertisers and viewers.”

As part of the companies’ agreement, NBC Universal will offer
advertisers and their agencies the ability to purchase ads with
interactive trigger capabilities as a way to enhance their campaigns on
NBC channels delivered through DISH’s service. The interactive
triggers present viewers with an icon that is displayed during
commercials and that they can select in order to go to a page with more
information about an advertised product or service. When they have
finished interacting with an ad, they are returned to their programming
at the exact place where they exited. NBCU says it plans to provide
advertisers with detailed reports about viewer participation in DISH
Network’s interactive products, and the companies say they plan to
continue to collaborate on the development of new interactive products.
(Note: for more on DISH’s new deal with NBC Universal, and on the
operator’s interactive TV strategy in general, see [itvt]’s interview with
DISH’s Michael Finn and Scott Higgins in Issue 7.84.)

In other DISH Network news:

• The company recently offered a multiscreen mosaic application to
  accompany ESPN’s coverage of the US Open golf championship. The
  mosaic featured six different feeds: ESPN’s network feed; a “Featured
  Group” feed that followed Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the first
  session, and then followed other players based on their standing in the
  championship; an “Up Close” feed that showed live coverage from the
  practice range, press conferences and more; a “Third Hole” feed that
  offered live coverage of the Torrey Pines golf course’s signature par 3
  hole; a “Highlights” feed that enabled viewers to catch up with
  championship action throughout the day; and a “Best of the Open” feed
  that offered highlights from previous US Open championships and
  from previous PGA events on the Torrey Pines course. Viewers could
  watch all six screens at once, or select one to watch in full-screen
  mode. “DISH Network’s ITV mosaic is the perfect platform to
  showcase all of ESPN’s US Open golf coverage, giving customers a
  unique viewing experience that allows them to quickly preview the
  network’s multiple programs and highlights, and then watch on a full
  screen whichever interests them the most,” Eric Sahl, DISH’s SVP of
  programming, said in a prepared statement. “The mosaic is a powerful
  addition to DISH Network’s more than 25 existing ITV channels–the
  most offered by any pay-TV provider in the US.”

• The company also offered a multiscreen mosaic application to
  accompany the Tennis Channel’s coverage of the recent French Open
  tennis championship. Once again, the app allowed viewers to view six
  simultaneous feeds, and to select any feed for viewing in full-screen
  mode. “During a prestigious event like the French Open, fans can feel
  out of the loop when watching only one game at a time,” DISH’s EVP
  of commercial and business services, Michael Kelly, said in a prepared
  statement. “Together with Tennis Channel, DishHOME [i.e. the
  company's interactive TV portal] offers fans a way to instantaneously
  keep tabs on different matches, watch their favorite pros and stay close
  to the tournament action.” (Note: rival satellite-TV provider, DirecTV,
  also offered a multiscreen mosaic application for the French Open–see
  article in this issue.)

  

• The company has added a number of new features to its election-year
  interactive TV application, DISH Decision 2008 (note: for more on the
  application, see [itvt] Issues 7.58 Part 3 and 7.77 Part 3). The
  application now offers various new categories, including “My
  Elections,” “News” and “Polls,” and several of its existing services,
  including “You Decide ‘08″ and “For President,” feature new designs
  and updated information. The updates are powered by new software
  developed by BIAP, one of two companies that have partnered with
  DISH on the application (the other is OpenTV). According to DISH,
  the application now also provides advertisers with the ability to use
  interactive technology to reach targeted audiences with precise
  messaging. For example, a political party’s national committee could
  buy advertising space for a candidate in a local US congressional race;
  then, when a DISH subscriber selected the ad, the application would
  activate to US House and Senate candidates, based on the subscriber’s
  zipcode. Advertising options include 30-second commercials, lists of
  campaign events, candidate information, campaign contributions, and
  more, DISH says. “Through multiple applications, DISH Network
  customers and advertisers now have access to a variety of interactive
  tools to stay informed during the 2008 election cycle,” DISH Network’s
  Michael Kelly said in a prepared statement. “Our subscribers can learn
  more about presidential candidates and their stances as well as local US
  congressional and gubernatorial races; this is another example of how
  DISH Network’s interactive team is utilizing its technology to provide
  services nationally and locally for our subscribers.” According to
  DISH, the application’s new “My Elections” feature allows viewers to
  access localized, “unbiased” information about House and Senate races
  within their states (they can also access information about races in other
  states): the app matches the viewer’s zip code against a database of US
  House and Senate candidates, and then provides information about the
  candidates in that zipcode (note: the app also provides information
  about gubernatorial races). The app’s new “News” feature, meanwhile,
  provides regularly updated political content from MSNBC, and its new
  “Polls” feature provides news and poll results from Rasmussen Reports.
  Viewers can also participate in a DISH Decision Poll and a Rasmussen
  “Question of the Day” poll, using their mobile phones. Finally, the
  app’s updated “For President” category lists all the presidential
  candidates and allows viewers to select a candidate to find out more
  information about his or her positions; and its “You Decide 2008″
  category lets viewers research the current presidential field by
  answering a series of questions based on top political issues: the
  application compares the viewer’s answers with each presidential
  campaign’s platforms and then lets the viewer know which candidate
  best matches his or her political beliefs.