For some time now, TV stations have been offering custom downloadable apps to their viewers. These provide additional information on the regularly broadcasted programs, and often offer users with opportunities for interaction. An excellent example of a successful second screen app is ‘StorySych’ from AMC’s The Walking Dead. This program is an outlet for viewers to exchange information, answer show-related trivia, take surveys, and watch exclusive material.
The public broadcasting channel, PBS has taken this interactivity to a new level with the introduction of PBS Kids’ Super Vision in 2014. Simply put, this program allows parents to find out what their children have been watching on the PBS Kids website. Based on this accrued information, the app gives parents tips on educational activities that might be of interest to the child. Parents can also set up timers that block the site during specific parts of the child’s day (read: dinner, homework, bedtime, etc.). And while the app isn’t specially made for television per se, it does cover all of the most important second screen concepts mentioned above: the use of multiple devices, opportunities for user interaction (in this case, parents with their children), all centered around regularly broadcast material.
These approaches showcase how traditional media outlets, like television, can be connected with today’s most innovative digital strategies.