VIEQUES, Puerto Rico — Second-screen companion app Zeebox earned more than one million downloads in the first three months following its September launch, says Jason Forbes, Managing Director of Zeebox, in an interview with Lisa Hsia, Executive VP Digital Media at Bravo at the recent Beet.TV executive retreat.
Zeebox is aiming to engage with consumers on their phones while they’re watching TV. There’s a huge opportunity, he says, because about 40% of people with a smartphone now use a phone while watching TV, but they’re often checking email or texting, he explains. The point of a companion app to TV programming is that it can be used to re-engage those consumers with the TV show, Forbes says.
As Zeebox aims to expand in the United States, the areas the company will focus on are discovery, information, interactivity and commerce. That’s important because not all TV viewers want to engage socially during a show, but they might want other interactive features that integrate screens, Forbes says. Ad opportunities include sponsorship of a show page, as well as synched ads so that the TV ads are tied into the ads on the phone with additional features.
Daisy Whitney
