BSkyB buys 10% stake in Zeebox
News Corp’s BSkyB has acquired a 10% stake in social TV start-up Zeebox.
The new app, which combines social networking, live programming information and real-time viewing figures, will be integrated into Sky’s network of mobile apps.
Zeebox was founded by Anthony Rose just a few months ago. Rose – who was on the panel at MediaTel Group’s Connected TV Experience in October – played a lead role in the successful relaunch of BBC iPlayer and went on to become chief technology officer of Project Canvas, which has become YouView, but left at the end of 2010.
“The Sky deal is a significant new deal in additional to our previous $7 million funding, which this new deal dramatically exceeds,” Rose said.
“It’s a major deal,” Zeebox CEO Ernesto Schmitt added. “Sky consider social TV to be the biggest opportunity for innovation since Sky+. [And] thanks to Sky’s backing we now also have the resources and expertise to set our sights firmly on international expansion alongside further innovation here in the UK and Ireland.”
As part of the deal, Sky’s advertising sales house, Sky Media, will sell sponsorship and product placement opportunities around Zeebox’s Zeetags – text which highlights actors, characters and topics that are being shown on screen.
The deal also gives Sky the exclusive UK rights to integrate Zeebox’s technology into its 20 mobile apps. The technology will first appear in the Sky+ app, with Sky Go expected to follow.
The investment will enable Zeebox to launch in the US, Europe and Australia and means Zeebox has a triple-digit million valuation after just two months, according to paidContent: UK.
Rose gave the MediaTel team a demo of Zeebox last October. According to Derek Jones’ review, “Zeebox is an app with an attractive user interface on the iPad and iPhone (or it can be used online). Rose believes that connected TV apps are going to encounter ownership and political challenges over time, whereas the tablet offers “freedom” as no deals are needed with the CE or retail world.
“At its best, you can use this as a remote, linked to a connected TV. Users can find TV content based on what their friends are watching or what is trending on Twitter; or interact with their friends during a show in real time, get instant information about actors or the topic of the programme they are watching, and buy products that they see advertised on live TV. The app ‘guide’ shows you previous, current and next programmes on a channel.
“Zeebox taps in to the “conversations happening in parallel” to TV shows, Rose said.
“It can also – and this could become a really interesting bit too – cross-reference tags from TV conversations, recognise advertisements and collect audience analytics.”
Read the full ‘Madman’ or pioneer for social TV? article here.