Canadian Startup Idea Rebel Uses Facebook Open Graph to Make Television Social
Television date night is done.
Seriously, how many people watch a given program on a given night at a given time? Video content consumed anytime, anywhere, on any connected device, combined with audience fragmentation, program specialization, then toss in this new-fangled stuff like social media and gamification—what’s an old school broadcast executive got to do to keep eyeballs glued to the tube?
Vancouver’s Idea Rebel looks like they might just have an answer for beleaguered broadcasters and advertising execs. Teaming up with Fox Broadcasting and incorporating Facebook’s Open Graph technology, the Idea Rebel team are living up to their rebellious moniker and rolling out a totally new platform for your viewing pleasure.
All parties are stoked to be introducing Fox SocialVision, which could well be construed as the next era of socially connected video. SocialVision is a video viewing and sharing application that’s using Facebook’s Open Graph technology to bring user engagement to a new level.
At this point Fox is only sharing some teasers for upcoming new programs. In all fairness SocialVison is still a work in progress and not yet ready for “primetime,” but at some point the full Fox lineup will be found for sharing, liking and commenting about on this new FaceBook app. This is could be a game changer for connecting with the US viewing audience and only time will tell how the Canadian broadcast community reacts or embraces the rapidly changing landscape. Due to current licensing agreements the Canadian audience will have to either wait or figure out how to mask their IP address.
Regardless of who’s watching, SocialVision is a great addition to Idea Rebel IP portfolio. Needless to say, more broadcasters are knocking at the door, and new partnership announcements are on the horizon.
“We wake up every morning hoping to do something great, and this project came along and we couldn’t have been happier to work with FOX on it,” said Jamie Garrat, President of Idea Rebel. “Facebook introduced Open Graph six months ago, and we wanted to develop something revolutionary to use this technology”
The Idea Rebel team recognized an opportunity to gain viral brand exposure with the introduction of Open Graph technology less than a year ago. By introducing branded activities to the users news feed, brands gain exposure to more than just the users of the experience, but the friends of all of those users. For FOX, it means extending the reach and exposure of their video content further and deeper across the web than ever before while gaining valuable insight into usage data.
