MegaPhone Intros DialPlay Interactivity Solution

MegaPhone Labs, a provider of phone-to-screen interaction, today unveiled its signature DialPlay TV offering, a real time, cloud-based on-screen television interactivity solution. With DialPlay TV, content creators, broadcasters, advertisers and even operators can instantly enhance TV programming with real-time interactivity, connecting both the viewers to their television content and each other. DialPlay TV is in use nationally on The Weather Channel and on WNBC New York.

DialPlay TV provides TV host(s) the opportunity to interact in real-time with viewers and vice versa. The only requirement is a phone — a smartphone or a landline. By dialing a toll-free number or accessing interactivity control via a Web browser, a viewer is instantly connected to a live, interactive participatory experience, along with thousands of other viewers.

To date, MegaPhone Labs’ customers have seen an average of a 75% retention rate and as high as a 38% response rate from participants, powerful results for programmers and advertisers seeking deeper audience engagement and loyalty.

“The Weather Channel has a powerful brand presence on every platform, and we’re always looking to deploy innovative content and advertising experiences that delight our audience and advertisers alike,” said Ann Brown, SVP, client solutions for The Weather Channel Companies. “DialPlay TV allows us, in a turnkey fashion, to unite those experiences in real-time — using simply a telephone. We’re the first national cable network to use DialPlay TV live on the air, and it offers another example of our cross-platform integration.”

“We are impressed by the level of instant interactivity and feedback from viewers,” says Meredith McGinn, director, news, WNBC New York. “The feedback we’ve received thus far from all demographics, ages and family types is extremely positive. We are encouraged by the level of engagement and committed to utilizing DialPlay TV to expand our reach and creativity for our viewers.”

New DialPlay TV features include:

Mobile Web Browsing — previously participants accessed MegaPhone Labs’ interactive experiences by dialing toll-free phone numbers on any phone. Today, MegaPhone Labs is unveiling a new mobile Web-based controller for all of its interactive applications which can be accessed on all mobile devices including tablets, laptops, smartphones and more. This flexible controller unlocks a greater set of input options such as gestures, button presses, etc., which can be incorporated into programming interactivity as input. It also allows delivery of rich, real-time personal feedback directly to participants as they interact.

Social Media Interaction — MegaPhone Labs has developed a social media toolkit that allows its programming partners to moderate chat and Twitter conversations. From a viewer’s perspective, they can communicate with other players and from a programmer’s perspective, they can monitor the feedback and level of participation. “This combination of real-time on-screen television interactivity and off-screen social participation is a true industry first,” according to the company.