ConnecTV said it will amp up its social TV capabilities with the acquisition of TweetTV, an analytics and TV guidance startup that helps viewers discover what’s trending on TV in real-time. ConnecTV will stitch those capabilities into its own social TV video network and a free mobile app that enables users to watch, clip and share TV “moments.” By tapping into a combined platform that meshes a database of TV-related keywords with Tweeting activities, users will have an easier time discovering and tuning into leading “social” shows, ConnecTV said. The company added that TweetTV’s data tracking and viewer analytics will provide new tools for networks and brands that show where and why TV video clips and ads are shared across social media.
Both Twitter and Facebook are vying for pole position as the platform of choice for social TV engagement — the place where viewers go to quip about TV shows in real time – but there are movements among pure-play startups to build up their positions, too. In the latest of these, ConnecTV is buying TweetTV to add more analytics features to a network that already lets people watch, create and share six-second video clips of TV shows with others via an iOS app. At the same time, ConnecTV is launching a new service called ClipADS, which it will sell to brands and agencies as a platform for making and distributing short video ads across social media sites that link to more product information, longer videos and so on. These will run within ConnecTV’s own stream, as well as on other platforms. The terms of the TweetTV deal have not been disclosed. It’s not clear how many users either service has today. ConnecTV simply says that the combined companies will let users discover and share “social” shows, “based on a rich database of TV-related key words merged with the Tweeting activities of 45 million people commenting about their favorite programs.”
