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zeebox rebrands as Beamly

Social TV app is rebranding with more features, to feed your TV appetite around the clock.

2014-04-14_2045Social TV app zeebox is rebranding as Beamly, just 18 months after launching in Australia.

The app, which now has 14 Free to Air and Subscription partners in Australia, refreshes with a new app and new features on iOS, Android and the web.

The new-look app is designed to encourage interaction with shows around the clock, rather than just as a second screen app while a programme is airing.

A new Beamly app will allow users to:

• follow the shows and stars they love to get personalised news and social feeds – updated live
• find other fans to connect with around shared passions
• chat and share in TV Rooms – Beamly’s unique social spaces for television, hosted by TV influencers, celebrities and passionate superfans
• discover what to watch with Beamly’s super-smart personalized guide
• interact live with their favorite shows via custom playalong games, contextual votes and more, all synched live to what’s on screen

“The rebrand to Beamly is a celebration of the huge development our app has been through since launching two years ago, originally as a simple program guide and synch experience,” said Ernesto Schmitt, CEO and co-founder.

2014-04-14_2106“The initial phase of social television and 2nd screen was limited to apps providing a companion experience for audiences while watching TV. However, people’s emotional engagement with TV spans the whole day: they want to read up on stories about the shows and stars they love in the morning, discuss plotlines over the watercooler in the afternoon, and carefully plan what to watch in the evening – long before ever switching on the TV itself. While they watch, they want a great interactive experience that synchs with what’s on screen. And after the show is over, they want to chat and share socially with other fans,” said Schmitt.

“Beamly for the first time brings together all of these touchpoints with TV in a single app, all day long.”

Craig Blair, Chairman of Beamly Australia said: “Since gradually introducing our new social features over the past few months, we’ve already seen engagement increase to over 70,000 weekly users who return to the app on average 2.5x during the week resulting in over 70,000 hours spent in the app per week– so we’re pretty excited.”

Beamly, which is based in London, New York and Sydney, will host live TV Room chats between talent and fans.

TEN’s Greg Rust and Barry du Bois will participate in the first Australian chats for Beamly. TEN owns 40% shares in Beamly (formerly zeebox) but as an agnostic platform it also partners with Foxtel, SBS, FOX Sports, BBC and more.

Jimmy Storrier, Beamly’s Australian General Manager added “the launch of the Beamly brand in Australia represents the ongoing innovation and evolution of the 2nd screen. Beamly truly delivers on the promise of a highly engaging, personalized, contextual and social experience around television and related content.”

Current zeebox users will be prompted for an app upgrade to Beamly. The new app is also available free from the App Store for iOS devices, Google Play for Android, on the web at beamly.com – and coming soon to Windows Phone.

8 Responses

  1. It’s a pretty bad name change. Is it possible that it’s just to avoid being at the end of the app list on Android and Windows phone because it began with ‘Z’?

  2. Seems like an odd rename. zeebox at least sounded vaguely like a tech/tv app. Beamly makes me think of old men with whiskers drinking beer (but maybe that’s because it’s not far removed from Beamish)

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