ITV has unveiled its World Cup coverage plans, include matches streamed live online and a ‘dual screen ‘platform that lets viewers chat and watch replays and stats simultaneously. ITV said the dual screen tool will be based on its popular multimedia coverage of the general election campaign.
The initiative, called ITV Live, will allow viewers with laptops to customise ITV.com with a range of interactive elements from a chat service – which can link to Facebook – to polls, quizzes and statistics on teams and players. ITV.com will also be simulcasting matches, with live match streaming and a range of action replays from multiple camera angles. Meanwhile, Apple iPhone owners will be able to download a free ITV World Cup app which will have news, match highlights and a TV guide as well as a links to a live mobile streaming service. ITV will also be running podcasts.
01/06/2010
A red-button TV service will give access to World Cup Extra, a video stream with daily news bulletins and interviews from the England team camp. It has been produced by ITN Productions.
Viewers will also be able to post, and read, comments on the ITV Live web service through the red button on TV. Viewers will also be able to text in comments.
Live matches online
www.itv.com/fifaworldcup will also be simulcasting all of the ITV games as well as offering highlights from every match of the 2010 World Cup. In addition all World Cup 2010 games will be available in ITV Player for viewers to catch up on action they miss from the tournament.
Hosted at ITV.com, ITV Live combines action replays, real-time statistics, voting tools and instant comments from fans and experts, with live video all, in one online hub. Users can select from a range of tools including event highlights; statistics -provided by OPTA; voting, polls and chat with the option of sharing their comments via Facebook.
Built and designed in partnership with live social TV specialists Monterosa, ITV Live is fully ad-funded and free to access. Lucozade and Hyundai have signed up as joint sponsors of ITVs World Cup coverage.
ITV’s coverage of the FIFA 2010 World Cup will be jointly sponsored by Hyundai and Lucozade Sport.
Ben McOwen Wilson, Director of Online and Interactive, ITV said: “Dual-screen has been a priority for ITV.com over the last 12 months and ITV Live is the exciting result of our exploration into how our users want to interact with big events simultaneously on the television and online. This is a real first and we are very proud that ITV is taking interactivity to a whole new level this summer. We think the ITV Live experience will not only be the definitive real-time experience of World Cup 2010 but also a platform that we plan to build on for all the live ITV television events for the future.”
Other online features
In addition, all World Cup 2010 games will be available in ITV Player for viewers to catch up on action they miss from the tournament.
The site will also feature daily podcasts from the ITV World Cup team in South Africa, video blogs, press conference clips and post-match interviews.
Player profiles will be available and a brand new viral game Free-Kick Frenzy, voiced by Clive Tyldesley, will allow players to take part in a free kick competition for either England or Brazil and share their scores with their friends via Facebook.
Behind the red button ITV will launch World Cup Extra – a video stream with daily news bulletins, produced by ITN productions, plus interview and comment from the ITV Camp.
ITV Live comment services will also be available via the red button with viewers able to press red to view live comments from the ITV Live website whilst watching the games. Viewers will also be able to get involved by texting in their comments. There will also be prizes from ITV World Cup 2010 joint sponsors Lucozade and Hyundai available via red button promotions.
www.itv.com/fifaworldcup