Gamification, AI, VR & Smart Watching: the revolution in content interaction

With more and more people at home due to the pandemics, the reliance on the online world for everything from entertainment and social interaction to retail and business, meeting this demand for digital interaction has become a priority across all industries.

The need to digitise is certainly taking centre stage in entertainment and sports. Before lockdown we were already seeing growth in the live-streaming of events and performances but this year the technology has really come into its own, taking not only sport but live theatre and music into people’s homes as stadiums and auditoriums have been forced to empty.

F1’s first YouTube live race[1] for example attracted 1.7m views in October while US broadcaster NBC saw 3.23m viewers tune in over the eight races of the recently concluded 2020 Nascar season, with an Average Minute Audience up 29% on the previous campaign[2]. Elsewhere, K-Pop stars BTS have drawn nearly a million viewers for recent live streamed concerts[3] and many other musicians are also turning to the technology to reach audiences: November will see Dua Lipa and Liam Gallagher among others entertain audiences in this way.

Influenced by all this activity, broadcasters, along with sports content owners and distributors, are among those starting to concentrate their focus on the fan engagement ­– as well as marketing potential – of interactive TV technologies.

And there are multiple options for providing the digital interaction consumers are now starting to expect. As well as live streaming and gaming, gamification is being used increasingly creatively and helping to achieve competitive gain. Data and statistics relating to real and fantasy sports for example can be used to fuel engagement among fans, encouraging them to place wagers and compete against other fans in their predictions. Launched in 2018, NBC Predictor offered just under $3 million in prize money to winners of NBC’s Sunday Night 7, a contest modelled on Sky Sports Super 6 for the Premier League. Now, the NBC reports that over 1 million people in the US have created accounts and half play more than one game, checking the app on average seven times per week[4].

Machine Learning and AI, in combination with Interactive TV standards (HbbTV in Europe, ATSC3 in the US) also offer opportunities for content providers and broadcasters.

Machine Learning is starting to provide a deeper understanding of the viewer allowing the experience to be tailored to their preferences and making for a more efficient use of content. With sports for example, this technology is enabling Smart Watching, allowing viewers, through a smart player, to select a specific action to replay, to choose personalised highlights, and to navigate to the content they want, whether it’s a particular F1 driver to focus on, or a specific camera angle.

Loyalist apps are also playing a role here. As well as keeping sports fans in the know with the latest news and insight, many are also branching out to deliver OTT streaming services. For the content owner, through the use of pre-game wagers and trivia quizzes, these apps provide an opportunity to use AI and Machine Learning technologies to build a more in-depth understanding of the fan and how to engage them, revealing actionable insight on everything from their viewing habits, device use, second screen usage, and content preferences, to demographics and in-app purchasing habits. 

AR/VR too is proving critical in the race to make content even more interactive, with VR already increasingly being used to engage with fan audiences. In July last year, US fans of Liverpool FC were treated to a virtual reality experience bringing them onto the pitch during Liverpool FC Vs Sporting Club of Portugal, thanks to a partnership between the football club and NextVR, a leader in broadcasting live events in virtual reality. The all-round broadcast experience included dedicated announcers for pre-game, play-by-play, halftime analysis, and match recap[5].

But there’s more. In addition to all of these user engagement opportunities, NextGen TV is opening up possibilities for tailored, even personalised advertising. Targeting based on geography, demographics and actual viewer preferences provides third parties with an opening to reach viewers with relevant merchandise or products. What’s more, if Click & Buy is added to the mix, this can help drive impulse purchases without the viewer even having to leave the viewing experience or switch device.

Each one of these technologies is helping to feed the growing demand for premium content, new experiences, and greater levels of interaction – providing more immersive experiences that include elements of gamification, contests or VR, lock in viewers for longer and grip their attention, and make them active participants rather than passive spectators. Add all of these technologies together, and the potential is truly exciting.