zeebox is reborn as Beamly – the content and social network for TV.
100+ TV and pop culture influencers join together to launch the Beamly social TV revolution.
New York, London & Sydney; April 14 2014; Beamly (formerly zeebox) launches today on iOS, Android and the web with a new brand and a vibrant, exciting new app representing the state of the art of social television.With the Beamly app, TV fans now have a single 24/7 destination where they can:
• 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.
“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.”
To mark the launch, Beamly globally welcomes on board over 100 TV and pop culture influencers who are hosting their own live, vibrant TV Rooms and profiles in the app. Users have the chance to connect and interact directly with TV Influencers that matter to them – while talent has the opportunity to express their own TV passions, while building followers and connecting with their fans in a ways not possible on other social platforms. Network Ten talent Greg Rust and Barry du Bois are the first to take advantage of the platform following strong demand from their followers.
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.”
Beamly is 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.
Zeebox Changes Up: Reinvents as @BeamlyAU
