By Lori Soard on January 31, 2013 in
While it's common to get together with friends and family to take in the Super Bowl, you can also engage with others who aren't in the same room, or even the same state. You may have heard about the growing popularity of "second screen" viewing, meaning watching a game, program or other event on TV (first screen) and using another screened device (iPad, laptop, smart phone, etc.) for additional interaction. If you have never partaken in the second screen phenomenon, the Super Bowl is a great game to get started with. Perhaps you tweet out a cry of victory during the first touchdown of the game, or maybe you lament over the crazy antics of yet another halftime performer while engaging in a video chat with someone on the other side of the country. In some cases, networks are offering second screen apps so that you can view as many as four different camera angles at one time, ensuring you don't miss a second of the action.
When it comes to the Super Bowl, the second screen craze is hardly new. On Digiday, Jack Marshall points out that during the 2011 Super Bowl game, there were approximately 4,064 tweets per second posted during the game's high points. That number more than tripled in 2012, according to The Washington Post, with the tweets reaching 12,233 per second by the end of the game. Graphs.net estimates that 70 percent of tablet owners use their second screen while watching a live event. If you are looking for apps that integrate with the Super Bowl, this year brings a nice selection of choices.
TOK Football
TOK.tv, a company specializing in social television innovations, released a new free app (iPhone, iPad) just in time for this year's NFL playoffs. CEO of TOK.tv, Fabrizio Capobianco, stated: "The goal is not to replace TV, but rather preserve the authentic experience of watching TV together with friends - even if they live afar. The idea is to replicate the analogue of inviting people into your living room." TOK Football allows up to four people to:
- Get real time statistics;
- Voice chat with one another;
- See which other friends are watching the game; and
- Get additional facts you won't see on TV.
CBS
The CBS Sports network has pulled out a lineup that sports fans, who already love multiple camera angles, are likely to clamor for. In a released statement, Jim Lanzone, president of CBS Interactive, said, "We have developed a deeply integrated second-screen environment that perfectly complements the television broadcast of the game, from the pre-game show to the presentation of the Lombardi Trophy." Free of charge, the game will be live-streamed on CBS's website and via Verizon smartphones with:
- Four different camera angles;
- Integration with Twitter;
- Live stream of the halftime show; and
- Instant Replay.
NFL Mobile App
If you have an iPhone or any smartphone through Verizon, then you can download the free NFL Mobile app (Android and Apple smartphones and tablets), which will allow you to stream:
- NFL videos and the Super Bowl;
- Instant replays;
- Game highlights; and
- Important news.
Of course, if you don't own a smartphone or tablet, you can always use a laptop as your second screen to zip around the web's most popular social media sites. You can be certain that there will be thousands (maybe even millions) interacting with their second screen as they offer up their own insights moment-by-moment and share the once-a-year Super Bowl experience of entertaining ads, jaw-dropping half-time performances and two superior football teams going head to head for the championship.
