Too Many Apps? Social TV Must-Reads (April 23)

Is it app season? As we have poured through literally hundreds of news links today, we have selected almost a half dozen articles about new TV-related apps, ranging from former quarterback Joe Montana “Social Fantasy App” to a synced iPad app that lets viewers purchase what they see, already integrated with the show, ‘Scandal.’
Netflicks and Univision reported good quarters, research came out that ties Facebook to TV viewership, the upfronts and sports are among the articles we have picked for you today in our mid-day Social TV must-reads.
TV Ratings: Boston Manhunt Pulls 42 Million Viewers, Weekly Cable Audience Doubles
At least 40 million people watched the ending of the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bomber Friday, according to Nielsen. The 7 p.m. hour when the news broke saw 5.75 million viewers flock to Fox News Channel, giving it a win for the hour over CNN’s 5.19 million and MSNBC’s 1.43 million.
Twitter eyes TV, lands major advertising deal in run-up to IPO
SAN FRANCISCO — In the run-up to what would be the biggest initial public stock offering for a consumer Internet company since Facebook, Twitter has nailed its biggest advertising deal yet. The San Francisco-based social media company has reached a deal with Publicis’ Starcom MediaVest Group worth hundreds of millions of dollars over multiple years, the Financial Times reported.
How Does Facebook Affect TV Viewership? – AllFacebook
Facebook has been pushing users to share more of what they love, especially through structured status updates. Users can now post visual stories that say they’re watching ” Game of Thrones,” or “The Big Bang Theory,” and those preferences would be added to users’ Timelines under favorite shows.


Is Netflix the future of TV? – Telegraph
Mr Hastings told the Financial Times that Netflix was more interested in developing their own content than bulk-buying shows from other channels to stream. Their deals with MTV and Nickelodeon, for example, are due to expire with no plans of renewal. Amazon and YouTube are also looking into original content.

Univision Communications Swings to First-Quarter Profit
Spanish-language media giant Univision Communications on Tuesday reported improved first-quarter financials amid revenue growth in its TV, radio and digital units. The company swung to a first-quarter profit of $9 million after a year-ago loss of $14.1 million. The latest figure included $2.5 million in impairment charges, compared with $9 million in the year-ago period.

Online support grows for North Dakota newscaster fired following salty start
A North Dakota newscaster who uttered a profanity to begin his debut as anchor has been fired, but online support for the young newsman is growing as the clip goes viral. A.J. Clemente made his debut as co-anchor for Bismarck NBC affiliate KFYR on Sunday, but the University of West Virginia graduate was seemingly unaware his microphone was on as colleague Van Tieu began the newscast.
CBS buys small stake in mobile TV startup Syncbak
The Associated Press
CBS Corp. says it has made a minority investment in Syncbak, a technology company that allows mobile device users to pick up signals from their local TV stations over the Internet. Founded in Marion, Iowa, in 2009, Syncbak allows people who download the app to watch local programming, even over a cellphone connection.
Web startup Aereo sets its sights on Boston TV market
Backed by Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp, Aereo plans to launch first with consumers who pre-registered and then more broadly to the Boston area on May 30. Aereo is currently available in New York. The company has caught the attention of the likes of News Corp’s Fox, Walt Disney’s ABC, CBS Corp and Comcast’s NBC because it offers people cut-rate subscriptions to their channels.
Has Demand for Broadcast TV Inventory Already Topped Out?
While it will be a number of weeks before the networks will be able to accurately count the house, insiders suggest the 2013-14 upfront is likely to be a bit less robust than those of years past. Although client budgets have yet to be registered, buyers are already hinting that demand for broadcast TV inventory appears to have topped out.

E! Upfront 2013: Watch What Bravo Didn’t Want
The E! Upfront felt very true to the E! Network brand — the red carpet was fenced by fangirls and boys screaming at the top of their lungs whenever a new celebrity arrived, the party’s decor was like being inside of someone’s swanky living room, the presentation was completely phoned-in and all of the big E!

E! Delays Debut of Scripted Shows
E! Network is increasing its original hours in prime-time and reducing repeats, executives said on Monday as they made their case to advertisers ahead of the annual upfront bargaining season.

WhereverTV launches Apple app
Over-the-top (OTT) provider WhereverTV Broadcasting Corp has released the WhereverTV app for iOS devices for subscribers to GreekTV, ArabicTV and 2M Maroc in North and South America. The WhereverTV app is for any Apple device running iOS 4.3 or greater, including iPad, iPhone 3GS to 5, and iPod touch.
Virgin adds 21 new channels to its TV Anywhere service, confirms an Android app for later this year
Virgin Media has added 21 new channels to Virgin TV Anywhere, its cloud-based service for watching live and on-demand video content. The following additions are available on both its iOS app and browser-based platform: Animal Planet, Cartoonito, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, Discovery History, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Science, Discovery Shed, Discovery Turbo, Dmax, I.D.

Cox TV Connect Lands On The Play Store
A handful of cable TV providers have been working to bolster their offerings in an effort to keep customers content. Among the top requested features is streaming of content to screens that aren’t directly tied to our cable boxes, particularly tablets. We can welcome Cox Communications to the streaming club with the recent release of Cox TV Connect.

Civolution supporting La3, looks to next stage of synched TV app development ” Digital TV Europe
Italian free-to-air channel La3 is offering a synchronized TV app using technology from Civolution and Italian multiscreen TV technology specialist Vetrya. La3 is using technology provided by the pair to deliver the customised HyperSync app, which presents viewers with synchronized content on a variety of devices.

Kobe Bryant gives up tweeting during Lakers playoff games
Kobe Bryant announced on Monday he will give Twitter a rest for the remainder of the playoffs, adding that he was surprised by the reaction to his real-time analysis from home. The Lakers star is out for the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles. “To tweet or not to tweet..

AppsGeyser Produces TV App Android App Making Tool
AppsGeyser continues to produce new features in their range of app making tool templates, and with popular demand the TV app, app making tool, has been introduced to the template range. This new app making template allows app makers to create a link to their favorite online TV stations.

Vubooo’s take on the second screen: Less talk, more gooooooals
Ever found yourself at the edge of your seat during a soccer game, ready to yell at the TV at a moment’s notice? Then you might be a prime candidate for Vubooo, a new second-screen app that specifically targets soccer fans.

Get This launches iPad app for second-screen shopping synced with TV
Get This launches iPad app for second-screen shopping synced with TV Michelle Clancy | 22-04-2013 Get This Corp has launched an iPad app that allows US viewers to purchase items they see in television shows. One of the first shows to integrate with the app is the political thriller Scandal.
First Look At iMFL, Joe Montana’s Social Fantasy Football App
Football is a sport that brings everyone together, even if you’re not a diehard fan or have never played the game yourself. The rush of energy that comes with rooting for your favorite team and arm-chair-quarterbacking an entire game is something people around the world do every Sunday.

Thunderous finish among NBA local television ratings
By John Ourand & David Broughton
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the 2012-13 NBA season with the league’s highest average local TV rating. The Thunder’s 8.65 average on FS Oklahoma marks an astonishing 659 percent increase from the team’s 2008-09 inaugural season in Oklahoma City.
Univision to Air 14th Annual LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS Live from Las Vegas, 11/21
The 14th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will take place inside Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, and will air live in the United States on the Univision Network from 8-11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central).

impreMedia Announces Launch of “Quiero más fútbol” | Fort Mill Times – Fort Mill, SC
impreMedia, the leading Hispanic news and information company, announced the launch of its interactive website: Quiero más fútbol ( www.quieromasfutbol.com) for followers of the Mexican League, tournaments in Latin America and the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup.
DirecTV adding voice search to smartphone app this summer
DirecTV’s voice search feature lets you speak to your phone to search through TV listings, pay-per-view and on-demand content using natural language. (Credit: DirecTV) With satellite and cable TV packages hovering around the “thousand channel” mark, the common complaint isn’t that there’s nothing to watch–it’s that it’s difficult and tedious to find what you’re looking for.

Discovery Channel and TLC iOS apps updated with “Plus” interactive second-screen experience
Discovery Communications updated two of its iOS apps today with a brand new second screen experience dubbed “Plus”. Available for the Discovery Channel HD app and the TLC app for iPhone and iPad, “TLC Plus” and “Discovery Plus” brings interactive “second-screen” content that syncs to some of the network’s most popular shows.

The School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Manhattanville College Launches Sports Media Institute
The new program debuts in June, 2013 with a three-credit Summer Conference featuring an impressive lineup of sports media industry heavy hitters.Purchase, NY (PRWEB) April 23, 2013 The School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Manhattanville College today announced the creation of the Sports Media Institute, offering courses in sports media, the first of which will take place in June, 2013.
Social Star Awards 2013 Official Shortlist
The official shortlist for the 2013 Social Star Awards

Social TV Daily publishes a daily roundup of news articles across the Internet. Excerpts are drawn from the content and full URLs are included.