News Over Wireless and WRAL-TV have launched their first Yahoo! TV Widget. |
News Over Wireless (NOW) recently announced the availability of its first Yahoo! TV Widget in partnership with WRAL. Consumers with Internet-connected TVs powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine can access local news, weather, sports and more directly from the station.
Since 2004, NOW has enabled local TV partners to generate new revenue and extend their brands by placing their news and information on mobile phones—growing from carrier-based subscription-only applications and video channels to the more ubiquitous mobile web and on to iPhone and Android Apps. The release of the Yahoo! TV Widget opens a brand new door for local TV stations to reach their viewers.
“This is an exciting new venture for News Over Wireless,” said Sam Matheny, NOW general manager. “It’s a perfect opportunity for us because our mission is to help our local TV partners reach their viewers anytime and anywhere. It’s also fun to think about how this will tie in with our mobile offerings, such as SMS.”
Viewers with Internet-connected TVs can launch the Yahoo! Widget Engine, download the widget and browse headlines, watch on-demand video, see the latest animated weather radar and more.
“Launching our Yahoo! TV Widget gives a station the opportunity to engage with their viewers without interrupting them whether they are watching the station’s channel, a DVD, playing a video game or even viewing another channel,” said Matheny. “WRAL is just the first of our widgets—many of our partners are committed to rolling them out. They see the value in having this direct and on-demand connection with viewers.”
 |
|
Newer HD TVs that are connected to the Internet — either via a cable or a wireless adapter — can access “widgets” from a gallery compiled by Yahoo!
|
 |
In 2009, Yahoo! revolutionized the TV viewing experience by launching Yahoo! TV Widgets. The widget-based user experience makes it easy to interact with Internet content and services that complement and enhance the traditional TV viewing experience on devices from Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio and more.
“Yahoo! is the trusted partner for publishers around the world who want to take advantage of Yahoo!’s global distribution channels and advancements in building a massive developer ecosystem for publishing and distributing new and innovative TV Widgets,” said Russ Schafer, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Yahoo! Inc. “The WRAL TV widget from News Over Wireless exemplifies this and provides consumers with the relevant information and content to enhance their television watching experience.”
Yahoo! is enabling an ecosystem of developers, publishers, device manufacturers and advertisers that will benefit consumers by bringing the best of the Web to television. Consumers can enjoy thousands of content choices and Internet services from social networks, music, sports, shopping, on demand video, interactive games, information and more as well as TV Widgets from Yahoo! properties such as Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Weather, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Video and Flickr®.
Thanks to CBC NMG’s Sam Matheny for this capcom story & these capcom photos.
