Beamly
Beamly is a social networking and social television platform available for mobile devices, including iPad, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry OS, and web. Beamly was originally launched under the name Zeebox, re-branding to Beamly on 14 April 2014.
As a social network for TV, Beamly enables users to follow TV shows, celebrities and other users and receive personalised TV news, content feeds and recommendations. Users can set up discuss TV shows in what Beamly call TV Rooms and can post about TV for your followers to see. Beamly retains many Zeebox features including a full TV guide, remote control capabilities and live information and interactions for live TV shows.
The company was founded by Anthony Rose, the ex-CTO of the BBC iPlayer, and Ernesto Schmitt, ex-Board Director of EMI Music. Film Director Simon Miller, Max Bleyleben, and Alex Nunes are also in the founding team.
The service was original launched in October 2011 by Zeebox Limited, a British company,[1] originally called tBone.[2]
In January 2012, BSkyB bought a stake in Zeebox and announced plans to integrate the software with its offering.[3] In September 2012, Zeebox announced expansion into the US with a commercial partnership with Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, Viacom and HBO. Comcast, NBCU and Viacom have also taken minority equity stakes for undisclosed sums.[4] In November 2012, zeebox launched a joint venture in Australia with Network Ten and Foxtel.,[5][6]
In October 2015, Beamly was acquired by COTY.[7]
Awards
Zeebox has won the following awards:
- "App of the year" at the T3 Gadget Awards, 2012
- "The companion screen prize" at the Connected TV Awards, 2012
- "Overall Winner" at the Connected TV Awards, 2012
- Netexplo award winner 2012
- "Most Innovative Design Or User Interface" 1TVT Awards 2012
- "Best iPad app of 2012" Mashable, 2012
- Number 5 in the top 50 best iPhone apps, Time, 2013
- "Best Social Mobile or Apps startup" The Europas, 2013
- "Lovie Award Winner / Entertainment: Tablet" The Lovie Awards, 2013
In 2012, Zeebox was named amongst the Startups 100.[8]
References
- ↑ Robert Andrews. "Revealed: How Anthony Rose Plans To Revolutionise TV".
- ↑ John Moulding. "Anthony Rose reveals some details of his new project tBone".
- ↑ "Zeebox strikes major investment deal with Sky".
- ↑ Andrews, Robert (27 September 2012). "NBCU, Comcast buy in to Zeebox". paidContent. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ↑ "Foxtel signs Zeebox deal in second screen first". Retrieved 2013-03-16.
- ↑ Smith, Paul (11 July 2012). "Ten brings Zeebox social TV to Australia". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
- ↑ "COTY Announces Acquisition of Leading Global Digital Marketing Platform Beamly". Coty. October 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Startups 100 2012 - zeebox". Retrieved 2012-07-13.
Additional source
- Richard Kastelein. "So Shall TV Be Disrupted? Or Democratised? Or is That the Same Thing?".