ACTV8.me to Create 2nd Screen Apps for Fox

Interactive television technology provider ACTV8.me has announced that it has entered into an agreement to deploy multiple interactive second-screen TV experiences for Fox Broadcasting Company and that Fox will take an equity stake in ACTV8.me as part of the network's push to expand its social TV efforts.

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will launch second screen apps for several of Fox's primetime series. The first of these, a New Girl second screen app, was launched today on the iTunes App Store for iPhones and will be available on iPad and Android platforms in upcoming weeks.

The apps will allow fans to interact with live broadcast of Fox shows in a number of ways, including real-time chats, earning badges by watching and answering episodic trivia.

"Forming deeper and more relevant relationships with our audience is a key priority at Fox," noted Bill Bradford, senior VP of digital media at Fox, in a statement. "We're always looking for new ways to enhance the viewing experience for our audience with rich, engaging interactive content, and we think ACTV8.me is an ideal partner to help us achieve that."

ACTV8.me Founder/CEO Brian Shuster added in another statement that "today's audience has a whole new set of expectations from the shows they enjoy. ACTV8.me gives them exactly what they want: interactivity, social connectivity, with the overall goal of gamifying the second screen experience."