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Project Overview
ABC iview is Australia’s most comprehensive TV catch-up service and has seen phenomenal growth over 2010-11. iview reaches more Australians than any other TV broadcaster catch-up service. The ABC is committed to extending its reach by making iview available on additional platforms where TV consumption is increasing. The iview iPad app was launched December 2010. It created high engagement and went to number 1 in the Apple app store. Version 1.2.0 was released July 2011 with support for closed captioning in primetime programs. To date, more than 436k downloads of the iview app for iPad have been recorded.
Organisation
Team
Arul Baskaran - Conroller, ABC Multiplatform
Bruce Collier - Technical Lead
Hilary Cinis - Design Lead
Mark King - Operations Lead
Caroline Kinny-Lewis - Producer
Hamish Dobbs - Project Manager
Jake MacMullin - Developer
Project Brief
To develop and deliver a native iOS app that extends the reach of ABC iview to users on the iPad. iview provides Australian audiences with a deep offering of high quality on-demand programs, streamed over the internet to PCs and a range of internet connected platforms. Programs are shown in their entirety, full screen and commercial free. Requirements for the iview iPad app included, but were not limited to, a) replication of the ABC iview web platform – all available iview content to be made available on the iPad app, and no disaggregation of the content b) retention of its distinctive branding and user experience c) added functionality including a ‘watchlist’ where users can bookmark programs to watch later, and support for closed captioning for the deaf and hearing impaired, and users who choose to watch with captions. ABC iview committed to enabling viewing on the iPad by December 2010 and this milestone was successfully achieved. Currently around 450 full episodes are available at any given time and over 100 hours of new content is made available each week, including primetime catch-up from the ABC and ‘iview exclusives’ acquired specifically for iview.
Project Innovation / Need
Uptake of television viewing via tablet devices has seen exponential worldwide growth in 2011. Industry research shows that tablet ownership has more than doubled over the past six months with as many as 50% of tablet owners using their device to watch TV or video clips. Further, audiences are increasingly using tablet devices as personal televisions, and online viewing has now shifted to primetime content. ABC iview’s Distribution Philosophy and Syndication Guidelines are driven by the goal of ubiquity – reaching audiences on platforms where consumption is increasing. New platforms and partners are assessed on audience, cost and effort of development, brand and strategic fit. Making iview available on the iPad was an obvious decision for the ABC, and its success underpins its ongoing strategy for making iview more widely available on additional mobile devices. Support for closed captions on the iPad app was also scoped and delivered (v1.2.0 – July 2011), to reflect captions on primetime programs on the iview web UI, allowing the deaf and hearing impaired, and any viewers who choose to watch with captions, the same experience on the iPad as watching iview on the web.
User Experience
The iview iPad app design is a simple, big-screen, standardised up-down-left-right version of the iview UI. The design can be easily adapted to suit other new mobile platforms. The UI ensures the fewest possible steps between browsing and searching content, and watching a program. Channels and animations have been removed, the focus has been placed on categories and fresh content. Homepage modules are now: Featured Programs, Recently Added, Last Chance to Watch, and Watchlist.
User feedback has been extremely positive:
The wait is over
Been waiting ages for this to come out – love it. Great job again ABC certainly showing up the commercial channels on how it should be done. 4 stars
- Dale Solomon (App store)
Great
Great app works perfectly, thumbs up to the ABC. 5 stars
- Wascallywodger (App store)
@ChristopherLane All the episodes of Crownies is on the ABC iView app. I love this app. I love my iPad. I want to have babies with it.
@Penny02 @chrissieswan get iview on your iPad. It is simply fantastic - and bonus is ABC kids.
@_lb_ I have watched more “tv” on my iPad then on my iMac this week. I wish all tv channels had an app like iView
Project Marketing
Launch of the iview app for iPad was taken to market via a press campaign in Dec 2010, and supported by a campaign of humorous TVCs to promote the recently re-branded iview service. As a result of the press campaign, launch of the app was widely picked up by the mainstream press, industry sites and blogs, and shared via social networks.
“The app has been a hit with iPad users. The 121 customers that had reviewed the application since its launch early yesterday awarded it an average score of 4.5 out of a possible five stars.” – The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/ipad-users-flock-to-abcs-iview-tv-catch-up-service/story-e6frgakx-1225966649615
“Everyone loves the ABC’s iView service and is clamouring for it to be available on more platforms. That process got a big boost today with the launch of an iPad app for accessing iView. The free iView app includes the full content available on the ABC’s site, including access to the ABC News 24 service. One feature unique to the iPad version is Watchlists, which let you bookmark series you watch regularly.” - LifeHacker
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2010/12/iview-app-for-ipad-includes-watchlists-airplay
Television
This category relates to applications that promote television content.
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