TWTV strikes pub quiz deal with BSkyB
Two Way Television has struck a deal with BSkyB to develop an in-pub quiz using TWTV’s interactive television system.
A weekly quiz night will be tested in 50 Morland pubs in the Oxford area in early summer. An interactive quiz will be broadcast in each using a “spare” channel on pub TV sets that carry BSkyB.
If successful, the interactive TV quiz could be rolled out in other pubs, says TWTV head of sales and marketing Peter Cowie.
“Success will depend on how well we can motivate pub staff. In the longer term, the pub quiz offers significant potential for sponsorship and point-of-sale promotions,” he says.
When spare channel capacity becomes available with the introduction of digital TV transmissions, Cowie hopes the quiz can have its own interactive channel – with TV programming produced by BSkyB.
The pilot scheme will involve a 60 to 80 minute quiz on Tuesday nights – traditionally a slow evening for business. It will comprise questions covering a wide range of topics designed to appeal to a broad range of players.
Each pub will be able to field four teams to compete against each other and rival pubs, eventually in a national league. Cowie hopes it will encourage new and lapsed pub-goers.
The TWTV initiative is the second “pub net” project confirmed in recent weeks. Curtis Hoy Beeston interactive, which is also working with TWTV, has been appointed by Allied Domecq to develop its own in-pub interactive system involving multimedia units (MW March 3).
TWTV, which enables terrestrial TV viewers to interact with programmes through unique handsets and “black box” technology, will begin “live” tests in 250 Oxford homes next month.
A larger test involving 2,000 homes in the southern Central TV area is due this summer.
