Ep 38 - Building Interactive and Tokenized TV Experiences Powered by the Blockchain

In this episode of LAB Radio, Aaron Mangal discusses Interactive
and Tokenized Television with Gavin Douglas, CEO and co-founder
of iPowow.


"Our early vision was conceived on a surf beach in Australia, ‘…
to give millions of television viewers the power to interact with
their favorite TV show and to affect the story, second by
second’.


Since then we’ve been expanding around the world, transforming
tens of thousands of hours of live TV, taped TV and live stream
shows into exciting participation experiences. We’re a team of TV
thinkers, creators and doers with a passion for Participation TV
and we firmly believe that telling great stories leads to great
ratings.


By moving iPowow onto the blockchain and making use of the best
technology available, we can tokenize and monetize viewer
engagement to provide better rewards for viewers and valuable
data insights to networks, shows, and brands. So basically,
instead of earning points, which have limited value, viewers earn
HIT tokens just for watching content and more HITs for actively
participating in contests, polls, and campaigns. After
accumulating a certain amount of HITs, a viewer can visit our
digital shopping plaza and exchange them for either digital or
real-world products offered by our TV Network and Brand
partners."


Gavin Douglas, CEO and Co-Founder of iPowow


Gavin is a multi-award winning media producer and TV format
developer with over 20 years of experience. As the CEO of iPowow,
Gavin has driven the business deals and the production of over
100 broadcast television + streaming video projects that link
linear storytelling with real-time interactive technology,
offering a unique perspective important to bridging blockchain
technology and the media ecosystem.


Gavin has overseen iPowow’s growth across both linear television
and streaming video by negotiating and signing production deals
with clients including ESPN, NBC, ABC, Fox Sports, CNBC, CNN, Red
Bull, Discovery and Disney. Prior to iPowow, Gavin had written,
produced, directed or edited more than 30 television series
around the world, including “BBC Top Gear,” “MasterChef,” “So You
Think You Can Dance,” “Big Brother” and “MythBusters.”


iPowow which led to the creation of the HIT protocol allows
viewership to be tokenized, meaning viewers can be paid to watch
content. This also brings with it a whole new level of data as
this viewership can be correlated with buying habits.


After listening to this episode you will learn:


About Gavin's background in Television and analog approaches
to audience interaction

The genesis of iPowow and pitching their interactive tech to
NBC, ABC, CNN, ESPN and FOX Sports

How they have always focused on the viewing experience and
aim to keep viewers excited about the show

The key technological catalysts for the evolution of TV from
"stuck the wall" 20 years ago to today's on-demand world

Why the fact that everyone can consume content on any device
anytime is a huge business opportunity for everyone

How viewers are incentivized to watch shows through HIT
tokens

The vast treasure trove of data available behind these tokens
and the associated viewing and purchasing habits

Why we should always be on the lookout for the next
technology and how to put those pieces together



For show notes and more visit: LAB Radio


Thanks for listening to LAB Radio.