Right now people all over the world tune into Eurocup 08 in Switzerland/Austria. I live in Sweden, so TV4 and Canal+ are the channels of my choice since they are the ones holding the rights to the show. They paid a shitload of money for it.
This will not be the case in Eurocup 2012 when the event is held in Poland. Then I’ll turn into Socialtelevision.com where the TV is a result of Social Broadcasting edited live online by it’s users for it’s users.
Let me tell you about Social Television
The community
I guess you’ve seen that Apple launched their new 3G iPhone the other day. The new phone got GPS, Video-camera, 3G connection and a browser that follows web-standards.
Imagine now that we launch a site called Socialtelevision.com (or YouTube Live) that let’s any signed up user upload video streams, much like the ones we see on YahooLive or Bambuser for that matter. On the site, users can now sign up as plain users, producers, broadcasters, editors or commentators. When an event comes up, say Eurocup 2012’, basically users express their interest to become part of the broadcasting of the event and take on different roles.
Kick off the game
It’s match day. On the stands 247 SocialTV users turn on their iPhones and connect to socialtelevision.com. On the site, 19 pro editors collaborate by social voting to decide how the broadcasting of the event will be edited. Through the built in GPS, it’s easy to understand which camera can cover what. A free kick is coming up and users positioned behind the goal all get the order “close up on Zlatan Ibrahimovic”.
By using the dynamic circle tool integrated with Google Map, the editor in lead (by voting) draws a circle around the left corner of the field and sends out the order “focus on corner kicker” This results in another 24 cameras covering the kicker.
Through the integrated motion sensor the editor automatically get the most stabile shot of the situations (if he doesn’t override it). The cameramen on site get Kudos (rating) depending on how much their specific coverage of the event is used.
Access to all areas
90 minutes later the whistle blows and the first ever Live SocialTV event is a fact. Aware of his most loyal fans, Zlatan avoids the “paying” media crowd and approaches the side of the field.
36 SocialTV “cameramen” cover the interview performed by a SocialTV journalist who has received a Titanum Status on socialtelevision.com. The questions asked by millions online and decided upon by social voting are delivered in his right ear. The interview ends after Zlatan draws his autograph on the iPhone, the touch screen senses the pressure and the result is a unique date-stamped autograph with information about Zlatan’s pulse among other things.
Just like ordinary TV but different
At home, me and my family eat up the last snacks on the table. My youngest daughter (almost 5 year old in 2012) is eager to show her friends Zlatans “time-stamped autograph”.
Next week Disney On Ice turns up in Stockholm, and she is already signed up to cover the story. Her best friend will cover the back stage scene where Poh, Tiger and the rest of the crew hangs out.
The old generation…
In boardrooms of TV networks all over the world, directors asks themselves…what are we gonna make money on now? (or maybe they are the founders of SocialTV…but that would have to call for some innovative digital thinking, something they still lack)
The end
Is there such a thing as Social Television? No. But I truly believe that there will be within the next couple of years and it will change the business of broadcasting rights forever. Social TV will change all kinds of events there are.
Feel free to steal the idea and challenge the dinosaurs.
