ITV ventures into Smartphone advert deal

ITV and Shazam are to join forces in an exclusive UK commercial partnership which will see smartphone commercial content.

Simon Daglish, Group Commercial Sales Director at ITV said: “Shazam’s audio-recognition technology is at the forefront of the second screen movement which is transforming the way consumers interact with content including advertising. This exciting and exclusive partnership means that ITV is able to offer customers a real first for UK media and allow brands to innovate their spot campaigns and connect directly with audiences on a large scale.”

Under the terms of the deal ITV Commercial will be the exclusive UK sales force offering advertisers the chance to have their traditional 30 second TV spots Shazam-enabled for the first time. Viewers who have Shazam installed on their smartphones, currently more than 10 million in the UK, will be able to use the app to interact with the enabled adverts to enter competitions, get additional information about a brand or product, view additional special content or download free music.

Andrew Fisher, CEO at Shazam, said: “ITV is not only the largest commercial broadcaster in the UK, but has also established one of the leading sales organisations in the world.  We are delighted that ITV will be bringing Shazam-enabled ads to the UK market.  This will empower leading brands to connect with our millions of fans who will now be able to experience an extended engagement in one of the most convenient and innovative ways possible.”

The partnership follows the success of Shazam for TV™ in the US where it has revolutionised the viewing experience of some of America’s most popular television shows and events such as American Idol, the GRAMMY® Awards and the Super Bowl, where more than half of the advertisers in this year’s big game chose to Shazam-enable their ads.