NBC Extends Emmy Experience Online

NBC is hoping to keep TV viewers of Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards show more engaged with interactive components on NBC.com.

An interactive TV application, designed and powered by Tandberg Television, will provide live behind-the-scenes video feeds and real-time blog posts written backstage by NBC producers. Users will also be able to answer real-time TV trivia questions and participate in polls about celebrity fashion choices and acceptance speeches, as well as predict winners in several awards categories.

“Enabling viewers to interact with each other while providing them with a more exciting and in-depth way to watch the Emmy Awards was a key consideration for this year’s telecast,” Stephen Andrade, VP of interactive development at NBC Entertainment, said in a statement. “Additionally, our advertising partners are increasingly seeking to engage viewers in more meaningful relationships with their brands. The Emmy’s interactive broadband application is an ideal platform for Target to reach its consumers.”

The Flash-based application will feature persistent branding from Target Corp., its exclusive sponsor. Target will also give away several $500 gift cards to online users chosen at random.

Users will earn points for each correct trivia answer, and then compare their responses to those of other players. By providing a connection with the show and other viewers, NBC is hoping to shore up ratings on the awards show, which is seen by many critics as a network TV dinosaur that needs to be retooled to be relevant in today’s media environment.

Tandberg provided similar interactive features for the 2006 NBC telecast of the Golden Globes in January.