ITV mobile revamp focuses on live TV
October 9, 2014
UK commercial broadcaster ITV has launched what it describes as a “new and improved” ITV Player app across iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 devices incorporating simulcast functionality. The app showcases a new user interface, increasing the prominence of ITV’s ‘watch live’ service at the top of each channel page, with easy access to the most recent On Demand content directly beneath this.
Along with simulcast capabilities allowing users to watch ITV’s portfolio of channels live on the move, the ITV Player app also provides access to the last thirty days of ITV’s catch up content. The app also includes live and On Demand content for the broadcaster’s brand new free-to-air channel, ITV Be, launched on 8th October 2014.
Paul Kanareck, Director of Online and Brands at ITV, noted that TV was “instant, immediate and alive and this should be reflected across all ITV platforms. “As second screens are increasingly becoming second TVs, we have found watching live TV accounts for 26 per cent of ITV Player usage on tablets, phones, PCs and Macs. The new improved streaming quality and app design makes it easier for viewers to find the shows they love and ultimately spend more time with ITV’s fantastic content. We will continue to work on bringing this new and improved user experience to further platforms going forward,” he confirmed.
The new version of the app also dynamically scales to a range of screen sizes and has an improved playback experience across mobile devices.