Advanced Television

New HbbTV portals for all ProSiebenSat.1 channels

August 20, 2018

German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 is rolling out the red carpet for new entertainment via HbbTV. By pressing on the red button on their remote control, viewers can open up the entertainment worlds of ProSieben, SAT.1, kabel eins, sixx, ProSieben MAXX, SAT.1 Gold, and kabel eins Doku on smart TV.

The main components of the realignment are the media library with full episodes and content relating to the TV formats and the interactive entertainment feed with digital news, services, and entertainment information. There are also topic channels that group together content from the media library into different playlists. In order to use this offer, the smart TV set must support the HbbTV standard and be connected to the internet.

Whether the viewer is looking for diverting entertainment while the show is running or a complete alternative to the current show, the red button always offers both options. And each station has a whole world of its own. One big change in the new red button portal is its focus on dual consumption. This means that the viewer can keep watching their TV show at the same time. After pressing on the red button on the remote control, the entertainment feed with the latest news in video and text form appears alongside the live TV image. The viewer no longer has to leave the TV image and can keep watching their show while also reading news and information. Or they can choose to browse the media library. This “lean-back” situation provides exactly what viewers are looking for in the HbbTV world: Relaxed entertainment with content that completely suits their tastes.

In addition, the red button also provides the option for viewers to get actively involved. For some shows, they can take part in guessing which candidates will stay or go, for example. This means that they can also actively play along in a quiz show. Participatory activities like this have already generated interaction rates as high as 26 per cent of the total number of users who were shown the vote.

Stefanie Lüdecke, Co-Managing Director of ProSiebenSat.1 Digital,commented: “We now know very well that viewers’ entertainment needs have become more complex. While our users watch linear TV, they simultaneously have the option to get additional information via HbbTV. With our new red button portals, we have created a first-class content platform and combined the best of the two worlds of TV and internet. We are thereby actively shaping the development of linear TV.”

Categories: Articles, HbbTV, OTT