Xbox Partners With Time Warner

Microsoft has notched a landmark deal with Time Warner Cable to offer Xbox 360 owners live access for up to 300 channels. Viewers will need an existing Time Warner Cable subscription as well as an Xbox Live Gold membership to access the service, which will launch later this summer. The TWC TV app is to include AMC, BBC World News, CNN, and others; it will be available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace and will support voice commands using the Kinect. Given that Microsoft is pushing its new console, the Xbox One as the best solution for TV-watchers and gamers alike, this partnership has vast potential for TV programming and advertising in the upcoming months. 

Time Warner Medialab Releases Study on Second Screen Viewing

Multi-screen viewing is a buzzy topic for marketers and in an attempt to quantify its impacts, Time Warner Medialab conducted a series of studies on this multitasking behavior.  In almost any case, owners of combinations of TVs, smartphones and computers are likely to multitask while using them, incorporating social media into their viewing experience.  Digital natives have been shown to switch platforms almost 30 times per hour, and this multitasking behavior has been shown to increase emotional engagement and favorability of the advertiser.  The full report is certainly worth a look for marketers interested in second screen viewing and its implications.