Shazam Entertainment, whose app has been used to identify billions of songs since 2002, is expanding its television business through a deal with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
The partnership, expected to be announced Monday, will give away free music downloads to “Jimmy Kimmel Live” viewers who use Shazam while watching the show on ABC. On Monday night, for example, viewers who fire up the Shazam app will be able to unlock a free download of a track from The Lumineers, who will also be the featured act on Monday’s show. The promotion will run each night this week, which will see Kenny Rogers and Bonnie Raitt among the featured guests on “Kimmel.”
Folks who download the free tracks will be shown a list of other tracks performed during the shows — for purchase, of course. The idea is to link artist performances on linear television with discovery and purchase.
For Shazam, the promotion will likely highlight for consumers its capabilities in identifying video content as well as music. That will be important as the London company seeks to break into the more lucrative market for television advertising and sponsorships via so-called “second screen” — other devices that viewers use as they watch television shows.
Close to 40% of Americans use their tablets or smartphones at least once a day while watching TV, while 62% report doing so at least once a week, according to Nielsen.
People in the U.S. are spending an estimated 130 minutes a day on tablets and mobile phones, compared to 170 minutes a day watching TV, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. But while the amount of time spent with TVs has been steady for the past decade or more, time spent with second screens are rapidly rising. As a result, TV producers are looking for ways to capture some of that time spent on second screens by serving up “companion content,” such as performers bios, summaries of prior episodes, behind-the-scenes videos, sponsor messages or, as in the Kimmel example, promotional content.
