RUN3TV is a new online platform that enables broadcasters to offer a hybrid interactive television service to over-the-air viewers. Pearl TV, the coalition of broadcasters in the United States transitioning to NEXTGEN TV or ATSC 3.0, announced the development at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. 12 affiliate and network broadcasters in the Pearl TV coalition came together to develop a broadcaster shared web platform that makes applications easy to enable, customize, and differentiate while providing consumers a consistent user experience across multiple receiver operating systems.
Pearl TV is launching the RUN3TV platform through its subsidiary, the ATSC 3.0 Framework Alliance or A3FA.
RUN3TV enables broadcasters using NEXTGEN TV to engage directly with their viewers through broadcaster applications.
“An industry first, RUN3TV gives broadcasters the ability to leverage the new ATSC 3.0 A/344 Interactive Content broadcast standard to create television applications that enhance over-the-air viewing with interactive and on-demand content delivered over broadband,” stated Anne Schelle, the managing director of Pearl TV. “With NEXTGEN TV and RUN3TV, broadcasters can now bring the OTA environment into the digital world.”
The web-based platform architecture enables stations to develop, innovate, and differentiate at the application services layer, allowing a consistent viewer experience across all NEXTGEN TV devices. The broadcaster controls the product vision, audience engagement, and customer experience. Broadcasters can choose their technical partners and take advantage of contributions from the RUN3TV developer community.
“NEXTGEN TV is scaling rapidly on connected TVs, creating a new advanced advertising marketplace. Display, lead-gen, and dynamic ad insertion capabilities will be game changers for broadcasters and help level the playing field among other digital providers,” stated Kerry Oslund, vice president of strategy and business development at The EW Scripps Company. “RUN3TV creates an underlying framework that puts broadcasters in the driver’s seat on what they create and how they provide content that matters to viewers. RUN3TV has just scratched the surface of what is possible for the broadcast community.”
RUN3TV development partners include Kineton, MadHive, IBM Weather, Freewheel and Google. Early adopters such as Gray Television, The EW Scripps Company, Graham Media, TEGNA, Hearst and Howard University’s WHUT have launched broadcaster applications in more than 30 markets, and more broadcasters are adding innovative interactive features to their NEXTGEN TV channels to directly connect with their viewers and increase audience engagement.
“The power of the RUN3TV platform to enhance the viewer experience is tremendous. As broadcasters customize and build out exciting applications, viewers will be delighted to seamlessly discover and explore web content like local news, lifestyle, weather and emergency alerts, all within the broadcast they are watching,” said Robert Folliard, the senior vice president, government relations and distribution at Gray Television. “With NEXTGEN TV and RUN3TV, broadcasters can provide an on-demand broadcast experience, where viewers no longer need to watch along with a second screen — creating the future of viewing today.”