Interactive TV Ads Could Hit U.S. Soon

INTERACTIVE TV ADS COULD HIT US SOON
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: John Consoli]
Interactive TV ads, commonplace in England and undergoing extensive testing in Canada, are still not in the mainstream in the U.S., although that could soon change. “Television innovation does not move at Internet speed. But within the next three years, I think we are going to see widespread deployment of interactive advertising, and interactive programming on broadcast and cable networks,” said Tracey Scheppach, vp, video innovation director at Starcom USA. The technology allows a viewer using a remote control to click on an icon within a traditional 30-second commercial, for example, to get more information about a product. Down the road, Scheppach said, viewers could use their remotes to vote on shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, changing the face of live TV.
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