With $1.5 million of fresh funding in its pocket, SocialGuide is full steam ahead with creating a new social TV platform that bridges TV shows with online conversations.
When you first log into the SocialGuide beta site, you’ll see what founder Sean Casey calls “the first, real-time social programming guide.” The guide lists the most popular shows trending in social media at the moment, as well as a more traditional programming guide that’s tied to your cable/satellite service in your zip code.
If you authenticated through Twitter, it will also display which shows it thinks your friends are watching — for example, if someone just mentioned @SportsCenter on Twitter.
Click into a show and it will display the latest social conversations about it. “SocialGuide mines, filters, displays and ranks the millions of discussions happening on the most popular social networks about TV – as it airs,” Casey told Lost Remote. “We drive users into show-specific pages that allow them to see what everyone, including their friends and the cast and network, are saying while they watch.” You can also post to Twitter or Facebook from the page — as well as invite your friends to watch.
“We believe the social TV space is now evolving past check-in,” Casey says, adding that a social programming guide “provides consumers with a smarter, more social way to discover what to watch on TV right now.” Casey says they’re firm believers in the second screen — SocialGuide is working on iPhone, iPad and Android apps — but it also has plans to integrate with connected TVs in the future.
The big challenge for SocialGuide is that sending a tweet with a mention of a show’s Twitter account isn’t always an indication you’re watching it. But as TV hashtags become more common, SocialGuide seems to be well-positioned to capture the conversation without requiring a check-in.
