Zeebox has updated its second-screen iOS app to version 3.0, introducing a new feature – TV Rooms.

TV Rooms are essentially in-app forums collating Zeeboxs social functionality – comments, Twitter, live chat – which enable users to create permanent hangouts around a particular show, actor or genre.

The feature moves the apps focus away from being tied to whats currently on TV and, as Zeebox COO & head of business development Max Bleyleben told us, “extends interaction beyond the live moment a particular show is on air” in order to create “a TV-centric social network”.

This move has some interesting implications for Zeeboxs ad model, which until now has largely relied on TV advertisers supporting their existing sponsorships and ads on the app while a programme is on.

Zeebox will still be working primarily with TV rather than digital advertisers, according to Bleyleben, “because we consider ourselves to be more part of the TV ecosystem than the mobile app ecosystem. Our model isnt to go against existing broadcasters, but piggyback off their relationships with advertisers.”

Going forward, Zeebox will be enabling its broadcast partners to mark a particular Room, whether created by them or a fan, as official. This will enable advertisers to sponsor and brand the Room, as well as open up more functions – Bleyleben gave the example of castmembers hosting a live en-masse chat – which should in turn attract more users.

Future updates will also broaden the available functionality of TV Rooms, enablings users able to upload a wider range of content, including video, and pull in additional nodes – other shows, actors or genres.