Siren, the digital agency, has announced an exclusive, multi-year agreement with MTV Networks UK & Ireland
to provide interactive SMS TV games and moderated chat services across
the broadcasters UK channels. The appointment marks a return to MTV
for Siren, which managed the launch of the original Matchmaker game
early in 2003.
MTV is the latest broadcaster to commission services
to run on Initiate, Sirens built-for-broadcast SMS TV games
platform. In this instance, the platform is controlled directly from
MTVs scheduling infrastructure, allowing games and programmes to be
scheduled and run automatically.
Traditionally, broadcasters have
required a gallery operator to deploy these types of services manually
when a broadcast goes live. Initiates implementation in MTVs playout
centre is fully automated, which removes the need for manual
intervention, once the game has been scheduled. Siren has also built-in
a CRM capability, encouraging players to visit an MTV Games WAP site,
containing information about other games and encouraging off-line
activity. 
Siren claims that Initiate is the UKs best performing
SMS TV games platform, citing its deployment on ITVs Im A
Celebrity, where throughput reached a rate of more than 60 messages
per second.
The SMS TV games market is highly competitive, but one
which we now lead says Siren CEO Chris Pressley. Our success can be
put down to a combination of the quality of our onscreen graphics, the
level of game play and viewer experience, and the investment in the
technology platforms that underpin the service.
Andrew Culpan, Director of Strategy and Digital Media for MTV Networks UK & Ireland, adds:
Its
clear from our research that viewers value the games that we offer
across the MTVN UK portfolio. The quality of games and graphics
developed by Siren, combined with the ability to schedule in advance,
will enable us to continue to offer services which gives our audience
the chance to experience our brands outside the linear television world
while making sure they are always entertained.