Has the novelty of the location based check-in worn off? The buzz right now is checking in remotely, but that doesn’t mean the location-based check-in is dead—it does indicate, however, that the “check-in” is evolving and users are beginning to ask the question, “What now?”.
Of course, Foursquare would probably beg to differ that the physical check-in train is losing steam given the service’s 3 million check-ins during this year’s Foursquare Day (4/16) but traffic through April 2011 has basically trended downward or remained static since topping out at 1.8 million unique visitors in July 2010 (according to Compete).
Entertainment check-in services on the other hand, which enable you to check-in to a television show you’re watching or a song you’re listening to have witnessed a significant rise in popularity of late with industry leader GetGlue posting a 55% increase in usage since March 2011. GetGlue also recently surpassed the 1 million user milestone. Other metrics and numbers for GetGlue are staggering:
- During ‘Prime Time’ TV hours, users share to Twitter or Facebook every second
- One-twelfth of all tweets mentioning the word “Oscars” during the first 30 minutes of the Academy Awards came from GetGlue
- Users have created over 4 million stickers (more on stickers below) created in 30 countries for over 200 shows and 60 movies
- 30 million Facebook friends and Twitter followers are reached daily through GetGlue stickers and check-ins
So what exactly is GetGlue? And who are their competitors? Read more below to find out.
GetGlue
The current leader in the entertainment check-in market, by a wide margin, is GetGlue. Their model certainly shows a high level of growing consumer interest in the emerging space. The idea behind GetGlue check-ins is to start the conversation on Facebook or Twitter. People can check-in to the TV shows they’re watching, the band they’re grooving to, or any number of other things ranging from sporting events to video games to books. This essentially equates to seeing what your friends are enjoying in real time.
Other features include the ability to rate lists of popular shows, movies, music and books, weekly customized recommendations and info on new releases, and access to existing reviews, clips and ratings. GetGlue also features a stickers system which enables users to design their own customizable stickers for TV shows and other media that people can acquire when they check into that particular show, book, or movie. GetGlue has formed a number of branded partnerships with well-known media companies, including HBO, Fox, Showtime, PBS, and Universal Pictures. GetGlue also has a partnership with the NHL and has a series of stickers devoted to the 2011 NHL playoffs.
Miso
Not far behind GetGlue is a service called Miso which is exclusively an entertainment check-in site for television shows. Consumers can follow specific shows, earn points, and showoff badges as a result of checking-in to the show. Miso offers iPhone, iPad, and Android apps for users on the go as well as a customary web app. You can see what friends are watching and check out the hottest trending shows. Users can edit episodes, media titles and posters, create personalized posters, and other things to personalize your television watching experience.
The nascent service has over 100,000 users and boasts a check-in once every 4-5 seconds. Miso recently closed a $1.5 million Series A investment round led by Google Ventures and also formed an exclusive partnership with the Oprah Winfrey Network. With visionary founder Somrat Niyogi at the helm, the outlook for Miso is quite positive.
Philo
Like Miso, Philo is exclusively an entertainment check-in site for television, however, it employs a different model than it’s counterpart. The model is to make watching TV interactive by having users “tune in” to TV programs as if they were checking in to venues and then discuss the shows in a Twitter or Facebook newsfeed-like conversation stream while they’re watching. Exclusive badges are available if you ‘climb the rankings’ for your favorite TV show. Philo CCO Greg Goldman says more tangible rewards are planned in the future, like exclusive content from production companies. The app also works as a search engine of sorts to find new shows as you can see what users who watch the same shows as you are also watching.
NBA Turnstile
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has its own mobile check-in application called NBA Turnstile. This platform enables fans to check-in to the league’s basketball games in-person or remotely through a mobile device. According to VentureBeat, it is the first professional sports multiplatform check-in application that rewards fans for attending and watching live games while connecting those fans to social media platforms. It’s achieved by accessing NBA Game Time, which is the NBA’s mobile application that provides video highlights, scores, statistics and player information on iPhone and Android devices. The app allows fans to check-in to games whether they are there or watching on their couch. As fans watch more NBA basketball it rewards them with new badges and features.
