Q&A With GetGlue's Sean Besser

Sean Besser, EVP, Business Development, Partnerships and Strategy for GetGlue talks about the present and future of social TV. He’s just one of the many distinguished speakers and panelists who will share their wisdom at CableFAX’s TV Innovation Summit on Sept 24 in NYC.

What’s the greatest challenge to effectively monetizing social TV?

Education. A tremendous amount of the money spent on and around TV is pre-determined, leaving the pool of available money to be spent on new and different platforms to be much smaller than most people realize. The people with the checkbooks need to be educated on why Social TV platforms matter and what are some of the unique and wonderful things these platforms can do for them.   

Can social interaction surrounding a television show drive tune-in?

Absolutely! We create a place for fans to chat about their favorite shows while they’re on. We work with partners to help promote those shows by creating content and rewards that fans can only unlock while tuning in LIVE.

What are some new, up-and-coming platforms?

I’m a big fan of the platforms that are aggregating social activity in a meaningful way for users and other companies, such as Mass Relevance and Rebel Mouse.  I’m also super excited about all the tools like Vine, Instagram, imgur (for memes), etc. that let fans engage with entertainment in new and different ways.  It’s why at GetGlue we focus on embracing all these new tools and enabling our users and our network of partners to utilize them to enhance their Social TV experiences.   

Where do you see social TV in five years?

Social TV is just going to be TV by then. It is going to be such an integral part of the TV experience that people won’t think of it as something distinct from the core TV experience. That said, Social TV is constantly growing and changing. Five years down the road in social TV is like 50 years in most other industries. Most of the key players in the space today weren’t even around 5 years ago or were barely getting started. As for us, we’re excited to offer more and better content to fans through our apps and site. We’re also working to expand our platform functionality so that networks and partners can do more with our technology on their own sites and apps.

To gain more insight and network with Besser as well as other industry experts, register to attend CableFAX’s TV Innovation Summit on September 24 in NYC. The early bird rate ends next Friday, August 23 – so secure your spot today!