U-verse TV Goes Social With New Apps to Interact With What You're Watching, While You're Watching

DALLAS, Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The way viewers watch TV today has become a multi-screen, multi-tasking experience. According to Nielsen, nearly 30 percent of TV viewers looked up info related to a TV program while they were watching it. AT&T* U-verse® TV customers now have new and better ways to bring together their favorite social apps on their smartphone or tablet with what they're watching on TV.

With the U-verse IP platform, U-verse TV and High Speed Internet customers can now connect their qualifying smartphone or tablet to any U-verse receiver in the home to use a variety of apps that provide real-time TV content and social features on your device, since the apps recognize what you're watching on U-verse TV.

Today, U-verse customers can search for "U-verse Enabled" in the Apple app store to access the first apps available, including:

• BuddyTV Guide, which provides personalized recommendations, a customizable TV guide, show reminders and real-time commenting as well as extra content on your mobile device based on what you're watching on TV. From BuddyTV Guide, you simply tap to tune into a show on your AT&T U-verse receiver.
• Miso (gomiso.com/uverse), which lets you easily share what you're watching, discover new shows based on what your friends watch and get cool information about your favorite shows.
• TV Foundry, will let you search for shows, trailers, interviews, songs and companion content, show it on the big screen and share it with friends via Facebook and Twitter.
• Wayin, which allows you to share opinions with other Wayin community members as you post and receive photos and questions about the shows that you are watching. Wayin is able to understand the television program that you are watching and changes with you as you change programs.

Over their in-home U-verse Wi-Fi network, customers can open the apps on their smartphone or tablet, identify which U-verse receiver they're watching and start receiving social feeds and information within the app on their device, based on what they're watching on TV. Because AT&T U-verse is 100 percent IPTV, customers can connect their apps to any U-verse receiver in the home through channel 9301, without needing special equipment, such as Internet-connected receivers or TV sets.

"Customers want their TV viewing experience to be social, without distracting from the TV show on their TV screen, and they want their choice of apps from their smartphone or tablet to work seamlessly with their TV and enhance their favorite TV shows," said Jeff Weber, vice president of video services, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "These apps allow you to interact and share details about the shows you're watching in simple and engaging ways. And you can do that on the devices that are in your hands or right next to you on the couch."

Many of these innovative new applications are being developed at the AT&T Foundry™, a group of collaborative centers that quickly turn ideas into marketable products and services. At the Foundry, AT&T has been working with developers through the U-verse Alpha Program announced earlier this year to develop innovative ways for mobile and tablet apps to interact with the TV experience.

The new apps build on AT&T's strategy to make advanced, interactive TV apps available to customers on a regular basis at no additional charge. AT&T U-verse TV is the fastest growing TV service in the country** and the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Claim based on comparison of major TV providers' percentage growth in subscriber counts and national market share data.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. 

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse. Call or go to www.att.com/uverse to see if you qualify.

AT&T U-verse TV: Residential customers only. Prices, programming and offers subject to change without notice. A one-time TV Service Activation Fee of $36 applies. U-verse Mobile: Access to select content requires compatible device, qualifying U-verse TV plan or monthly subscription fee, and WiFi connection and/or cellular data connection.  Available content may vary by device and/or U-verse TV subscription and is subject to change.  Data charges may apply. AT&T U-verse Enabled:  AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet service is required to connect a qualifying device to an AT&T U-verse receiver.  BuddyTV Guide, Miso, TV Foundry, and Wayin are offered by non-AT&T third parties, and those third-parties terms and conditions apply to the download and use of such apps.  

SOURCE AT&T Inc.