I.TV
| Company type | Second screen |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
Key people | Brad Pelo, co-founder and CEO Justin Whittaker, co-founder Carlton Cuse, Advisory Board Member |
| Products | tvtag application software for iOS, i.TV application software for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire, Nintendo TVii for Nintendo Wii U (co-developed with Nintendo), |
| Website | i.TV |
i.TV (spoken as i dot TV) operates as a technology firm specializing in second screen and social television solutions, known for creating tvtag, a second screen application designed for the iPhone.
The company is also behind the well-known i.TV app available on both iOS and Android, and collaborated on the development of Nintendo TVii for the Nintendo Wii U gaming system.
i.TV maintains strategic alliances with AOL, Huffington Post, and Entertainment Weekly (EW), powering viEWer, a social television platform that facilitates viewer engagement with EW editorial staff. Additionally, it has established integration partnerships with major service providers such as TiVo, Netflix, Hulu, and Comcast.
Investment backing for i.TV comes from venture capital entities including Union Square Ventures, RRE Ventures, and Rho Ventures, alongside strategic investors like Time Warner Investments and DIRECTV.
The advisory board comprises seasoned industry professionals such as Carlton Cuse, executive producer of ABC's Lost and A&E's Bates Motel, who was recognized in the 2010 Time 100 list, as well as Gordon Ho, former EVP at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
History
Established in 2008 by co-founders Brad Pelo—who currently holds the CEO position—and Justin Whittaker, i.TV was launched with Pelo bringing experience from his roles as co-founder of Folio Corporation and founding CEO of the parent organization behind Ancestry.com, among other ventures.
In May 2011, i.TV joined forces with AOL to revamp AOL TV, AOL’s digital hub catering to television audiences, utilizing i.TV’s technological infrastructure. This platform reached an audience of approximately 1.6 million daily visits.
By November 2013, i.TV expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of GetGlue, a prominent second screen and social television check-in service based in New York City boasting over 4.5 million registered users.
In January 2014, the company introduced tvtag, an iPhone second screen application delivering a stream of shareable television moments that users could annotate with drawings and comments. These moments were curated by a dedicated team of 50 employees. Despite its innovative features, tvtag was discontinued after one year.