Tvtag
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social media, Television |
| Founded | June 2010 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Social media platform and mobile application for TV viewers |
| Parent | i.TV (from November 2013) |
tvtag (previously known as GetGlue) functioned as a social media platform and mobile application designed specifically for television viewers. Through its website or app, users were able to "check in" to TV programs, films, and sporting events, facilitating live interaction with the content.
Established in June 2010 and headquartered in New York City, GetGlue amassed a community of roughly 4 million users. In November 2013, it was acquired by i.TV, a company specializing in second screen experiences, merging their complementary capabilities in TV content discovery and audience engagement. This acquisition was recognized as a strategic effort to strengthen their position within the social television market.
In January 2014, GetGlue underwent a rebranding to become tvtag, unveiling a refreshed user interface alongside new features like digital stickers, commenting options, doodling tools, and live reactions to television moments—all designed to boost user participation and interaction.
On December 19, 2014, tvtag declared it would cease operations to concentrate on other projects. Users were given the opportunity to download their data, with the company leaving open the possibility of future app-related endeavors.
Features
Upon checking in, participants earned points, virtual stickers, tailored recommendations, and discounts from entertainment partners. Starting in March 2011, GetGlue incorporated Foursquare check-ins, enabling users to share both their viewing activity and physical location. Users could order physical stickers corresponding to those earned digitally—up to twenty per month—although this service was discontinued in November 2013.
Partnerships
GetGlue collaborated with numerous leading media organizations such as 20th Century Fox, AMC, ABC Family, Disney Theatrical Productions, Discovery Channel, ESPN, FOX Network, HBO, MTV, Penguin Books, Showtime, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., among others. In September 2011, it established a strategic alliance with DirecTV—its inaugural partnership with a pay-TV provider—allowing check-ins directly on-screen and enabling social viewing features where users could observe friends’ streams and switch channels accordingly.
Growth
By January 2011, GetGlue had accumulated 12.1 million check-ins and ratings. On February 27 of that year, the platform recorded over 31,000 check-ins during the Oscars ceremony. In June 2011, the record for TV show check-ins was set at more than 38,000 during HBO’s True Blood Season 4 premiere—later surpassed by the Once Upon a Time Season 2 premiere with 93,774 check-ins.
By August 2012, GetGlue’s user base expanded to three million—an increase of one million since January that year. Since its inception in 2008 through that time frame, users contributed a total of 500 million actions including check-ins, likes, and reviews; of these actions, 100 million were check-ins during 2011 alone. The platform experienced over 200,000 check-ins and upwards of 400,000 total activities during the 2013 Super Bowl. Remarkably, GetGlue accounted for 15% of all Pepsi mentions on Twitter during halftime. The same year’s Oscars generated 210,000 activities on the site with notable engagement for titles such as Les Misérables and Argo.
Funding
From its inception until 2013, GetGlue raised more than $25 million in venture capital backing from investors including Union Square Ventures (known for investments in Twitter and Foursquare), Rho Ventures, RRE Ventures, and Time Warner Investments.
See also
- TV Time, a similar platform available as both a website and mobile application
External links
- tvtag (archived)
- VOICE Media Entertainment (parent organization) (archived)
- Android Application (archived)