Gemstar-TV Guide Launches Redesigned TVGuide.com Website with Contextual Video
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMST), a leading media, entertainment and technology company, has announced the launch of a completely redesigned www.tvguide.com, with new and improved functionality and features. The redesigned TVGuide.com, a leading television information and entertainment destination on the Web, and the authority on on-screen entertainment, was unveiled today.
“Gemstar-TV Guide continues to revolutionize the way in which consumers access entertainment information and programming guidance across all of our media platforms,” said Rich Cusick, Gemstar-TV Guide’s senior vice president, Digital Media. “The redesigned TVGuide.com has a new user interface, best-in-class entertainment search functionality, robust community features and a mechanism to personalize the site for each of our user’s preferences. We believe that these features, in addition to the incorporation of video throughout our site, will help to firmly establish TVGuide.com as the go-to destination for consumers seeking their entertainment information via the Web.”
TVGuide.com’s redesign is based on extensive consumer research. Navigation has been streamlined and reorganized, making TVGuide.com easier to use and more interactive. Users have the ability to personalize the site experience, with quick access to favorite shows, movies and celebrities. TV Guide.com has expanded its focus on broadband, with a new media player that surfaces contextual video on every page and expanded editorial coverage of third-party online content. Finally, TVGuide.com has improved its movie coverage and now gives users the ability to buy movie tickets and DVDs.
New features include:
Improved Usability and Guidance
- Easy-to-navigate design based on extensive usability testing and consumer research
- Hot List – quick access to recommendations by TVGuide.com editors of the best of what’s on TV, in theaters and online
- Better-than-ever TV listings, designed to provide quick access to information and to allow customization by cable provider/zip code and by favorite channels
Entertainment Search – Over 50 Years of Multimedia Content, Updated Constantly, Featuring Information that Consumers Want to Know About:
- 10,000 TV Shows: Current Listings, Episode Guides, Casts, Credits, Video & Photos and News Archive
- 40,000 Movies: Plots, Casts, Credits, Video & Photos and News Archive
- 131,000 Celebrities: Bios, TV/Movie Credits, Video & Photos and News Archive
Leading Entertainment Community
- Growth of celebrity blogs similar to those written by James Duff, the creator of TNT’s The Closer, and actor Stephen Nichols of Days of our Lives; users can also “be a critic” by starting their own blogs
- Additional community features, including discussion groups and forums
Expanded Focus on Broadband Content
- Free access to exclusive clips and photos from TV shows, movies and TV Guide Channel
- A redesigned video/photo player that is pervasive throughout the site
- Editorial coverage of the best entertainment-related content on the Web
Continued Editorial Excellence
Breaking news from our team of 10 online-dedicated editors (including star columnists Michael Ausiello and Matt Roush) and inside scoops from entertainment insiders from TV Guide Channel and TV Guide magazine
- Star Columnists like Michael Ausiello and Matt Roush providing expert analysis and in-depth reporting
- TV Show Commentary – over 45 episode-by-episode blogs about top shows, updated each week by TV Guide editors and writers
- Comprehensive daily coverage of daytime soaps, featuring breaking news, show previews, episode recaps and exclusive Q&A’s
Expanded Movie Coverage
- Ability for users to find movies and buy tickets to theaters in their area
- Reviews by TVGuide.com editors for every major movie and DVD release
- Ability for users to buy DVDs through the TVGuide.com store
Users Can Personalize the Site by
- Flagging Celebrity, TV Show and Movie pages as “favorites,” ensuring that they’ll be notified whenever new information is added on those topics
- Sorting and selecting television channels for personalized listings
- More features providing users the ability to personalize to launch in the coming months
For Advertisers: Enhanced Ability to Reach Targeted Consumers Online
- Pre-roll contextual video, which enables advertisers to insert ads relating to the content of the Web site page or section
- Homepage takeover, which allows advertisers to be positioned across the entire homepage
- Windowshade advertising within pages on the Web site
- Site also includes a range of traditional banner placements and other Web site ad units
TVGuide.com worked with frog design’s New York office to create the site’s information architecture and design. LiveWorld provides community software and monitoring services for TVGuide.com.
About Gemstar-TV Guide
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GMST) is a leading media, entertainment and technology company that develops, licenses, markets and distributes technologies, products and services targeted at the television guidance and entertainment needs of consumers worldwide. The Company’s businesses include: television media and publishing properties; interactive program guide services and products; and technology and intellectual property licensing. Additional information about the Company can be found at www.gemstartvguide.com.