Social media outfit GEM taps AndroidTV for celebrity content

Social media technology specialist Giga Entertainment Media (GEM) has signed a partnership agreement with celebrity news service AndroidTV – an outfit not associated with Google but which won a legal battle with the internet giant over its branding and web presence last year – whereby it will provide, through its Viewer platform, access to celebrity content from AndroidTV including red carpet interviews from Hollywood.

Viewer allows users to view multiple content streams in separate adjustable windows on a single screen, enabling them to transform a single screen into a personalised multi-screen viewing environment.

Under the deal, AndroidTV will offer content through GEM’s platform, while GEM will provide featured spaces of events on its landing page to promote AndroidTV’s videos. GEM also will offer a guide channel that will showcase highlighted videos from Android TV’s archive.

GEM offers access to a range of programming  that can be accessed through voice recognition search and swiping, according to the company. The group’s GiganetTV business-to-business brand provides for the transmission of 30 simultaneous content streams that allows viewers to control viewing by adjusting the size and location of viewing windows on their screens, while Viewer is a consumer offering that is its social media app.

The company recently announced it would rollout a new app called Selfeo and said it had secured US$5 million in funding to further the project.

“Our viewers have always been huge consumers of entertainment, and partnering with AndroidTV allows them to get up close to the celebrities and personalities they watch on the big screen. Many of the users don’t have exclusive access to movie premieres or award galas, and AndroidTV brings it all to their fingertips. One unique feature of the Viewer app is the capability to bring groups of friends together and hold their own fashion awards, among numerous other user-friendly and enjoyable viewing and sharing experiences,” said Eddie Huey, GEM’s chief technology officer.

“We’re continuously looking to collaborate on strategic partnerships that will bring high quality productions and unique content to our consumers who want to break away from the standard episodic content of cable TV,” said CEO Gary Nerlinger. “We are ready to unveil over the coming weeks an app unlike any other and is truly changing social media. Selfeo is being rolled out worldwide in a massive marketing deployment. The most immersive, elegant, simultasking, enjoyable and user-friendly communication viewing and sharing experience ever developed for any digital device is an outgrowth of our original broader Viewer platform.”