Category: Mobile

MTV Under The Thumb: second-screen TV for Europe

A social TV app that moves with you

MTV’s Under The Thumb is positioned as an interactive platform that changes how Europe’s digital teenagers watch and share entertainment across devices.

One product, three viewing modes

When you’re out and about, MTV shows can be streamed on demand on your phone.

When you’re at home, the app turns into a remote control by pairing with a browser on a PC, laptop, or connected TV, so you can drive playback on a bigger screen from your phone.

When you’re feeling social, it syncs viewing with friends so you can watch the same show and chat together in real time, even when you are in different places.

In European youth entertainment, the second screen is where attention, conversation, and control converge.

Why the mechanism is the message

The “platform” claim only holds if the app earns repeat use in different contexts. Under The Thumb does that by bundling three habits into one interface: portable streaming, at-home viewer control, and co-viewing chat. That combination turns a media brand into something closer to a routine than a channel.

Standalone takeaway: Under The Thumb combines on-the-go streaming, at-home second-screen control, and real-time co-viewing chat in one app, so the same service stays useful across the day.

Launch momentum, before the ads even land

The app is unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. In the launch window, it is described as spreading fast among tech and TV audiences, with download velocity reported as strong even before MTV’s supporting advertising campaign fully kicks in.

For more visit www.mtvunderthethumb.com.

A few fast answers before you act

What is MTV Under The Thumb?

It is a social TV app for MTV that combines on-demand mobile streaming, second-screen remote control for larger displays, and co-viewing with chat.

How does the dual-screen remote feature work?

The phone pairs with a browser on a PC, laptop, or connected TV. Your phone then controls playback on the bigger screen while the service continues to run through the app experience.

What does “co-viewing” mean in this context?

Co-viewing means friends watch the same content at the same time while chatting in-app, with viewing synchronized so the conversation matches the moment on screen.

Why is this a smart move for a youth entertainment brand?

It follows real behavior. People watch in short bursts on mobile, shift to bigger screens at home, and want to talk while they watch. The app is designed to keep MTV present across all three situations.

What should product teams copy from this model?

Design for context switching. Make the same service valuable in multiple moments of the day, and give users clear viewer control plus a lightweight social layer that does not interrupt playback.

Heineken Star Player

The UEFA Champions League attracts massive global audiences, and a large share of fans watch matches at home. Heineken’s release references over 150 million TV viewers watching live UCL coverage per match week in 220+ territories. Heineken and AKQA used that context to build Heineken StarPlayer, a dual-screen app designed to let fans interact in real time with the nail-biting action.

With StarPlayer, fans play along live on desktop and mobile by anticipating what will happen in key match moments, in real time. The promise is simple. Turn passive viewing into a competitive layer of predictions, banter and shared tension.

What StarPlayer actually adds to the match

The mechanic is built around micro-moments. Corners, free kicks, penalties, shots, and short time windows where a fan can commit to a forecast. If you are right, you gain points. If you are wrong, you lose ground. The point is not the points. The point is sustained attention and social comparison.

In sports sponsorship, the hard part is not reach. It is converting 90 minutes of attention into 90 minutes of participation.

Why the dual-screen idea fits the way fans really watch

StarPlayer leans into two truths. First, a lot of fans watch at home rather than in stadiums. Second, many are already using a second device during the match, either to check stats, message friends, or follow commentary. StarPlayer turns that second-screen habit into a structured game loop.

It also respects viewer control. You can engage in bursts, choose the moments you want to play, and keep your focus on the match while the phone or laptop becomes your companion layer.

What the brand is really buying

Heineken positions StarPlayer as “made to entertain” applied to sport viewing. The business intent is to make the sponsorship feel like an experience, not just a logo. If the brand becomes part of the ritual, it earns recall that is tied to real match emotions, not ad breaks.

The work later earns major industry recognition. Heineken Star Player is listed as a Cyber Gold Lion (Mobile) at Cannes Lions, credited to AKQA London.

What to steal for any live, time-boxed audience

  • Design around predictable peaks. Build interactions for moments people already lean forward for.
  • Keep the loop lightweight. A decision in seconds beats anything that competes with the main screen.
  • Make it social by default. Rivalry, banter and comparison are the fuel. Solo play is the backup.
  • Optimise for “stickiness”, not clicks. The win condition is returning to the second screen again and again during the match.

A few fast answers before you act

What is a “dual-screen” experience in sports marketing?

A dual-screen experience is when the main content stays on TV, while a phone or laptop adds a companion layer. The second screen can enable play, prediction, stats, chat, or rewards without interrupting the match.

Why do prediction mechanics work especially well in live sport?

Because sport is already a sequence of uncertain outcomes. Predictions let fans externalise their gut feel, then get instant feedback, which creates tension and repeat engagement.

What is the simplest version of Star Player a brand could copy?

Pick 5 to 10 repeatable match moments. Create one-tap predictions with a short countdown. Score it. Add a friend leaderboard. Keep everything playable in under five seconds.

How do you avoid the second screen distracting from the match?

Design for bursts. Keep interactions tied to natural pauses or peak moments. Use quick taps, not typing. The TV remains the hero.

What metrics matter for a second-screen activation?

Time-in-experience per match, repeat participation across matches, and social play rate. For brand outcomes, track recall and sponsorship attribution uplift, not just installs.

Nike SPARQ: Immersive Digital Training

When training becomes the differentiator. Nike SPARQ goes digital

Not too long ago, talent determined greatness. Today, talent is a given, but training is what separates the exceptional from the merely promising. So to help athletes everywhere reach their true potential through better training, Nike along with ad agency R/GA New York created an immersive digital experience for the SPARQ program (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, and Quickness).

Athletes could now follow the same training regimens as professional athletes through detailed, customized video demonstrations delivered via iPods or handheld video players that made it accessible anywhere. The SPARQ website also let athletes set goals, track progress, find Nike SPARQ Trainers across the country, get an official SPARQ rating, and purchase gear.

The smart move: make elite training portable and personal

The experience does two things at once. It brings pro-level drills to anyone with a device, and it makes training feel individualized through customization and video guidance. That combination shifts SPARQ from “program” to “daily habit.”

Why this feels bigger than content

Because it is not just inspiration. It is infrastructure. Video demonstrations give you the “how,” goal setting and tracking give you the “keep going,” the rating gives you a yardstick, and trainers plus gear connect the digital loop to the real world.

In performance and training ecosystems, the most durable engagement comes from pairing instruction with tracking, goals, and feedback loops that create a habit.

The business intent hiding in plain sight

Build a performance ecosystem that increases commitment over time. The more you train, track, and compare, the more SPARQ becomes the platform you return to. And the more natural gear purchase becomes inside that flow.

What to steal if you build performance experiences

  • Do not ship content alone. Ship a loop. Guidance, goals, tracking, and a measurable score.
  • Design for “anywhere” use. Portability turns intention into repetition.
  • Connect digital motivation to real-world touchpoints. Trainers, ratings, and commerce.

A few fast answers before you act

What does SPARQ stand for?

Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, and Quickness.

What did Nike and R/GA New York build?

An immersive digital experience for SPARQ that delivered customized training video demonstrations and a supporting website for goals, tracking, trainers, ratings, and gear.

How did athletes access the training content?

Through detailed video demonstrations delivered via iPods or handheld video players, making the training accessible anywhere.

What made the SPARQ website useful beyond videos?

It let athletes set goals, track progress, find SPARQ trainers, get an official SPARQ rating, and purchase gear.