Interview: David Preisman and Geoff Katz on Showtime's EBIF-Based "Showtime Sports Interactive" App

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recently announced that Showtime Networks' high-definition EBIF-based "Showtime Sports Interactive" application will receive an Engineering Plaque--an award that honors "those achievements that exhibit a high level of engineering and are important to the progress of the industry"--at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Engineering Awards (see the article published on itvt.com, August 2nd).

The app--which is designed to enhance Showtime's coverage of boxing and mixed martial arts events, and which to date has been offered exclusively on Verizon's FiOS TV platform--allows viewers to use their remote controls to pull up fighter statistics, records, bios and quotes; take part in interactive polls; and test their knowledge in a trivia game. It was built by Ensequence (see the article published on itvt.com, May 5th) and is powered by Softel's MediaSphere ITV playout platform (see the article published on itvt.com, March 24th).

In this RECORDED INTERVIEW, David Preisman (left), VP of interactive television at Showtime, and Geoff Katz (right), co-governor of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interactive Media Peer Group, discuss how Showtime, Verizon, Ensequence and Softel worked together to realize the app; describe in detail the user experience of the app and the technological ecosystem that makes it possible (including the significant engineering achievements that led to the app being awarded the Engineering Plaque); outline plans for future distribution of the app; share thoughts on the future of EBIF and on the Academy's view of interactive TV; and much more.

DAVID PREISMAN's BIO: David has led development on emerging platforms at Showtime Networks since 1999, launching over 30 ITV projects that currently reach millions of viewers. This groundbreaking work has earned over 15 industry awards including 2 Emmys and the itvt Award for Leadership in Interactive TV. While at Showtime, David has spearheaded a number of industry "firsts" including the network's launch of an interactive 24/7 enhanced TV service and interactive advertising with TiVo and Dish Network. David has also been involved with OCAP and helped author the CableLabs ETV user interface specifications. Recent projects include a revenue generating, self- provisioning application for cable, a Showtime download service, TV Widgets, Interactive Boxing for IPTV and EBIF, and a Showtime DVR portal on Dish Network. Prior to his work in ITV, David worked as an animator, web developer, video editor, TV producer and graphic designer. He also taught video production and animation to junior high school students on Long Island. David graduated from SUNY Oswego with a degree in broadcast communications and art. David has also won an [itvt] 2008 Award for Leadership in Multiplatform and Interactive Television at the TV of Tomorrow Show.

GEOFF KATZ'S BIO: Geoff Katz has over a decade of executive experience working with pioneering interactive television companies including TiVo and DIRECTV, breakthrough emerging media platform companies such as Liberate, Excite@Home, and PacketVideo and professional services design and development agencies Method and Code and Theory. He has worked as a creative director for interactive advertising at Organic, developed interactive entertainment properties at Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, broadband content services for Excite@Home, 3G video services at PacketVideo, and interactive TV applications at Liberate. Geoff worked as a Product Designer at TiVo, focusing on broadband applications and video download services for the TiVo platform. Previously he was a producer in the Advanced Services & Content group at DIRECTV, Inc. in Los Angeles where he created and launched DIRECTV Active - an interactive television channel on DIRECTV that provides consumers with data driven services, programming promotions, and advertising. Geoff has contributed to two Primetime Emmy® Award winning interactive media projects. In 2006 his work on the TiVo Service was recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for outstanding achievement in interactive television. In 2004 Geoff produced an interactive version of ABC Television's 'Celebrity Mole' for the Windows Media Center platform, which won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for interactive television. Geoff has been elected to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Board of Governors representing the Interactive Media Peer Group for the 2009/2010 term. For the last two years, he served as member of the Interactive Media Peer Group Executive Committee and as chairman of the Interactive Media Peer Group Primetime Emmy Awards Committee, which is responsible for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media.