OOH Social Music TV Network Operator, Akoo, Awarded Patent for Mobile Interaction Technology

Akoo, a Chicago-based company that operates a social music television network for out-of-home environments, announced Wednesday that the US Patent and Trademark Office has awarded it a patent (#7,647,613) covering "an apparatus and method of using mobile devices to select on-demand content and socially interact with programming across networked digital video and Internet protocol (IP) television services through SMS text messaging or mobile applications."

According to Akoo, the patented technology currently powers its out-of-home social music TV network. However, the company says, its "patent portfolio strategy includes additional applications in the home, as well as across multiple platforms, including social media, mobile, and gaming consoles."

Citing Arbitron figures, Akoo claims that its service engages 64.5 million monthly viewers in 53 top markets across 30 states, and that 13.4 million viewers per month spend 30 minutes or more watching per visit, 14.8 million watch for 15-29 minutes, and 36.4 watch for up to 14 minutes. The company bills its service as "allow[ing] it to deliver major label music videos and original programming to a national audience, while enabling viewers in each individual location to participate in the local programming experience." The service allows viewers to request music videos via SMS or a dedicated Akoo mobile app and then share them on the network free and on-demand, the company says, adding that viewers "can also access Akoo's free WiFi service to interact with programming, as well as participate in location-based digital marketplaces and social media activities." "Akoo is reshaping the media landscape by making television viewing more of a shared, interactive experience that's converged with mobile devices," Akoo CEO, Niko Drakoulis, said in a prepared statement. "Third-party research validates that our approach--combined with our patented technology--commands greater viewer attention, increases social engagement, and drives advertising effectiveness." Added John Karantonis, Akoo's president of strategy: "The future of television is social TV. The company's patent portfolio strategy addresses the convergence of television programming, Internet-connected devices, and social applications to drive ubiquitous, participatory viewership across platforms and devices, inside and outside the home."