TV series The Walking Dead is to get a companion iOS app for its forthcoming second season, enabling users to predict the number of zombie kills in each episode.
Created by British media management company Red Bee Media, The Walking Dead app is the first companion service developed for a FX UK television show.
Launching in time for the UK premiere of the The Walking Dead's second season on February 17, the app is also the first ever use of "digital audio watermarking" technology in a UK TV app.
Designed as a 'second screen' experience, the app for iPhone and iPad will offer audiences "a new, social and immersive way to engage with one of FX UK's top rated TV series".
Users will be able to predict the number of zombies that will be killed in each episode of The Walking Dead, and then share their results on Facebook and Twitter.
As the series unfurls, they can re-watch favourite zombie kills from previous episodes according to character and weapon used, as well as view trailers of forthcoming episodes.
In-built links to Twitter mean that users can keep up with what is being said about The Walking Dead on the microblogging site, and interact with the Twittersphere.
The Walking Dead app will be available free of charge from February 3 for iPhones and iPads.
"The Walking Dead is such a fertile property online already that developing that discussion further on to the next level of engagement without compromising the viewing experience was a natural next step for us," said FX UK general manager Cecelia Parker.
"Red Bee Media were the ideal partners given their wealth of experience in second screen activity. We are incredibly excited to launch the channel's first ever IOS app on February 3, just in time for the airing of the second part of season two on Friday, February 17. We hope the fans take part."
Red Bee Media has utilised digital audio watermarking technology from Civolution for the app, allowing audiences to sync their 'second screen' experience to the TV show, both live and on-demand.
Digital audio watermarking works by embedding metadata information about TV shows, such as timecodes, which can then be extracted on the iPad or iPhone.
Typically used to increase security around content, or for audience measurement, this is the first time that the technology has been deployed commercially on a TV companion app in the UK
"We are proud to work with FX UK to deliver this cutting-edge, first of its kind, second screen experience to consumers across the UK," said Bill Patrizio, chief executive of Red Bee Media.
"The convergence of mobile and social technological innovation and consumer adoption is effecting dramatic changes to nearly every aspect of the industry
"It is now widely acknowledged that multi-tasking in front of the TV is increasingly commonplace and research tells us that 60% of people in the UK concurrently watch TV and go online at least two or three times a week.
"This provides us with an opportunity to help our partners to build lasting relationships between their content and consumers by offering a new dimension in engagement that fuels excitement, deepens experiences and extends consumers' enjoyment without detracting from the main screen."
The Walking Dead companion app has also been developed using Red Bee Media's new RedDiscover technology, which was officially announced yesterday.
Launching with Time Out and Dutch publishing house Veronica as its partners, RedDiscover brings social media and interactive features to the TV discovery experience.
