Amazing World of Gumball Goes Interactive for New Fan Experience

Turner EMEA and the Austrian start-up Tonio have collaborated on Gumball VIP, which gives fans of The Amazing World of Gumball the opportunity to take part in a week-long live, interactive, linear TV experiment on Cartoon Network UK.

Running from Saturday, October 21, for one week, Gumball VIP combines linear TV viewing with an interactive second-screen experience and the chance to win prizes. It makes use of Tonio’s audio-recognition technology to deliver live quiz questions to fans on their mobile device, based on the Gumball episodes they are watching simultaneously on the TV channel.

Fans are invited to become a “Gumball VIP” by downloading the free app, which is available from the App Store and Google Play, and opening it each day when The Amazing World of Gumball will be airing on Cartoon Network in the U.K.

Marc Goodchild, the head of digital content strategy and product at Turner EMEA, said: “We’re excited to launch this unique TV experiment and be taking fans on the journey with us. As an industry, we continue to witness the shift in entertainment consumption habits and we know that our fans are increasingly looking for deeper engagement experiences with the shows and characters they love. It’s been great to collaborate with Tonio to bring their innovative technology together with our brands and platforms.”

Florian Novak, the founder and CEO of Tonio, commented: “Turner is known as a disruptor and re-inventor of the modern television industry—introducing everything from the satellite-delivered Superstation to 24-hour news. We are excited to open together a new chapter: Delivering entertainment and information on a second screen at the same time—totally synchronous. It has been an amazing experience to see a great team being committed to using the technology, in order to provide Cartoon Network’s audiences the best experience possible across devices.”