Mobile Apps & Second-Screen Experiences

The Challenge

The rise of smartphones fundamentally changed how audiences interact with television. Broadcasters and production companies recognised that viewers were already using their phones while watching TV, and the opportunity was to channel that behaviour into structured, interactive experiences that deepened engagement rather than competed with it. The second-screen phenomenon demanded a new category of digital product: mobile apps and web experiences synchronised with live broadcasts.

Building these experiences presented significant technical and creative challenges. Apps needed to handle massive concurrent usage spikes during live shows, synchronise content with broadcast timing, process real-time audience participation such as voting, quizzing, and social interaction, and deliver all of this through interfaces that were intuitive enough for a general audience to use without instruction. The window for each experience was often tied to a specific broadcast run, meaning development timelines were tight and there was no margin for failure on launch night.

Our Approach

Digital Tactics became a specialist in second-screen and mobile app development for the broadcasting industry, building on our deep relationships with TV production companies. Our approach combined rapid prototyping with robust backend architecture. We designed lightweight, fast-loading mobile web apps that could handle tens of thousands of simultaneous users, backed by scalable server infrastructure that absorbed the traffic spikes characteristic of live TV events.

Each project was unique in its creative requirements but shared common technical foundations: real-time data synchronisation between broadcast and app, push notification systems, social sharing integration, and analytics dashboards that gave production teams live visibility into audience participation metrics. We worked within compressed timescales, often delivering production-ready experiences in weeks rather than months.

• Real-time audience participation systems handling concurrent spikes during live broadcasts
• Mobile-first web apps with broadcast-synchronised content delivery and push notifications
• Interactive quizzes, play-along games, and voting mechanics tied to live show segments
• Rapid development cycles aligned with broadcast production schedules and series launches

Projects & Clients

The Rolling Stones Mobile App was a standout project, delivering a branded mobile experience for one of the world's most iconic bands. The Deal or No Deal Quiz App allowed viewers to play along with the live show, answering questions and making virtual box selections in real time as the episode aired. The Singer Takes It All was an innovative ITV format where the mobile app was central to the show's format, with viewers using their phones to directly influence the live broadcast by voting contestants on and off stage.

Big Brother Auditions moved the application process for one of television's most famous reality shows into a mobile-first digital experience, allowing aspiring contestants to record and submit video auditions from their phones. Gameshow Central was a companion platform for multiple game show formats. We also delivered interactive experiences for beloved entertainment brands including Mr Bean and Simon's Cat, extending animated IP into interactive mobile formats that engaged fans beyond passive viewing.

Results & Impact

• Mobile experiences for globally recognised entertainment brands including The Rolling Stones and Mr Bean
• Play-along and voting apps handling tens of thousands of concurrent users during live TV broadcasts
• Pioneering second-screen formats where mobile participation was integral to the broadcast format itself
• 7+ mobile and second-screen projects delivered for major broadcasters and entertainment IP holders