Mobile apps can provide new ways for viewers...

viewers to engage directly with app users by BET calling on one user each show to ask a music artist a question, said Moore. “We are looking at our apps on a social basis where it provides additional value for customers.” The WWE app enables viewers to get more engaged with the pro wrestling show each Monday night, said Perkins Miller, WWE executive digital media vice president. “Our fans stay more engaged with the program when we do live video on our app during commercial breaks, and voting for what happens in the second and third hour also helps our fans stay dedicated,” said Moore. Apps that focus on one show help users stay more engaged in A&E Networks’ shows, said Evan Silverman, A&E digital media senior vice president. “Fans are 20 to 30 percent more likely to watch videos on the apps than on the desktop and they are more likely to spend more time with the app than the desktop,” said Silverman. A&E apps focus more on the brand, rather than standalone efforts, said Silverman. “We need more measurement, but we are still serving ads and making money from it.” More complex content leads to repeat consumption of shows like Showtime’s Homeland, Netflix’s House of Cards and HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, said Moore. “It drives the value back to the base business, and we are able to create more individualized experiences in the real world for users."