ExciteM to Be a Featured Startup at 2014 NAB Show; Showcase Industry-First Participation TV Technology and Announce New Partnerships

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 2, 2014) - ExciteM, the San Francisco-based technology leader in real-time participation TV, today announced that it will be a featured startup at the 2014 NAB Show through SPROCKIT, a partnership of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the World Series of Startups, which seeks to highlight key innovations in TV technology. Along with its participation in SPROCKIT at booth C2455-D2, ExciteM will showcase its solutions in its booth 13709 in the South Hall, LVCC. The 2014 NAB Show will take place in Las Vegas, April 7-10.

At NAB, ExciteM will demonstrate its innovative participation TV technology, which allows newscasters and audiences to interact in real-time via live-polling, feedback and contests. The system empowers viewers to quickly and easily register opinions on key community issues. ExciteM is designed for local and national television stations and powers social engagement for events ranging from local polls to the Sochi Olympics and Golden Globe Awards. It takes less than a minute to set up an interactive element across all participation mediums (including live graphics). 

ExciteM's technology is currently in use by the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a partnership that has recently expanded to include New England Cable News and the 17 Telemundo stations in addition to 10 NBC stations. Station viewers can now participate in voting on critical issues in real-time via Facebook, Twitter, station websites, mobile applications and even basic phones through SMS and IVR. This level of interaction and integration across these platforms brings a new wealth of lively and appealing content to viewers, and is an industry first.

"ExciteM allows NBC Bay Area to do more than just survey our audience; it provides a level of engagement and participation that crosses all of our TV and digital platforms," said Matt Goldberg, assistant news director at NBC Bay Area. "We also use ExciteM to gather important information about our audience -- who they are, where they live and what topics most interest them to help inform our coverage."

Hearst Television, Inc. also taps ExciteM for its participation TV solutions, bringing 25 stations on board to use ExciteM technology. Hearst reaches nearly 20 percent of U.S. households. "ExciteM is a unique way to get our viewers' opinions on big stories. We can ask them what they think wherever they are, whether that's on social media, our websites and apps, or if they're watching WESH 2 News and just want to call or text us," said Kirsten Wolff, news director for WESH in Orlando.

The ability to gauge viewer opinions helps distinguish the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations and Hearst stations from the competition. To help simplify this process, ExciteM provides offers a centralized dashboard to stations, the key features of which include:

• Multiplatform Support -- ExciteM enables stations to develop opinion polls in minutes, and integrates the poll across different platforms -- Facebook, Twitter, telephones via SMS and IVR, station websites, and mobile applications -- a true industry first
• Monetization Abilities -- The technology includes built-in tools for monetization
• Turnkey Package -- Deployment is quick and easy. The solution is automated, enabling stations to run campaigns in mere minutes
• Analytics Component -- ExciteM allows newscasters to compare and contrast data of various campaigns. For example, they can compare past poll results against how viewers feel today using this technology

"We are excited to partner with NBC and Hearst to power social engagement. Television interactivity provides the foundation for bringing together news and audiences on topics ranging from sports predictions to political campaigns," says Belal Hummadi, CEO of ExciteM. "Our inclusive system offers both engagement opportunities for the viewers and monetization opportunities for the station -- a win-win for everyone."

About ExciteM
ExciteM, an interactive media company, develops and implements innovative campaigns based on their proprietary interactive platform. The company is based in San Francisco, California and is privately held.