Liberty Global adds Twitter integration to Horizon platform

Liberty Global is partnering with Twitter to integrate a number of features from the social media platform into its Horizon TV service.

Liberty said the deal will improve content discovery and give customers a “deeper, richer and more immersive viewing experience”.

Through the partnership, Liberty will launch the new ‘Watch with Twitter’ app for Horizon customers, and a new feature for the Horizon Go mobile app that lets customers tweet TV recommendations.

On the Watch With Twitter app, Horizon TV customers can follow live tweets relevant to the programs they are watching overlaid onto the TV screen.

They can also scroll through a carousel of live shows that are currently trending on Twitter and tune into shows while following live tweets on the same screen.

Through the Horizon Go mobile app, viewers will also be able to tweet recommendations from the app to Twitter, and press the link in the tweet to watch or record the content.

Liberty Global said it plans to further integrate Twitter hashtags into Horizon’s TV Guide as well as trending recommendations into Horizon’s Replay TV service.

“Through this partnership, Horizon customers can not only find out which shows are trending on Twitter but also follow on-screen live Tweets as they watch their favourite TV programs, delivering an even better viewing experience,” said Doron Hacmon, chief product officer, Liberty Global.

“We’re constantly looking at new ways of making Horizon even better and more relevant for customers and look forward to further developing our partnership with Twitter to deliver new cutting-edge social TV features on the platform.”

Twitter vice president, global business development and platform, Jana Messerschmidt said: “TV fans, influencers and the stars themselves are on Twitter talking about live TV shows as they unfold. Through our partnership with Liberty Global we are bringing the most relevant conversations into their TV service and surfacing what programs are trending, helping guide viewers to the shows that are most discussed at that moment.”

The new Watch with Twitter app will launch this week on Horizon set-top boxes in Germany for Unitymedia customers. The app will then launch in Ireland for Virgin Media customers and the Netherlands for Ziggo customers in the next two months.