Verizon just can’t be stopped being the leader in interactive TV. It’s truly creating a larger than life entertainment experience. Verizon FiOS® TV launch its two new most awaited social TV services – the Widget Bazaar applications store and Internet Video on TV.

Recently, Verizon worked with social media innovators Facebook Connect, Twitter, ESPN, Veoh, blip.tv, and Dailymotion to develop a new way to experience TV. Verizon FiOS® TV will unite TV and internet allowing its subscribers to connect with others while watching, including the ability to search and view a different online PC-based videos right in front of their television set. Beyond doubt a new way to experience TV.

For screenshots and video demos of Verizon FiOS® TV visit:
http://verizon.mediaseed.tv/Story.aspx?story=36826.

According Shawn Strickland, vice president, marketing for Verizon Telecom:
"With FiOS, passive TV becomes social TV, part of the sweeping cultural shift that's changing how people connect with one another to share ideas, information and entertainment. We're working with some of the most popular companies on the Web to create the foundation for a high-quality, engaging Internet-to-TV experience that will only expand and grow richer."
In a recent report by The Nielsen Company in "The Global Online Media Landscape, April 2009”:

• There are 87 percent more online social media users now than in 2003, with 883 percent more time devoted to those sites.
• In February, social network usage exceeded Web-based e-mail usage for the first time.

A similar study also revealed that the number of American users who frequently visits online video climbed to 339% since 2003, and 2,000% increased on the time spent on video sites.
"People of all ages and backgrounds are living their lives online today," Strickland said. "They increasingly want to expand their online lives beyond their computer to other networked devices in the home.  This especially holds true for their TVs, which remain the favorite entertainment source at home."

Kurt Scherf, the vice president and principal analyst for the industry research firm Parks Associates, said that "Once again, Verizon is at the innovation forefront with this first-of-its-kind integration of interactive social multimedia into the FiOS TV platform.  And, because the major cable TV companies have yet to say when they'll be able to deliver these capabilities, FiOS TV will be the only provider to offer these exciting new features for the foreseeable future."    

FiOS TV Widget Bazaar
The new Widget Bazaar applications is launching with free Facebook, Twitter and ESPN Fantasy Football Widgets. Through this widget, FiOS TV subscriber can follow Tweets related programs they are watching. It’s a new level of experience in watching TV. They could also select from specific topics to tweet, even the ability to create and save a favorite-topic list.

With FiOS TV widget, FiOS TV subscribers could also log-in to their Facebook account to update their status with what they are watching or simply view their own photos or a friend’s photos and status updates.

The ESPN Fantasy Football Widget  provides instant on-screen access to personalized ESPN Fantasy Football points and football statistics, including rosters, box scores, scoring leaders and player information.  All the information is available, at no additional charge, for FiOS TV customers who are registered ESPN Fantasy Football players. 

Open Development Platform for FiOS TV
Verizon FiOS® in the coming months will add to the FiOS TV Widget Bazaar dozens of additional free transactional applications developed not only by Verizon but other companies as well. This is just the beginning for the FiOS TV Widget Bazaar. Verizon will soon publish Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow open development. The Open Development Initiative allows developers to design devices and applications for use on the Verizon Wireless network.

Internet Video and My Videos: New Features for Home Media Manager
At the end of the month, those who subscribe to the Home Media DVR service will be able to access the new Internet Video Feature that will enable its subscriber to search and view on FiOS TV user generated online videos from video sharing site, blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh. Not only that, the new My Video feature will also allow the subscriber to view via the FiOS TV his/her personal videos stored on their PC’s. These new features are available free of charge to FiOS Home Media DVR customers and does not require additional equipment.