USA Network Builds Second Screen Experience Around “Psych”

Entertainment checkin services are doing their part to socialize entertainment consumption and influence  television viewer behaviors. Today USA Network is completing the loop between mobile, content, checkins and rewards with its new iPhone and iPad applications for the Psych television series.

The Psych Vision apps are USA Network’s attempt to build a complete second screen experience that influences and rewards viewer behavior before, during and after each episode. The apps deeply integrate with GetGlue’s entertainment checkin platform and tie-in to the network’s character rewards program, Club Psych.

Psych fans can use the applications to check into the show to unlock content and stickers, as well as earn points though the Club Psych program. They can also use the apps to enter special keywords announced during the broadcast or surfaced through social channels to gain access to exclusive video content only available through the app. Engaged viewers can earn access to an unaired extended scene for tonight’s new episode, for instance.

Psych Vision also includes integration with Chatter, a network-developed social stream that gives show viewers the ability to follow along, and reply to, real-time social chatter related to Psych from YouTube, Twitter,Flickr, Facebook and TwitPic.

“We’re constantly looking for new ways to innovate and provide content to viewers no matter where they are,” explains Jesse Redniss, USA’s vice president of digital. Redniss believes this approach will please its growing fan base on Twitter and Facebook.

In late October, the basic cable channel first partnered with GetGlue to promote the Psych premiere. At the time, Redniss says the network opted to go with GetGlue over other entertainment checkin services because he felt the API toolkit would help the network better push the boundaries of social entertainment.

Redniss also shares that with today’s release the network was focused on building a platform and framework it can use to create similar experiences around USA’s original content.

Psych Vision is available for now for iPhone [iTunes link]. The iPad application is currently awaiting approval by Apple.