WarnerMedia's Interactive Innovation Lab to Debut in New York

The buzz may have shifted to the next shiny object but ATampampT39s WarnerMedia continues to explore convergence under a new name experience fluidityamp160 The vehicle for exploring this trend and others impacting TV39s future is WarnerMedia Innovation Lab a 20000squarefoot facility that will serve as the connective tissue between WarnerMedia39s creative storytelling capabilities and ATampampT39s data and technology projected to be operational by the end of March 2020As detailed by Jesse Redniss pictured below the project39s general manager the lab39s overriding goal is to generate experiences for the public deliverable through any or all of WarnerMedia39s content and consumer touchpoints as well as the network and distribution offerings that ATampampT provides from TBS to the upcoming HBO Max What39s more the experiences could be watched via or interacted with from any platform including smart TV sets TVconnected devices and Internet protocolamp8211enabled car screensquotHow do we create the next new opportunities when we think about the future of 5G technology and Internet of things infrastructure combined with our traditional storytelling platformsquot Redniss asks quotYou start to provide new consumer touchpoints and connect them together to create the future of audience and fan experiences not constrained to the TV ecosystemquotWarnerMedia39s lab will be housed in Manhattan39s Chelsea district a growing hub of technology development and a short walk from the company39s justopened new headquarters in Hudson Yards The Innovation Lab will be a twofloor operation with the main floor dedicated to an immersive quotzonequot for specific project demonstrations A staircase will bring users to the second floor which will feature a mix of research and development lab space and conference rooms quotwhere engineers and creative people sit together in a collaborative work environmentquot Redniss explainsWarnerMedia is about four weeks away from submitting final design plans on the Innovation Lab for zoning Construction is anticipated to begin around Thanksgiving and complete three months lateramp160The idea for creating a permanent space for innovation efforts came from a series of conversations last fall between WarnerMedia chief executive officer John Stankey and National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver quotWe wanted to bring our relationship with the NBA via TNT and NBA TV to the next levelquot Redniss recalls What resulted from these discussions was resolve quotto not only build a destination but also a WarnerMediawide operation and center of excellence that encompasses how this next level can come to lifequotOne example is to develop a way to use 5G39s ability for wider transmission bandwidth and lower latency of video and nonvideo quality to deliver numerous live video feeds say six to eight of a single NBA game directly to viewers and allow them to choose what to see at any time One feed could focus on a specific player while another provides an overhead view of gameplay and so on Viewers also could check player information or the latest scores from other games onscreen During the game consumers could switch from the live game to interacting with a virtual or augmented reality display of the same game All of the capabilities content and realtime analytics and interactivity can be delivered through the single 5G connectionDiscussions with several content creators advertisers and technology suppliers about participation in the Innovation Lab39s efforts are underway Xandr ATampampT39s advanced advertising and analytics division is expected to take part in some nearterm initiativesThe lab will focus on implementing multiple technologies with a variety of service offerings including 5G artificial intelligence and machine learning virtualaugmentedmixed reality interactivity videoconferencing and Internet of things connectivity In July the lab collaborated with the NBA and ATampampT for the firstever live sports broadcast using smartphones with 5G during the NBA Summer LeagueAs for the lab39s relationship with HBO Max Redniss says quotWe39ll do early consumer research to get insight into how consumers will engage with this type of offering then allow HBO Max39s product team to see these insights and determine how they fit into their offeringquotVarious pathways of interactive storytelling advertising and commerce will be another priority for the Innovation Lab quotThe more you can build touchpoints for consumers to get deeper into a narrative or brand experience the stronger bond you39ll have with that consumer We want to explore opportunities like gaming and branch narrative storylinesquot Redniss says quotWe are at the point where technology is starting to enable a lot of interactivityquotAnd that interactivity is essential for longterm viewer engagement quotThe idea of a realtime water cooler is very powerful and very important not just with news or sports eventsquot Redniss concludesClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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WarnerMedia's Interactive Innovation Lab to Debut in New York

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Simon Applebaum

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WarnerMedia's Interactive Innovation Lab to Debut in New York

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