Game show ‘Instant Cash’ allows viewers to compete at home with mobile app
Posted May 30, 2012 11:58:16 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO – Viewers who tune into the wacky game show “Instant Cash” on TVtropolis can now play along from home on an Apple mobile device.
The show’s production company says the mobile app that lets viewers be virtual contestants is a North American first.
On the shot-in-Canada show, shoppers who walk up to a fake ATM are offered the chance to be impromptu game show contestants. They’re challenged to answer a series of trivia questions and complete dares to win up to $10,000.
Cineflix Media Inc., which is also behind shows such as “American Pickers,” “Conviction Kitchen,” “Property Virgins” and “William Shatner’s Weird or What,” was looking to experiment with a mobile app to tie into live viewing and thought “Instant Cash” would be a good fit, said head of digital Meredith Duncan.
“It has a very loyal following, although it’s not the biggest show Shaw runs across its network. But there’s definitely some rabid ‘Instant Cash’ fans,” Duncan said, adding that the app may drive better viewer engagement.
“It’s on during a time slot when people are coming home and sometimes it’s on as background, and other times people do appointment-tune into the show.”
App users can try to answer the same trivia questions seen on TV, in real time, and guess whether contestants complete their dares. If they’re logged into Facebook, they can compete against other viewers online and have their scores tracked throughout the season.
Duncan said there are discussions about having prizes to go along with the online game but no decisions have been made yet.
Work is also ongoing to have the app work on Google Android devices and to offer a standalone game that can be played in between episodes, either alone or with friends.
Cineflix developed the project in association with Shaw Media, which also created a companion app for the most recent season of “Survivor.”
Duncan said the technology is bound to be offered to viewers more and more, although she doesn’t see it getting adopted on a wide scale yet.
“It’s something that Cineflix is going to continue to use strategically, I don’t think it’s one of those things (suited for every show),” she said.
“I know when we first got it, it was like, ‘Oh, we can use it for this and we can use it for that,’ but … I think we’ll continue to use it strategically.”
“Instant Cash” airs on Thursdays at 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET/PT on TVtropolis.
