News Broadcasting
Ericsson and NRK launch interactive mobile TV
MUMBAI: Ericsson and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) have conducted the world’s first live trial of interactive mobile TV. The trial demonstrates a new way of using mobile TV, which allows mobile phone users to vote, chat and communicate with a television presenter while watching their favorite show – all at the same time on their mobile.
Together, Ericsson and NRK launched a downloadable client for the existing interactive TV format, Svisj. For example, viewers can vote for which music video is to be played next by the touch of a button and may also chat with each other or the host of the program, states an official release.
Gunnar Garfors, director of Mobile Services, NRK Development Division, says: “This is interactivity with a vengeance. We are making it easier for our audiences to view mobile TV and participate in shows, no matter where they are.”
Ericsson Mobility World VP Kurt Sillén says: “Our solution makes it possible for viewers to interact with a show that they are watching on their mobile device in a whole new way, creating a much richer TV experience with the help of the mobile channel.”
The new interactive mobile TV application is an end-to-end solution based on existing technology, which enables mobile phone users to watch streamed TV programs live and at the same time interact with the show, the release adds.
For TV networks, this means increased traffic and new revenues from content fees, additional advertising and paid interactions such as voting, chatting and greetings. This opens the way to new TV formats, widens target groups and builds customer loyalty while giving end-users an advanced and enhanced TV experience.
News Broadcasting
Book Cricket gets a digital century on News18 amid T20 fever
Nostalgic classroom game revamped in English, Hindi plus Telugu on web and app.
MUMBAI: When the T20 World Cup fever hits fever pitch, News18 decides to flip the script straight back to the classroom. The digital news platform has revived the timeless schoolyard favourite Book Cricket as an interactive online game, perfectly timed to ride the cricket wave gripping fans across the globe. The reimagined Book Cricket ditches textbooks for smartphones, blending old-school nostalgia with modern gameplay. Once a sneaky recess pastime played by flicking book pages to score runs, the digital version now offers seamless fun for anyone craving a quick cricket fix between overs.
Available in English, Hindi and Telugu (with more languages planned across News18’s network), the game sits within the platform’s fast-growing gaming portfolio of over 20 titles, all built in-house. It joins event-driven hits like ‘Kursi Catcher’ and ‘Result Rewind’ during the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, plus festive specials such as ‘Durga’s Astras’ for Durga Puja and ‘Mouse Modak’ for Ganesh Chaturthi.
News18 Digital CEO Mitul Sangani said, “Gaming is a key pillar of our engagement strategy. At News18, we uniquely combine our newsroom agility with immersive gaming experiences. By blending credible content with interactive formats, we are creating meaningful engagement in an era defined by shrinking attention spans and evolving consumption habits.”
Select titles have expanded beyond News18.com to CNBC-TV18.com and Firstpost.com, reflecting the network’s push to deepen user interaction across platforms. The Book Cricket game is live now at https://www.news18.com/games/book-cricket/.
In a tournament where every boundary counts, News18’s digital Book Cricket proves the simplest games can still deliver the biggest smiles no syllabus required, just pure cricket joy one page-flip at a time.
