Second-screen interaction for TV and FAST channels
Beyond the ad break,
the programme earns.
Point Media Tech's Cue is a second-screen interaction system for TV and FAST channels. As a programme airs, it pushes votes, products, sponsorship and donation cards to viewers' phones in step with the picture. Keep your playout system and provide the schedule; viewers scan a QR code and join with no app to download. The interaction and revenue of every segment appear in your back office in real time.
ScheduleKeep your playout; we only need the schedule
CloudOr on premises, as your security needs require
DirectPayments go straight to your account
No appViewers scan a QR code and join in the browser
The monetisation gap:
revenue stops at the ad break.
When the ads start, viewers reach for their phones. The content has momentum and viewers want to act; what is missing is a way in at the right moment.
| Revenue depends on ad breaks | FAST and cable inventory sells at low CPMs with unpredictable fill, and viewers pick up their phones the moment a break starts. Cue lets every segment earn through transactions, sponsorship, registrations and title sponsorship, not just the ad break. |
|---|---|
| Viewers want to act but have no way to | Viewers who see something they want to buy or support have to note a number or a URL and wait for the credits, and the impulse fades. Cue puts a button on the phone at the moment of highest intent. |
| No idea which segment works | Ratings give a number, not which segment brought in how much. Cue's back office shows the interaction and results of every segment and every card in real time, feeding straight back into production. |
| Reruns add little value | FAST channels rerun heavily, and reruns earn only from ads. Cue's interactions travel with the video, so every rerun brings another round of interaction and revenue. |
31%
of US TV viewers have shopped for show-related products via QR codes or shopping links during a show
Source · Horowitz Research, cited by EMARKETER (2026) · US data
~2/3
of US social network users will use a second screen while watching TV in 2026
Source · EMARKETER 2026 forecast · US data
15–60s
Streaming services often run about 15–60 seconds behind live TV, so a phone can easily spoil what the TV has yet to show
Source · Fortune (2020)
How Cue works:
three steps, no change to your chain.
Keep your playout system and distribution platforms and provide the playout schedule. Nothing is installed on TVs, set-top boxes or players.
Prepare: videos enter the library
When a video enters the library, basic interaction cards for that episode are prepared automatically, and key episodes can be refined. Cards are attached to the video's timeline, not to a player or a TV, so they come along on every rerun. With the playout schedule, Cue knows which video airs when.
What you getUsable interactions and sellable sponsorship slots on every episode, with editorial effort spent only on key episodes.
Air: viewers join on their phones
Viewers scan the QR code in your promotions, or join from your LINE Official Account, and Cue opens in the phone browser. Cards follow each viewer's own TV; the phone shows its sync status, and viewers can adjust it if it drifts.
What you getNo integration talks with platforms or TV makers; FAST channels on third-party platforms can launch too.
Earn: sales and data return to the back office
Viewers vote, save, buy, give and register. Payments go through a third-party payment provider straight into your account, and viewer data provided with consent belongs to you.
What you getReal-time interaction and revenue for every segment and every card, to inform production and to back your sponsor proposals.
How channels earn:
revenue and long-term assets.
Cue delivers six kinds of value: three sources of direct revenue and three assets that build over time.
Direct revenue
In-programme transactions
Products, coupons, courses and tickets sell the moment they appear on screen. Channels without their own storefront can send viewers to an existing store or marketplace and track every sale. Revenue belongs to the channel and goes straight into its account.
Donations and support
Viewers of nonprofit, faith and team channels can give the moment they are moved or inspired. Recurring support and annual offerings such as lamp lighting are supported, and receipts can be issued to suit each organisation, with an annual summary.
New sponsorship inventory
"Brought to you by" sponsor cards appear in the segments that fit, with performance reporting. Sponsors see the results, which gives renewals a firmer footing.
Long-term assets
Library that keeps earning
Interactions travel with the video, so every rerun brings another round of interaction and revenue. The bigger the library and the more it reruns, the more it earns over time.
First-party audience data
Build a list of viewers and their preferences, with consent, for membership programmes, LINE messaging and event invitations, instead of relying only on distribution platforms.
Lower operating costs
Orders, registrations and donations that used to run on phone calls, bank transfers and manual records move to self-service on the phone, without reconciling and issuing receipts one by one.
Pricing is quoted by number of channels and modules. For revenue sources by channel type, see "Channels" below.
Interaction cards:
in step with the picture.
Votes, guesses, as-seen-on-air products, giving and registration. Fewer, better-timed cards keep viewers watching: a glance during the action, and anything that needs input waits until they have a moment.
Entertainment: guess the round
Viewers guess who clears each round before it starts, and the answer is revealed with the TV; rounds yet to air stay hidden.
Faith: verses and chanting
Verses quoted in the programme appear as they are spoken, viewers chant along during practice, and can give, light a lamp or register in the moment.
Shopping: as seen on air
The moment a product appears on TV, viewers can check specs, pick an option and buy on their phone.
Interface illustration: programme names and content are illustrative.
Cue versus other second-screen options:
four differences.
Keep your playout, any platform
Keep your existing playout and provide the schedule; no TV-maker integration and no player change. Wherever your channel airs, viewers can take part on their phones, including FAST channels on third-party platforms. Deploy in the cloud or on premises.
Never ahead of the viewer's TV
Cue releases cards according to each viewer's own TV. Nothing appears on the phone before that TV shows it, and guess answers are revealed together with the TV.
Revenue without selling products
Faith and nonprofit channels get their own flows for giving, lamp offerings and registration, with no discounts and no games. You see how much support each segment brings in.
Ready when the video is
Basic interactions are generated automatically, so no episode starts from scratch; only the episodes you want to feature need refining.
Four ways to do
second-screen interaction.
Channels that want viewers to take part on their phones usually choose one of four approaches. The table compares what each needs and what each can do, so you can check them line by line.
| Criterion | Cue | QR code on screen | TV-maker built-in interaction | Channel-built app |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers download an app | No, scan a QR code and it opens in the phone browser | No | No, but only on that brand of TV | Yes |
| Needs TV maker or platform cooperation | No, keep your playout and provide the schedule | No | Yes, by TV brand and model | No, but you build and maintain it |
| Works across distribution platforms | Cable and third-party FAST platforms | Yes | Only on that maker's TVs | Yes |
| Cards follow each segment | Yes | No, one promotion usually maps to one link | Depends on the vendor | Depends on what you build |
| Never ahead of the viewer's TV | Yes, cards follow each viewer's own TV | Not applicable | Depends on the vendor | You handle streaming delay yourself |
| Results by segment | Yes, by segment and by card in the back office | Usually link clicks only | Depends on vendor reporting | Depends on what you build |
Actual conditions vary by vendor and by what you build; the table reflects typical cases.
Channels:
four channel types, four revenue models.
Entertainment
Viewers always have something to do: guess rounds, vote, save highlights and buy what is on screen, with answers never revealed ahead of the TV.
Revenue: Programme-matched products, title sponsorship, coupon revenue shareCue for entertainmentFaith & nonprofit
Viewers can give the moment they are moved, and you see the support each segment brings in. Dignified, large type, easy to use.
Revenue: Donations, recurring support, annual offerings such as lamps, event registrationCue for faith & nonprofitShopping & lifestyle
See it, buy it, with no phone call or URL to remember; channels without a storefront can send viewers to an existing store.
Revenue: Product sales, local shop coupons, brand partnershipsCue for shopping & lifestyleSports
Fans have something to do every at-bat: guess the result, vote for players and buy home-team gear, with answers never revealed ahead of the TV.
Revenue: Team merchandise, title sponsorship, sponsored interactions, fan eventsCue for sports
Second-screen interaction
FAQ.
What is second-screen interaction?
Second-screen interaction is when viewers use a phone or tablet while watching TV to take part in activity synchronised with the programme, such as votes, guesses, buying what is on screen and giving support. Point Media Tech's Cue brings this to TV and FAST channels: cards follow each viewer's own TV, and viewers join by scanning a QR code in the phone browser, with no app to download.
Which channels is Cue for?
Entertainment, faith and nonprofit, shopping and lifestyle, and sports channels, as well as FAST channels distributed on third-party platforms. Other channel types are welcome to get in touch, and we will suggest interactions that suit their programming.
How is Cue different from putting a QR code on screen?
A QR code is only an entry point, and one promotion usually maps to a single link. Cue releases cards segment by segment, never reveals an answer before the viewer's own TV, and reports the interaction and revenue of every segment and every card in the back office, so you can see which content works.
How else can a FAST channel make money besides ad breaks?
The programme itself can earn: as-seen-on-air products, title sponsorship, sponsorship and donations. Cue puts these interactions on viewers' phones in step with the picture, works for channels on third-party FAST platforms, and every rerun brings another round of interaction and revenue.
Do we need to switch to Point Media Tech's playout system?
No. Keep your existing playout system and provide the playout schedule, meaning which video airs when, and Cue follows the programme.
Can Cue run in our own data centre?
Yes. Cue can be deployed in the cloud or on premises, depending on your security and operations requirements.
Do viewers need to download an app?
No. They scan a QR code and Cue opens in the phone browser. Viewers can also join from the channel's LINE Official Account.
Will the phone spoil results before the TV shows them?
No. The system knows where each viewer's TV is in the programme and releases cards to match, so results and answers never appear before that TV shows them. The phone shows its sync status, and viewers can adjust it themselves if it drifts.
Do payments pass through Point Media Tech?
No. Funds go through a third-party payment provider straight into the channel's or organisation's account; the platform fee is invoiced separately.
Who owns the viewer data?
The channel. Viewers provide their data with consent and can access, correct and delete it; the channel can export its own list.
How long does it take to go live?
About four to five weeks for a single channel, depending on the channel and modules: requirements, channel set-up, content preparation and a pilot broadcast come before launch, and we review results with you after go-live.
Will viewers stare at their phones instead of the programme?
No. Cards are few and well timed: during the action viewers see only cards they can read at a glance, and anything that needs an answer, a form or a purchase waits until they have a moment.
How is Cue priced?
Pricing is quoted by number of channels and modules. Channels still evaluating can request a free revenue assessment: share your channel details and we will model the opportunity and suggest suitable programmes and interactions.
See the TV and the phone
stay in sync.
Book a live demo, online or on site, with one TV and one phone. Pricing is quoted by number of channels and modules.
Still evaluating?
Request a free revenue assessment: share your channel details, and we will model the opportunity and suggest suitable programmes and interactions.