It should come as no surprise thattraditional TV navigation is out of fashion and is being replaced by new app-centric smart TVs that are connected with web interfaces, thanks in part to Roku, Apple, and Samsung among others. This is due both to the growing demand for on-line services, but also to the fact that consumer electronics manufacturers — and even cable companies — are beginning to adopt new television navigation interfaces that are not exactly the same. These alternative interfaces are part of a new generation of intelligent TV application frameworks that enable not only popular online television services such as Netflix and Hulu to be streamed via applications on TVs but also to create new models of TV monetization.

But it’s more than simple advertising. The connected television application platforms not only create new opportunities for companies like Intel, Amazon or Apple to disrupt the cable provider, but they also allow the cable provider to become disorganized. Companies such as Time Warner can now offer packets of virtual cable delivered not by traditional cable distribution systems, but rather by the public Internet to smart and application-compatible televisions, Internet set-top boxes and game consoles NextMarket Insights expects more than 6 million subscribers to subscribe to these “virtual” packages by 2017.

Interactive Connected TV advertising offers a much richer and sophisticated level of engagement than traditional ad models. With Smart TVs and media streaming players, you can serve ads that are much more interactive, allowing for direct marketing and couch commerce to potential consumers. Also, thanks to slideshows and other image- and video-intensive advertising possibilities visually rich industries like Interior Design and especially Real Estate.

In fact, in November of this year, Sotheby’s International Realty announced the launch of the Sotheby’s International Realty® Apple TV app. Developed in partnership with Toronto-based development firm Clearbridge Mobile, the app allows customers to browse nearly 50,000 image- and video-rich luxury properties on a larger, crisper screen than ever before.

Thanks to a native tvOS application complete with custom navigation, view controllers, and animations tightly keyed to Google Places, users can experience the fastest property browsing experience. Major features of the app include:

• The ability to text or voice-activate the property browsing experience
• Ways to share a property via email, save recent searches, and bookmark properties for later browsing
• A “Guess the Location” in-app micro game
• Recent search functionality as well as tools to bookmark properties directly on Apple TV home screen’s Top Row
• The ability to reach out to agents directly from the app to reduce obstacles in the path to purchase

To learn more about the development process (and how your company could profit from this technology), visit the Clearbridge Mobile App Development Blog and see the case study for yourself — you might even find the right way to connect your own business!

The launch of the app makes the Sotheby’s International Realty brand among the earliest first movers in the real estate space to offer a connected TV experience to customers, providing users:

• More selection on a more interactive platform
• A shared user experience for browsing properties
• A best-in-class visual experience

If your business relies on customer engagement through images and videos (whether in real estate, travel, or fashion), Connected TV allows you to offer a new, attractive and sophisticated advertising model. To better navigate this complex and sophisticated market, find the right mobile app development team to start storyboarding your idea right away.