MTV is interacting with viewers by adding additional content to its live television programs and letting users access and track their favorite shows via an iPhone application.

The app lets users access additional content and track the show in real time via social streams. The application was previously available on the iPad and is now available on the iPhone.

?MTV has been innovating and iterating in the social space for some time now,? said Michael Scogin, vice president of mobile at MTV, New York.

?Our approach with MTV WatchWith is to provide an additive layer around our shows to encourage fan participation, without distracting from the core viewing,? he said.

MTV is a youth entertainment brand with a global reach of more than a half-billion households.

Multi-screen viewers
The WatchWith app lets users plug into Facebook and Twitter while watching their favorite television shows.

The app aggregates the most current and relevant tweets and comments from the shows for viewers to follow in real-time.

?These products can deliver curated content and interactions with our talent to an engaged audience during the moments they want it the most,? Mr. Scogin said.

Currently, the app works with some of MTV?s most popular primetime shows, including Jersey Shore, Teen Wolf and Awkward.

Additionally, cast members will be live tweeting during the shows, which users can follow through the app.

Television viewers can also view additional content from the television shows through the app, including photos and videos of show characters and additional content from the show.

In addition to the MTV WatchWith app, the company is also rolling out a branded app for sister cable network VH1 called CoStar that also lets users follow their favorite VH1 shows.

Four-screen experience
The goal of the app is for users to interact with television shows on three screens ? tablets, smartphones, computer and television sets.

?MTV and VH1 fans are now consuming content across multiple platforms, often at the same time,? said Colin Helms, vice president of MTV Digital, New York.

?It?s standard practice for our audience to sit on the couch watching television with their tablet devices, smartphones and laptops in front of them,? he said. ?With this in mind, we?re now designing products and experiences that span multiple platforms and that are platform agnostic, but also platform aware.?

?It?s all about ubiquity. With this in mind, when it comes to apps, our job is to make it a seamless transition.?

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York