Okay, so I’m a little behind on my FiOS TV widgets. In the last few weeks Verizon has introduced two new ones, bringing MLB and Yelp into the FiOS fold. The new widgets do pretty much what you’d expect. MLB brings you news, scores, stats, and player updates, and if you’re an Extra Innings subscriber you can also get customized alerts for up to ten different teams. Meanwhile the Yelp widget offers a local business directory with customer ratings, and details on venue pricing, parking, etc.
The big question here: do users want this stuff on their TVs? I’ve generally been a fan of Verizon’s widget work in the past, but TV widgets are now in direct competition with ever-present apps on smartphones, smartbooks, and (smart?) slates or tablets. Users may not always have a mobile or computing device nearby, but when they do, it’s often going to be the better choice for looking up specific information or engaging in social interaction. Think about it. Are you more likely to tweet on your TV or from your phone?
Not that I want to discourage Verizon from launching more widgets. By all means, give me access to the information I want everywhere. But I have to wonder how much use most of the TV widgets get. (Simple traffic and weather widgets not withstanding) It may be time for Verizon to get a little more creative. A widget for bookmarking time codes within a show? How about a cross-referencing widget that brings up spinoff shows, or other shows by the same writers available through VOD or online? A shopping widget to buy stuff you see in a TV episode? (The old Buy-Jennifer-Aniston’s-sweater-on-Friends example) There’s lots of potential beyond using re-purposed content from the Internet. TV service providers just have to figure out what works best for their medium.