Coincident.tv

Founded in 2008 by CEO David Kaiser and Bruce Schwartz, Coincident TV is based in San Francisco and develops hypervideo technology that integrates online video with social media, weblinks, and commerce into immersive experiences. The company provides a comprehensive software suite featuring a language for manipulating media, an interactive player, an editor, an analytics portal, and a dedicated PERL library. This underlying technology enables digital media publishers to seamlessly create, manage, and distribute interactive hypervideo content across personal computers, netbooks, and various mobile devices. Following a successful private beta launch at the 2010 NAB Show in Las Vegas, the firm announced a strategic creative partnership with Ascent Media’s Blink Digital in April 2010. Through this creative collaboration, Coincident TV delivers enhanced interactive video services to major entertainment clients, including Fox, New Line, Lions Gate, MTV Networks, and HBO.

High-Level Overview

Coincident.tv is an interactive new media technology company that develops software for creating clickable, engaging online video experiences, shifting users from static web pages to immersive video content.[1][2][3] It serves content creators, broadcasters like FOX, CBS, and Fox Sports, and brands such as car companies and banks by solving the problem of passive video consumption—enabling interactions within videos to extend viewer engagement, drive marketing campaigns, and connect to web services or products.[1][4][5] The company gained early recognition with an Emmy nomination for its interactive Glee experience and partnerships enhancing shows like *So You Think You Can Dance*, though recent growth data is unavailable from sources.[1][5]

Origin Story

Coincident.tv emerged in the early 2010s amid the rise of online video, founded by figures including co-founder Alex Beckman and CEO David Kaiser, with John Gillis (or John Gilles) as general manager of Coincident Studios.[1][3] The idea stemmed from recognizing video's potential beyond one-way storytelling, especially as platforms like YouTube proliferated; the team aimed to make videos interactive portals linking to brands, services, and content.[1][3] Pivotal early traction included an Emmy nomination for Fox's *Glee* interactive experience, deals with Fox Sports, expansion to CBS in 2011, and tools for shows like *So You Think You Can Dance*, establishing it in San Francisco as a pioneer in cross-platform interactive tech.[1][4][5]

Core Differentiators

• Interactive Video Platform: Provides a professional software suite for designing, managing, and measuring clickable videos that work across devices, unlike standard YouTube playback—allowing viewers to interact with elements like products or services embedded in the content.[2][4][5][6]
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: HTML5-based editor enables iAd-like experiences on any computer or device, including beta tools for seamless creation and deployment.[5][6]
• Brand and Engagement Focus: Extends time spent with content (e.g., longer viewer sessions) and facilitates marketing by integrating videos with internet services, outperforming traditional video for advertisers in cars, banks, and media.[1]
• Proven Media Integrations: Emmy-nominated work with major networks like FOX and CBS, plus tools for measurable outcomes in viewer interaction.[1][4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Coincident.tv rode the 2010s surge in online video streaming and the shift toward mobile/web interactivity, capitalizing on broadband growth and advertiser demand for engaging formats beyond flat pages.[3][5] Timing was ideal as HTML5 matured, enabling device-agnostic tools amid the decline of plugins like Flash, while networks sought to enhance TV properties online against YouTube's dominance.[4][6] Market forces like rising video ad spend and brand needs for "complete web-based stories" favored it, influencing the ecosystem by pioneering interactive video standards—paving the way for modern shoppable videos, AR overlays, and platform-native interactivity seen in today's TikTok or Instagram Reels.[1][2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Coincident.tv's early innovations positioned it as a trailblazer in interactive media, but with sources limited to ~2011 activity, its trajectory post-HTML5 beta remains unclear—potentially acquired, pivoted, or dormant amid giants like YouTube's evolving tools. Next steps could involve reviving for live commerce or AI-driven personalization, shaped by trends like immersive Web3 video and short-form dominance. Its influence may evolve through legacy tech adoption, reminding creators that true engagement starts with clickability, echoing its original mission to redefine online media consumption.[1][3]