The Viggle-GetGlue Merger

Viggle made the announcement that it acquired GetGlue just a week after Nielsen bought SocialGuide.  The two major moves promise to make a difference in social TV.

Viggle is taking all 34 GetGlue employees in the acquisition, including the CEO Alex Iskold.

Several similarities exist between the two companies.  GetGlue provides rewards to its users for their loyalty, while Viggle gives gift cards, discounts, and sweepstakes for users.  Viggle has partnered with brands; GetGlue connects with shows.

The GetGlue app, GetGlue HD provides a possible option of incorporating TV Guide and adding a possible chat feature.

Many people question if this merger will make a difference to social TV.  Iskold has claimed that GetGlue has gotten more activity for certain TV shows than even Twitter.

GetGlue says that customers on their site are people who watch TV shows through the entire season.  How well the sites do will depend on the answer to one question: do you use social media to chat about TV?  On the other hand, you also have to question if TV watching influences your social media habits.

Even if Social TV is on the rise and promises to be a profitable area for companies, there are already several competitors out there for the new company.  For instance, Twitter has already been a major force to be reckoned with.  However, if it focuses on the big shows like awards or the Super Bowl, it may be in a different area than where Viggle-GetGlue puts their focus.

Shazam is another competitor and has already integrated into most TV shows.  GetGlue and Viggle do have one competitive edge – they also have users to scan TV for TV.  Zeebox is another new competitor that has only been around since September and has been back by Comcast/HBO/NBC Universal.  With those names behind it, you have to wonder if it might end up being Viggle and GetGlue’s biggest rival.

[Images via applatter & wildhairmedia]