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TikTok has confirmed a new feature: in-app portals for movies and TV shows, creating a new link to fan-made content on the social media platform.
TikTok Spotlight will automatically place an “anchor link” on selected fan-made videos, acting as a bridge to a trove of further information on the relevant larger production.
By clicking on the links, users of the ByteDance-owned platform will have access to direct links to purchase tickets for screenings, or to watch on a streaming service. There will also be significant cast info, bio details, cast lists, official links and more.
The Chinese-owned app said not every fan video on a chosen show will be given the new link.
“We rely on both technology and human review to decide which videos qualify for an anchor link,” said James Stafford, TikTok’s global head of publishing. “We’re looking at things like hashtags, keywords, audio, visual matching technology from clips of TV and shows.”
It sounds like the traction will be audience generated in a way similar to how the algorithm works for general content. The more engagement and popularity, the more an account will be likely to receive the coveted anchor link.
Content creators get access to analytics dashboard
The news release also said the benefits of Spotlight will not be confined to new content. “Whether old or new, TikTok’s algorithm is personalized For You and runs independent of a timeline,” the statement said, “so it has the power to breathe new life into past programming, just as effectively as the latest blockbuster hit.”
This new addition to the popular video-hosting app is being conveyed as a promotional tool for studios and marketing teams to turbocharge their publicity campaigns, and to drive fan engagement with the vast user base that TikTok offers.
TikTok Spotlight will also give studios a key insight under the hood. Studios will be provided with access to an extensive analytics dashboard to view various metrics. They will be presented with top-level data briefs, with the ability to monitor trends and to see where the conversation is at.
Already, there has been collaboration between TikTok and Warner Bros. Dune 2 as well as HBO’s House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.
Featured image via Ideogram
