Tribune Gives Zap2it a Face-Lift, Acquires TV by the Numbers 04.04.2014 "With so much outstanding TV programming available on so many different platforms today, there has never been a better time to be a TV fan." So said Brian Campbell, executive director of sales for the Tribune-owned online TV industry resource, Zap2it, in a statement announcing its overhaul. "It's the perfect chance for us to make the site cleaner, more modern, and more image-heavy, so it really engages users more and helps them discover content," he continued in a phone conversation with Brief. Campbell spoke on a big Thursday for Tribune's technology and innovation arm, Tribune Digital Ventures, which also announced the acquisition of TV by the Numbers, an industry blog that has powered Zap2it's TV ratings editorial content since 2010. The purchase expands Tribune's entertainment data business, which already included Gracenote and Tribune Media Services. With Tribune's backing, TV by the Numbers' tiny 10-worker operation is poised to become a "must-have analytics and data resource for passionate viewers and Hollywood insiders alike," said Shashi Seth, president of Tribune Digital Ventures, in the statement. "Viewership numbers, audience reviews and social data are increasingly becoming reliable indicators of TV show popularity, making TV by the Numbers analysis data essential to the evolving ecosystem." In the meantime, Zap2it's refreshed website is already making a splash. Enjoying more than 7 million unique monthly visitors before the upgrade, the company can expect that total to grow with a newly responsive, mobile-friendly user interface complimented by a sleek and stylish marriage of form and function. A revolving carousel kicks the homepage off with a glorious full-screen image design reminiscent of Hulu, and content grounded largely in premieres, finales, notable guest stars and other trending TV stories. The main objective, said Campbell, was to "be much more visually stimulating to get users to interact with the shows, go to the show page, watch the trailer, etc." Scrolling down the page finds that trend continuing into a section called "Your Entertainment Today," featuring current news, blog posts and photo galleries. A sidebar, "What's on Tonight," displays the day's programming highlights, and links to a full schedule across all the networks. Up above, two tabs link to Zap2it's ratings page and again to the schedule page. All in all, it's an incredibly simple redesign with unlimited opportunities to not only read about and discover new television, but for TV marketers to participate in that discovery process. Offering smooth integration of product placement with editorial content, the top carousel is available for a full-day sponsored takeover, as are select boxes in the "Your Entertainment Today" section. And on the schedule page, networks can supply a trailer in the time slot of any given episode - a fantastically helpful addition for potential viewers curious enough to see what's playing, but not sure what exactly they want to watch yet. "We recognize that people who love TV - and the advertisers who want to reach them - need an integrated TV discovery and editorial source," said Campbell, "so we're excited to unveil the all-new Zap2it to meet those needs.".