Zone·ify Becomes First AVOD Platform to Launch Free Gaming Through TV Remote Controls
TORONTO, June 11, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zone·ify, the rapidly growing free streaming platform, today announced the launch of a new feature: free interactive games playable instantly with an existing TV remote. In partnership with ES3 – the leading TV interactive engagement platform provider, the launch makes Zone·ify the first AVOD (Ad Supported Video on Demand) platform to offer native gaming as part of the core TV experience – no downloads, consoles, or mobile devices required. The games are now available on a wide range of streaming devices and cable and satellite providers, including Android TV, Fire TV, Comcast Xfinity TV, DIRECTV U-verse, Rogers Xfinity TV, and many others.
The launch follows the explosive success of The Border Brawl, Zone·ify's first exclusive live sporting event streamed from Niagara Falls, Canada which became the most-watched title in company history and drove a 13x increase in live watch time. Now available on demand, the event was a cross-border showdown of wrestling legends and reality stars that drew record-breaking viewership across the U.S. and Canada. Building on that moment, Zone·ify is taking the next step in redefining free entertainment.
"We're not just a streaming service anymore – we're a full-scale entertainment platform," said Doug Edwards, President of Zone·ify. "From the viral success of The Border Brawl and our rapidly growing library of content to the launch of TV gaming, we are evolving into a destination for watching, playing, and engaging – all in one place."
Now live with over a dozen casual games, Zone·ify's newest feature offers instant gameplay using nothing more than the TV remote – no downloads, no mobile devices, and no extra hardware required. The company has plans to rapidly expand its game catalog and offer custom-branded games for advertisers and sponsors, providing a new, measurable way to engage with audiences. With branded game integrations, companies can align their marketing campaigns or entertainment IP with playable content, reaching viewers through immersive interaction.
Zone·ify's free games are available now on these devices with more planned to launch in the coming months:
Pay TV Operators: Comcast Xfinity, Cox Contour, Buckeye Cable, DIRECTV U-verse (U.S.), Rogers Xfinity, and Videotron Helix (Canada)
CTV & Smart TVs: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV (including Sony, TCL, Hisense),
Coming soon: Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, LG, and Vizio
Zone·ify's first-ever exclusive live sports event, The Border Brawl, held in Niagara Falls, Canada, shattered the platform's all-time streaming record with a 13X surge in live watch time. Fueled by national pride, reality TV stars, and wrestling legends like "The Mountie" Jacques Rougeau, Barbie Blank, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Matt Hardy, Nic Nemeth, Tommy Dreamer, and many others, the event delivered an outrageous showdown between Team USA and Team Canada. Streaming free on Zone·ify, the spectacle became the most-watched title in company history and is now available on demand across Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, Comcast, Cox, and more.
Zone·ify, available on over 422 million devices and in 16 million Pay TV households, delivers thousands of movies, TV shows, curated short-form content, FAST channels, games, and events like nothing else on the digital landscape.
ABOUT ZONE·IFY
Zone·ify is a free, ad-supported streaming entertainment platform delivering live events, FAST channels, movies, short-form content, games, and exclusive programming to audiences across the U.S. and Canada. Available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Comcast, DIRECTV, Cox, Rogers, Bell, mobile devices, and the web, Zone·ify reaches over 422 million consumer devices and 16 million Pay TV households. With 75+ curated channels, a growing slate of live ring sports, and bold original content, Zone·ify is where niche meets mainstream — all in one place, always free. Learn more at www.zoneify.tv.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250610209011/en/
Contacts
Peter BinazeskiZone·ifypbinazeski@zone.tv mediarelations@zone.tv
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Real-time payments zoom ahead
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Second-quarter transaction volume for the Federal Reserve's young FedNow real-time payments system jumped 63% over the first quarter, to 2.1 million payments, the central bank said Wednesday. Meanwhile, second-quarter volume at the older private rival RTP network, operated by The Clearing House, rose 8% to 107 million payments, compared to the first quarter, according to its release on Thursday. Still, The Clearing House, owned by some of the world's biggest banks, accounts for the lion's share of real-time payments in the U.S., capturing 98% of the second-quarter activity. That private system processed $481 billion in payments during the second quarter, nearly tripling the amount it handled in the first quarter, according to its release. By contrast, the nascent FedNow system processed $245.8 billion in transactions for the second quarter, according to its statistics. Dive Insight: Payments systems worldwide have been moving to embrace real-time networks. The competing FedNow and RTP systems, like others around the globe, have the ability to move transactions in seconds, as opposed to days on less technologically advanced networks. Given that FedNow launched just two years ago in July 2023, it stands to reason that it's experiencing higher growth than the older rival RTP, which began in 2017. But professionals who follow the industry have still wondered out loud about slow progress for FedNow. 'Volume growth is 'middling' for FedNow,' Chicago payments industry consultant Peter Tapling said by email last week in commenting on the second-quarter results. 'From these low volume numbers, we'd like to see them doubling (or more) volume quarter over quarter.' A decade ago, the central bank and financial institutions had brainstormed together about bringing real-time payments to the U.S. Eventually, the banks moved on their own to launch RTP at The Clearing House, followed by the central bank deciding later to start a rival system. The Fed made the FedNow move when it became clear that smaller financial institutions were somewhat reluctant to join the real-time payments system operated by their larger competitors, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Capital One Financial and Barclays. In any case, there is some evidence that the launch of FedNow has spurred more activity on both systems. So far, FedNow has attracted participation from about 1,400 of the approximately 8,800 banks and credit unions in the U.S., according to the Fed's latest release. It also reported that the value of FedNow's average daily volume more than quintupled to $2.7 billion. While The Clearing House didn't provide an average daily volume value, it reported the average value of a payment passed over RTP surged during the quarter to about $4,000 for June, up from $842 in January. The value of the average payment on the FedNow network was much higher at $115,332 for the quarter. That average payment size for FedNow struck Tapling as high, leading him to conclude that a significant share of the Fed's system is in handling corporate transactions. Both FedNow and RTP have been gradually increasing the limit size for the payments they are willing to handle. Recommended Reading Fiserv exec talks real-time payments and challenges Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Geek Vibes Nation
2 hours ago
- Geek Vibes Nation
Will Mobile Arcade Games and Short Games Replace Full-Fledged Story-Driven Projects?
Today, the world of video games is in an interesting position. On one side of the scale are complex, well-developed projects that stand out not only for their deep storylines but also for their high-budget graphics. They offer a virtually cinematic experience. On the other side of the scale are mobile games with short sessions that can be played on the go (sometimes literally). Increasingly, both players and developers are wondering whether blockbusters will replace all other games. The contrast between mass and high is obvious, but the reality is more complex. No one disputes that the pinnacle of auteur game design is games with a storyline — projects such as The Last of Us Part II, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Cyberpunk 2077. They demonstrate that entertainment is not everything; video games are truly capable of telling complex stories. The emotional response to such games is comparable to that of literature or cinema. Each of these games has a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars and takes between three and six years to develop. And yet, players spend more than half of their gaming time on mobile projects. These are not ports of their favorite complex games, but rather the simplest arcade games and simulators, designed for short gaming sessions. Cut scenes, acting, and plot are often absent in such games. However, such games are attractive due to their understandable mechanics and lack of a barrier to entry. Story-driven projects rarely make it to the top of the App Store and Google Play, but you can find products such as Subway Surfers, Candy Crush, Roblox, and Stumble Guys there. They offer quick rewards and can be played repeatedly. Even big-name publishers are ready to adapt their projects to the casual gaming format. For example, the Assassin's Creed series has a mobile version. Call of Duty also features a mobile spin-off, which has been available for a long time and boasts millions of active players. Despite high levels of criticism, Diablo Immortal brought its creators half a billion dollars in its first few months after release. Thus, even the 'heavyweights' have recognized the power of short-term interaction. Increasingly, more people are entering the mobile environment to capture their players there. A similar trend can be observed in the iGaming industry. Many operators who previously worked primarily for PCs have begun to adapt their projects to mobile requirements. A striking example is the popular Lucky Jet money game, which was released on mobile platforms in a short period and was developed using HTML5 and JavaScript technologies. When entering the mobile market, demographics must be considered. Statista data shows that in the United States, the average age of an active gamer is 33, with more than 40% of players being women. This is an audience that cannot always find the time to spend 60 hours on an epic game with complex dialogues and moral choices. However, these players do have 15 minutes to play a short game with intuitive rules. Such games are also an excellent way for them to relax before bed. Does this mean that story-driven games are doomed? Not. On the contrary, they have a bright future, as evidenced by the development of platforms such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as well as the growing share of PCs. Projects such as Baldur's Gate 3 and Elden Ring demonstrate that a significant audience is willing to invest dozens of hours in exploring the world and its characters. Such projects become the subject of cultural discussions and are adapted for the screen. The situation is paradoxical: simple games dominate in terms of reach, while large projects shape the cultural agenda. A parallel can be drawn with cinema, where millions of people watch blockbusters, but the status and reputation of the industry are shaped by Oscar-winning dramas. Is it worth talking about substitution? Most likely not. This is not about competition, but about specialization and coexistence. The market is large enough to accommodate both the mass market and the high-end market. Recent practice shows that these two worlds do not necessarily have to compete with each other — on the contrary, they learn from each other. Complex story-driven games are becoming more accessible, and simple projects are gaining not only a level system but also a narrative.
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Fox News' Greg Gutfeld dominates late-night television ratings as CBS ends Colbert's 'Late Show'
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld is the ratings king of late night, despite what CBS "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert tells his audience. CBS announced last week that it would cancel "The Late Show" next May at the end of its broadcast season. The show was losing a reported $40 million a year for the network, although skeptics insist the decision was meant to appease the Trump administration. Colbert discussed CBS' reasons for canceling the show on Monday, asking, "How could it purely be a financial decision if 'The Late Show' is No. 1 in ratings?" SCHIFF, WARREN DEMAND TO KNOW IF CBS IS ENDING STEPHEN COLBERT'S 'LATE SHOW' FOR 'POLITICAL REASONS' However, Fox News Channel's "Gutfeld!" is actually the most-watched late-night program on television and has outdrawn Colbert for 21 straight months among total viewers and 13 months in a row among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54. The shows air at different times; "Gutfeld!" airs at 10 p.m. ET, while Colbert's begins at 11:35 p.m. ET and is No. 1 among network late-night comedy programs. In 2025, "Gutfeld!" averaged 3.1 million viewers through July 20, compared to 1.9 million for CBS' outgoing "Late Show." During that same time period, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" averaged 1.5 million, NBC's "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" averaged 1.1 million, and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" managed 751,000. When it comes to the key demo, "Gutfeld!" averaged 398,000 of the viewers most coveted by advertisers, compared to 288,000 for Colbert. CBS PARENT COMPANY SPARKS MASSIVE OUTRAGE WITH TRUMP LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" averaged 267,000 demo viewers, followed by 262,000 for "The Tonight Show" and 181,000 for "Late Night." "Gutfeld!" has also outdrawn all late-night offerings among younger viewers, averaging 248,000 adults aged 18-49 compared to 188,000 for Colbert, 175,000 for Kimmel, 160,000 for Fallon and 113,000 for Meyers. There had been speculation about the future of the Paramount-owned late-night programs, which also includes "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central, as its planned corporate merger with Skydance Media is expected to take place later this year pending approval from the FCC. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Colbert is among the fiercest critics of President Donald Trump on television and quipped "go f--- yourself" to him Monday night in response to Trump's taunts over the show's cancellation. Paramount Global and CBS agreed earlier this month to settle Trump's $20 billion election interference lawsuit against the network for at least $16 million. Days before CBS announced the plug was pulled on the "Late Show," Colbert was outspoken against the settlement, calling it a "big fat bribe." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research. Fox News Digital's Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
