Skip to main content

Twitter reportedly testing giant cards to replace your TV Guide

Twitter reportedly testing giant cards to replace your TV Guide

Share this story

Promoted TV Twitter Card
Promoted TV Twitter Card

Twitter may be testing a new TV-focused feature to its mobile app, at least for some users. A tip from TechCrunch reader ASG on Twitter shows a new card that's placed at the top of his timeline. The card suggests a trending TV show, listing how many tweets mention it and when it last aired. Tapping it reportedly brings up a synopsis of the episode, related tweets, and recommended accounts to follow; Jimmy Kimmel Live, predictably, says you should check out Jimmy Kimmel. It's not clear whether the shows themselves are chosen purely on popularity or somehow tailored for different users. Though the cards seem to appear at each refresh and flow downward as you scroll through the timeline, you can also dismiss them, which doesn't change the fact that they're quite large for such a small screen.

So far, we haven't come across the cards ourselves. There's no sign of them on the web or Android, and so far, only ordinary promoted tweets appear on iOS. Twitter regularly tests potential new features with a small set of users, and this card dovetails with a larger set of TV-friendly changes, like cards that show clips of shows or promoted tweets that match what you're watching and tweeting about. Twitter has become the de facto "second screen" for shows, creating a mutually advantageous relationship — it's even being used to estimate viewership and partnering with ratings company Nielsen. We've contacted Twitter for a response, but Twitter's likely to keep mum until a wider rollout, or an official announcement.