BBC launches playalong game for Antiques Roadshow

The broadcaster has created the app, available on Android and Apple devices, to encourage viewers to play a multiple choice game in synchrony with the live show in which they can guess the value of the objects.

Viewers will be able to play against others in the same room and compare their rankings, which range from ‘novice’ to ‘expert’. They can also access exclusive information relating to the items on the show.

The app, available to download from Apple and Android app stores from today, follows the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow Red Button game, which launched in September and has since clocked up 1.5m players.

Victoria Jaye, head of IPTV and TV Online at the BBC said, “We wanted our first live and synchronous companion experience to appeal to a mainstream audience and create a real event in the living room for families across the UK – the Antiques Roadshow mobile app does just that. It builds on our successful Red Button playalong quizzes which regularly attract millions of viewers a week.”

Viewers can play the game for the first time with the live show on Sunday 6 January, while those looking to test it sooner can play it via BBC iPlayer.

It can also be used if the show is recorded, as the technology uses audio signals embedded in the soundtrack of the show, which the tablets and smartphones can detect and in doing so identify the episode and line up the sequence of questions.