New App Rewards Users for Being a Couch Potato
January 26, 2012 1:00 AM 
Want to earn rewards by watching TV? Believe it our not, there’s an app for that!
Viggle, which debuted yesterday, listens to what’s on, recognizes what you’re watching when you tap the screen of your iPhone or iPad and gives you credit at roughly two points per minute. It even works for shows you’ve saved on a digital video recorder.
Rack up 7,500 points, and you’ll be rewarded with a $5 gift card from retailers such as Burger King, Starbucks, Apple’s iTunes, Best Buy and CVS, which you can redeem directly from your device.
The company also plans to offer bonus points for checking into certain shows such as “American Idol” and 1,500 points for signing up. You can also get extra points for watching an ad on your device. The beta version awarded 100 points for watching a 15-second ad from Verizon Wireless.
The idea behind Viggle is that by giving people an added reason to watch TV, the size of the audience will increase, thereby allowing makers of shows to earn more money from advertisers.
Versions for Android devices and computers are in the works.
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