Make Money From Your Sofa: Jobs That Pay You To Watch TV

13th January 2016

There are certain dream jobs that are pretty much out of reach: astronaut, international spy, movie star. But just because your appearance on the silver screen is about as likely as Johnny Depp finally winning an Oscar, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make money from the other side of the screen. There are apps available and job opportunities that allow you to watch your favorite TV shows and movies for money, credits and prizes.

Reward TV

Reward TV is an online rewards program that focuses specifically on what airs on television, which is usually current TV shows, although recently aired movies are also applicable. To earn points, you answer trivia questions related to the TV shows and films that you watched the day prior. Each quiz and survey earns you points with which you can redeem for reward prizes, gift cards and cash.

Viggle

Like Reward TV, Viggle’s platform is television, but it is an app rather than a website. It also incorporates music and videos into its point-earning system. Viggle is set up for you to check in to the select television shows and songs. The process becomes even easier with the selection of bonus shows, just in case you run out of favorites and are looking for something different to watch. Once you check in to your program, with every minute you watch, you earn one point. If you’re watching a bonus show, you can earn four, six or ten times the points. The app also has additional point opportunities through the Viggle Football option and Viggle Live. You can also seek out added point-earning adventures through the various streaks and quests Viggle offers.

With Viggle Music, you earn reward points by matching a song to its correct title. You also can purchase music through the Viggle app, which is tracked in Viggle’s My Songs section that is viewable from the home screen.

Netflix

Last but in no way least, there exists a job so enticing, so perfect for the binge-watching enthusiast that it seems almost too good to be true. Netflix employs a group of watchers called “taggers.” Taggers view Netflix’s content, both film and television, and add to the platform what computer-generated algorithms cannot. They tag the film or TV show based on content, time, genre and other films that feel similar. The results of these tags are the viewing suggestions that appear each time you finish a title.

It is still a job, though, and it requires time and effort. Each week Netflix provides its taggers with roughly three to eight movies or television shows, which the tagger then views and inputs answers to a complex questionnaire about the titles. The titles are then divided into the appropriate categories, stamped with general tags and linked to various sub-tags based on the plot line. The process is tech-heavy and requires hours of computer time. To be a mega-tagger, you would need to use a highly portable device like the iPad Air 2, so you could work from anywhere. The job requires a mind that is prone to critical analysis, which is why many taggers are film students.

It’s true; you may never be paid to walk on the moon or to delve into a world of espionage and intrigue. It’s probable that you, and the Deppster, will never hold an Oscar. But in a time of technology and entertainment, you can make money simply by doing what you would be doing anyway, all from the comfort of your couch.

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