In-stream association of media content for video presentation

Abstract

User-applied, in-stream association of media content with a video content item is disclosed. During presentation of a video content item, a user selects or otherwise identifies a media content item to be associated with the video content item. The user further selects or otherwise identifies a temporal position (e.g., time value) within the video content item with which the media content item is to be associated. In one example, a user selects and drags the media content item to or toward the video content item within a GUI to define the association. In at least some implementations, the video content item may be presented via a different device than the media content item, thereby forming a multi-platform association.

1 . A method performed by a computing system, the method comprising:
 transmitting an instance of a video content item to a first client device over a communications network for presentation at the first client device;   receiving association information over the communications network, the association information originating at and transmitted by a second client device wirelessly paired with the first client device, the association information including or indicating a media content item selected by a user of the second client device and a temporal position within the video content item based on a user input received at the second client device,
 wherein the user input includes selection, and dragging or flicking of the media content item or a graphical representation of the media content item in a direction of a top of a graphical user interface or an icon of the graphical user interface presented by the graphical display of the second client device, and 
 wherein the temporal position corresponds to a playback position of the video content item presented by the first client device when the user input was received at the second client device; 
   associating the media content item with the video content item at the temporal position in a data store based on the association information received over the communications network; and   transmitting another instance of the video content item to a third client device over the communications network for presentation at the third client device with the media content item or a representation of the media content item presented alongside of or overlaid upon the video content item at least at the temporal position within the video content item.