• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, September 12, 2013

As mobile emerges as a key content channel for consumers, networks are racing to position themselves accordingly.

CBS Interactive, for one, just expanded its roster of fantasy sports offerings with a new “predictive” gaming app for the 2013 football season.

Developed in partnership with game studio PrePlay, the app encourages fans to predict every down of every drive, while watching pro or college games on their TVs, or at the stadium.

Engaging audiences across multiple channels has become critical for every network, according to Jonathan Dube, general Manager of CBSSports.com.

"The … PrePlay Football App is a major addition to our suite of mobile apps,” Dube told Online Media Daily. The app allows users to compete with friends and other fans in play-by-play predictions as games play out. Throughout the 2013 bowl season, as many as 15 college football games a week will be available for play prediction on thePrePlay Football app.

The new app will feature advertising from various CBSSports.com sponsors. The app will also feature Twitter and Facebook integration and will allow players to connect and compete with friends by comparing picks and chatting directly within the app.

Mobile is no longer a niche play. For the first time, in fact, shipments of tablet computers will surpass those of personal computers in the fourth quarter, IDC predicted this week. Tablet shipments will exceed 84 million units in the fourth quarter compared with about 83 million for PCs, according to IDC.

Earlier this year, CBS Sports completely rebuilt its Fantasy Football app for the 2013 season. As a result, the app’s user base was up 43% year-over-year as of August.

All together, CBS Interactive now operates four sports-focused apps, including the CBS Sports app; the CBS Fantasy Football; the CBS Fantasy Baseball app, and the new CBS Sports PrePlay Football app.