SHOWTIME LAUNCHES THREE SCREEN VIEWER EXPERIENCE WITH THE REAL L WORD(TM) LIVE LOUNGE
Network Partners With foursquare And BlackBook To Enhance Interactive Experience
The Real L Word Wines From Domenico Winery Unveiled In Stores Nationwide This Summer
NEW YORK - June 25, 2010 - As part of a multi-faceted campaign for the launch of the network's unscripted series THE REAL L WORD, SHOWTIME has launched a three screen interactive viewer experience. Reaching subscribers on every platform - through social networking sites including Twitter, Facebook and foursquare, online on SHO.com and Ustream, with on-air polls, and on mobile through THE REAL L WORD iPhone application - each week fans of the series will have an opportunity to share their comments and participate in the ultimate fan party with the ladies of The Real L Word.
Before and during each episode of THE REAL L WORD, airing Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME, fans can share their comments and get a behind the scenes look at the series, as the cast and producers join THE REAL L WORD LIVE LOUNGE providing live commentary on SHO.com/livelounge, Twitter and Facebook from 9:30 to 11 p.m. ET. Then, following each episode, viewers can stay with Showtime for an online after-party video chat with one of the cast members from the series, where they can share their questions and comments live (11 p.m. ET). THE LIVE LOUNGE gives SHOWTIME viewers a unique three screen experience, with on-air polls, questions being fed live on set from the network's website, through mobile applications, and through social networking sites.
THE REAL L WORD LIVE LOUNGE video chats will stream on SHO.com/livelounge and Ustream, and will be accessible from The Real L Word Facebook page. The weekly video chats are hosted by Natalie Garcia, an "online only" cast member of THE REAL L WORD, whose story will be shown exclusively through weekly webisodes on SHO.com. Live video chats continue to be an important part of the network's digital strategy - past successful chats have included fan conversations with the producers and cast of Dexter and with Californication star David Duchovny.
Showtime Networks remains an industry leader in social media, enjoying some of the highest fan engagement levels on Facebook among major broadcast and cable networks - with over 6.2 million fans across the network's Facebook fan pages, and 2.6 million for the DEXTER Facebook fan page alone, making it one of the leading Facebook fan communities among any cable series.
Showtime developed a custom iPhone application in support of The Real L Word providing fans with an opportunity to connect with the series and interact with other fans in a variety of ways all via their mobile phones - they can watch sneak peek clips of the upcoming week's episode, read the ladies' blog updates, contribute to the show's Facebook page, or follow the cast and series on Twitter (@SHO_realLword). Viewers can use the location-based feature of the app to check in to locations featured on the series or those recommended by the ladies of THE REAL L WORD through the power of foursquare and with reviews and Perks from BlackBook of the hottest shops, spas, restaurants and nightlife in major cities around the country.
Fans can also directly connect with The Real L Word on foursquare at http://foursquare.com/RealLWord by following the account and checking into locations that have tips from the show's cast. After three check-ins to The Real L Word locations, users will unlock the "Club L" badge.
The official series site for The Real L Word on sho.com/reallword provides fans with an inside look on the ladies of The Real L WORD, featuring videos, deleted scenes, cast blogs, message boards, podcasts with extended interviews, casting clips, and special webisodes (More to L with Natalie) featuring a seventh and "online only" cast member. The series site also includes a line of THE Real L Word related merchandise from the SHO.com store.
Additionally, Domenico Winery in San Carlos, Calif. is producing a branded THE REAL L WORD wine in a licensing partnership with SHOWTIME. Three wines - a Chardonnay, a Syrah and a dessert wine - are currently being produced to be sold at wine shops, grocery chains, liquor stores, and online wine retailers this summer. The wine was debuted at The Real L Word premiere in Los Angeles on June 15.
Continuing its long-standing commitment to the LGBT community, showtimE hosted appearances from THE REAL L WORD cast and Ilene Chaiken, the series creator and one of the show's executive producers, at a variety of premiere events last week, including key sponsorship of Los Angeles Pride Weekend. SHOWTIME once again partnered with the Human Rights Campaign hosting 25 premiere screenings nationwide including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Boston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego and New Orleans, among others.
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(TM), SHOWTIME 2 HD(TM), THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD(TM), SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND(TM) and FLIX ON DEMAND(R). SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks(TM), a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution which recently launched SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL(TM). All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV(R)
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