USA NETWORK INTEGRATES CHARACTER CHATTER WITH FACEBOOK PLATFORM ELEVATING INTERACTIVITY
No. 1 Cable Network to Kick Off New Capabilities of Character Chatter During NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Season Finale
NEW YORK - September 14, 2011 - USA Network is expanding its Character Chatter, the network's proprietary SocialTV messaging platform, integrating the system with Facebook, enabling people not only to connect, but also, find their friends who love the same shows and talk about them in real-time. The move furthers USA's push to drive SocialTV and second-screen viewing experiences for fans through innovative uses of new technology. The new capabilities will go live in conjunction with the season finale of USA's newest hit show, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, during which series star Callie Thorne will speak to fans through live video chat during the program tonight at 10/9c.
Understanding the power of connecting TV and social tools like Facebook, USA's Character Chatter harnesses and amplifies the social buzz around its series by funneling in a real-time feed of text, images and videos from all major social streams including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. The proprietary SocialTV community platform attracted 300,000 unique visits during the summer season alone. The new capabilities, including real-time exchange, empower fans to contribute to conversations, connect with cast and crew and experience the USA series and brand in a new manner. Viewers can participate by Liking the Network or individual shows. The growth and popularity of this community building SocialTV platform is taking hold rapidly.
"A presence on Facebook is crucial to the evolution of our digital initiatives supporting our original programming. Working to integrate new features and connect USA to our fans where they are has always been a focus," said Jesse Redniss, vice president of digital, USA. "Character Chatter is a key foundational element of our SocialTV strategy as it enables us to not only speak with our fans in real-time but connect them with each other driving more community interaction surrounding USA and our brand."
Facebook Character Chatter gives fans four different ways to interact with each other:
· My Friends - Find out which friends like a particular show and chat directly with them, either during an episode or anticipating the next one. Additionally, fans can invite their friends to private chats and participate on the Character Chatter Platform directly on Facebook.
· Chat with Fans - Join the larger audience of fans across the globe who are talking about their favorite moments, storylines or actors.
· Curated Feed - Interact with stars and writers throughout the season. Following the individual chat and invite their friends to do the same.
· All - Super fans can see all of the show comments 24/7. This section of the feed enables people to gauge what is trending and see what they are saying about the show while it is on-air
USA is continuing to innovate and increase opportunities to connect with viewers live as they catch a new episode or as they watch a favorite past episode.
NECESSARY ROUGHNESS has been scoring touchdowns all summer long for USA as a breakout hit. The hit series stars Callie Thorne as Dr. Dani Santino, a tough, sexy Long Island divorcee who re-energizes her life and career when she becomes a therapist for a professional football team. Underestimated at every turn, she succeeds beyond all expectations and soon finds herself the most sought - after therapist for high-profile clients. The series also stars Mehcad Brooks, Marc Blucas and Scott Cohen. The series was created and is executive produced by Liz Kruger & Craig Shapiro. Jeffrey Lieber and Kevin Dowling also serve as executive producers. Inspired by a true story, the series is a Sony Pictures Television and Universal Cable Productions co-production. NECESSARY ROUGHNESS shoots in Atlanta, GA.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. A division of NBCUniversal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
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