When Oxygen’s popular “The Glee Project” reality TV show crowns a winner on Tuesday, August 14 at 10pm ET/PT, the finale will only be the beginning: Immediately after the show, fans will be able to go online and join a post-show videochat with the winner and cast in “The Glee Project Live Reunion.”
This online aftershow exemplifies a powerful new entertainment industry strategy for deeper fan engagement.
The background, from Oxygen Media:
In Oxygen’s “The Glee Project” season two finale on Tuesday, August 14th at 10pm ET/PT, the final three contenders – Aylin, Blake and Ali – vie for a seven episode arc on “Glee.” Joining the finalists is “Glee” series regular Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel) who will mentor the contenders through “Glee-ality” week. The competitors will bring everything they have to the stage for their final performances, including their last homework assignment which is “You Can’t Stop The Beat” from Hairspray.
The star-studded night continues online directly after at 11pm ET with “The Glee Project Live Reunion.” “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and “Glee” star, NeNe Leakes, and “The Glee Project” on-air mentor and casting director, Robert Ulrich, will join the final five contenders live in New York while additional cast members from season two will join via live video on the Watchitoo platform to participate and answer fan questions. Also making a special appearance will be the cast from “All the Right Moves,” joining the Live Reunion to chat with fans on Oxygen.com.
Fans can tweet their questions to @TheGleeProject or submit live video questions the night of the event at Oxygen.com.
As you can see, Watchitoo continues to be an increasingly popular Web-based platform for TV producers, event organizers and others to increase engagement with their audiences and extend the reach of their brands. Up to 25 individuals or groups can participate live simultaneously via Watchitoo while hundreds of thousands can view and follow the conversation, using social tools to interact with their friends and fellow viewers.
Tuesday’s “The Glee Project Live Reunion” will enable fans to involve themselves in “The Glee Project” far more deeply than ever before, using Watchitoo to ask questions of the entire cast, chat among themselves, tweet their thoughts, and even appear live on the show through their videocams.
One thing our entertaining industry customers love is that Watchitoo is a Web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform requiring no plug-ins or downloads. It is completely embeddable in any website, blog or Facebook page and can be custom-branded to the owner’s look and feel. Unlike other group videochat offerings, Watchitoo enables a show to have a “virtual” Green Room area to prep participants.
“’The Glee Project’ is one of many shows discovering the power of social TV to grow their relationship with their fans,” said Rony Zarom, CEO of Watchitoo. “Fans are loving this new level of interaction with the stars, and the stars are loving the chance to build their brands without a script.”
Join us for the live chat Tuesday, August 14th at 11pm ET
