--Ustream-Powered Show to Feature Participation by Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg, Brandee Barker
Dick Clark Productions (DCP) contacted [itvt] Wednesday to let us know that it is teaming with Facebook (which, according to new figures from Nielsen's VideoCensus, is now the third-largest broadband video site after YouTube and Hulu in total streams) to add a live, interactive broadband video element to its annual American Music Awards (AMA).
According to the company, its collaboration with the social networking service will see the AMAs' first-ever digital red-carpet pre-show streaming on the Celebs on Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/celebs), on the AMAs' Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/amas), on ABC.com, on Ustream.TV and through an official AMA Red Carpet LIVE widget (available at http://www.livepremieres.com/ama) at 6:00PM Eastern/3:00PM Pacific on November 23rd. Entitled "The Official AMA Pre-Show," sponsored by Coca-Cola, and powered by Ustream, the show will be hosted by Julie Moran, Jenni Pulos, Jai Rodriguez and Taryn Southern, and will feature Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg and Brandee Barker, and a "special participation" by iJustine (http://www.facebook.com/ijustine), the company says. It will also feature an appearance by the "Coke Correspondent," the winner of an ongoing national competition to become a red-carpet correspondent at the awards.
According to Dick Clark Productions, the streaming pre-show will also allow Facebook users "to connect with the artists walking the red carpet": the company says that questions that Facebook users post via status updates during the live stream will be used by the show's hosts to interview stars on the red carpet (note: fans can also submit questions via Twitter--http://www.twitter.com/officialamas--and via a special "red-carpet hotline," powered by SayNow). Facebook also held an event called "Facebook @ the AMA's" on November 13th that DCP says allowed users to RSVP for the red carpet pre-show. "DCP has always taken pride in connecting the fans with the artists," Dick Clark Productions president, Orly Adelson, said in a prepared statement. "Through this new relationship, we will now be able to give the Facebook community an unprecedented way of interacting with the stars on the red carpet." Added Ariel Elazar, DCP's VP of digital distribution and brand licensing: "Being able to team with Facebook to distribute our programming is a great step in DCP's digital strategy. Facebook's platform allows for powerful consumer engagement which is a key to successful content distribution."
