It looks like Twitter isn’t just for fleeting thoughts and presidential rants anymore. Fox is partnering with the social media platform for exclusive tweet-friendly streaming initiatives for Empire, The Mick and the new fall comedy Ghosted.
Empire, the soapy musical drama about the Lyon family and their hip-hop dynasty, will get its own pre-show on Twitter that will run all season and cast members and guest stars, as well as journalists and influencers, to discuss the series. The pre-show will launch on Wednesday, September 20 and stream exclusively throughout the season at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT right before the show’s new timeslot of 8:00 PM ET. Viewers will be able to join the discussion at #EmpirePreShow.
In addition, beginning at 11:00 PM ET/8:00 PM PT September 19, Twitter will stream a marathon of Kaitlin Olson’s top five episodes of her comedy The Mick, which follows an unapologetic degenerate stuck raising her spoiled niece and nephews. The episodes will stream with a special introduction by Olson and feature live Tweet participation by the show’s cast and producers. For your hashtag needs, use #TheMickBender.
The new supernatural/sci-fi comedy Ghosted starring Craig Robinson and Adam Scott will make Twitter history as their premiere episode will stream nightly at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT, from September 21-24 ahead of its debut on October 1. The streaming episode will feature a special introduction by Robinson and Scott, with a Twitter Q&A featuring members of the show’s cast to follow each night’s presentation. The comedy follows the partnership between two polar opposites – a cynical skeptic and a genius “true believer” in the paranormal – who are recruited by a secret government agency, known as The Bureau Underground, to save the human race. Viewers will be able to join the big debut and discuss the series at #GhostedPremiere.
“With so much competition out there, it’s more important than ever to create innovative ways to promote our shows and connect directly to our viewers,” said Shannon Ryan, Chief Marketing Officer of Fox Television Group. “From introducing new fans to Ghosted, to creating a catch-up opportunity with The Mick marathon, to building fan conversation for Empire with the live pre-show, this exciting partnership with Twitter allows us to tailor each initiative for every show.”
“Fox programs and talent regularly engage fans and drive conversation on our platform,” adds Todd Swidler, Global Head, Live Video Business at Twitter. “We’re excited to partner with Fox to bring TV viewing and conversation even closer together. The discussion of TV shows has always taken place on Twitter and it is a natural evolution to add TV premieres and live pre-shows to our video experience.”
In addition to providing another method of consuming TV media, this partnership could possibly open the door to another avenue for networks to promote and create buzz around existing and new shows.
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