.@twitter and @bbcamerica, home of #DoctorWho & #TopGear, ink deal to offer 1st in-Tweet branded video synced to entertainment TV series
— BBC AMERICA (@BBCAMERICA) April 18, 2013
Twitter’s busting out all over. The company just announced its music discovery app this week, a new advertising approach based on tweet content, and now this — a new partnership with BBC America.
According to a tweet sent by the network, the relationship will bring forth “in-tweet branded video synced to entertainment TV series.” Specifics on what that means aren’t outlined, but on the surface, it seems like it could be bonus or companion content to network programming, tweeted out to followers on the micro-blogging service.
But BBC America may not be alone for long. Bloomberg reports that the social network is on the verge of cutting deals with NBC and Viacom as well.
Without doubt, Twitter is a powerful tool for community engagement. This is likely why it was put front and center at NBCUniversal’s broadcast of the Olympics, which featured tweets from athletes and fans during the games. Meanwhile other television programs have been trying to figure out the best way to integrate the service, from throwing hashtags on the screen during broadcast to featuring actual viewer tweets on air. If this latest deal pans out the way we think it will, it would be a pretty unique and bold take on it. At the very least, it would offer a creative alternative to webisodes, featurettes or other online-only offerings, and deliver an effective way for studios to connect with audiences using new media.