AOL's Build unit on Thursday celebrated the opening of its new live-streaming facility, Build Studios.
Occupying an iconic New York City building, the former home of Tower Records (and, after its demise, the MLB FanCave) at 692 Broadway, the studio will host several hours of daily live events. Along with a facility in London, AOL's Build Series streams more than 75 events a month, with an average of four hours live. Fans can access the content via iOS and Android apps.
The 13,400-square-foot facility is also designed to accommodate 360-degree video, aimed at immersing fans further in what happens in the studio.
"The BUILD Series is all about creating a fan-first experience," said Build Series Executive Producer Suzanne Lindbergh, who spent two decades at Apple and developed groundbreaking programming at Apple stores to highlight filmmakers and musicians. "This evolutionary and new BUILD Studio gives us the opportunity to innovate storytelling and share the best thought leaders across the industry."
At Thursday's opening, pop soul singer Kat Graham performed with a large backing band and guests included AOL CEO Tim Armstrong and New York Mayor Bill DiBlasio. Revelers of a certain age got flashbacks climbing the main staircase (newly constructed but its position in the space preserved from the original) and glimpsed the exact same Joy Division and Clash posters that graced Tower back in the day.
