Tapping into a distribution strategy that it’s been using for other original shows, MTV is offering an early, exclusive look at Faking It, the network’s new scripted comedy series, on its TV Everywhere app a week before of its regular TV premiere.
Starting Tuesday (April 15), MTV is offering the episode for 48 hours via the app, available on iOS- and Android-powered smartphones and tablets and on the Xbox 360 console (only to Xbox Live Gold members in the U.S.).
Faking It, billed as a romantic comedy about “two best friends who love each other” and starring Katie Stevens and Rita Volk, is set to premiere on MTV on April 22 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. Created by Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov, Faking It is produced by Carter Covington (10 Things I Hate About You, Geek, and Hart of Dixie).
Today’s early showing of Faking It is the first time MTV has previewed a scripted series ahead of its TV debut, but the network has had success releasing new series on its TVE app ahead of their regular TV premieres.
Of recent note, MTV took a page from the Netflix playbook by offering the entire series of docu-drama Wait Til Next Year on its app, and a week before the first episode premiered on TV. According to MTV, the decision helped to boost ratings (the series premiere drew an 8% uptick in P12-17, while week two P12-34 saw ratings grow more than 100%, according to MTV), and produce a 47% boost in downloads of its TVE app.
MVPDs with rights to MTV’s TV Everywhere offerings include AT&T U-verse, Bright House Networks, Cablevision Systems, Cox Communications, DirecTV, EPB Fiber Optics, Hawaiian Telcom, RCN, Suddenlink Communications, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS.
