USA Network is adding Viggle to its social media medicine chest as it prepares to give fans additional digital access to its series Royal Pains.
Viggle is a free app for smart phones and tablets that rewards users for interacting with TV shows. Viewers will be able to use Viggle, as well as USA's Character Chatter platform to access video from the medical show set in the Hamptons, interact with talent and enter a Summer on the Set sweepstakes.
These goodies will be sponsored by Toyota, which has had an ongoing relationship with the series. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"USA and Toyota are continuing their history of providing Royal Pains fans with compelling digital user experiences, and this season we are expanding that by partnering with Viggle, one of the hottest second screen applications," Alexandra Shapiro, executive VP, marketing & digital, for USA said in a statement. "Using our ‘Created With' approach, we bring together innovative partners to provide our passionate fanbase with compelling digital storytelling arcs that increase their engagement with our original programming and brand sponsors."
At its upfront, USA emphasized its efforts in social media. The network has digital and social media components for six of its series this summer, each backed by a sponsor.
USA worked with Viggle on a 50th anniversary broadcast of To Kill a Mockingbird in April. Working on a series marks a long-term partnership.
Each week throughout the season, USA will post new content, some of it live from production which is currently shooting new episodes for the season. That video, as well as exclusive cast and producer interviews, outtakes and games will be accessible via computers and mobile devices.
"Our partnership with USA on the Royal Pains digital activations enables us to give fans an experience that complements our on-air initiatives while offering exclusive content in an immersive and contextually relevant way," said Dionne Colvin, Toyota's national marketing media manager. "We believe that interacting with consumers within both the online and mobile channels becomes an engagement that is unique to each person and allows for multiple touchpoints with the Toyota brand."
