14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like Twitter and National CineMedia have signed a deal that will bring entertainment-related tweets and Vine videos on the big screens of movie theaters across the US.
According to a press release, the pact is expected to be put into practice this coming summer, although no particular timeline has been set so far.
Theaters affiliated to the National CineMedia will start running a 1-minute weekly show that focuses on content from trending movies and entertainment topics. The innovative programming will also feature messages sent out by moviegoers via Twitter, if they contain the appropriate hashtags.
Basically, if you’re at the cinema, waiting to watch a movie and the program from Twitter and Vine appears on the screen, you can quickly Tweet about it and have your message included in the video.
There are no sponsors for the project as of yet, and not even the technical details have been ironed out. NCM has said that it is still working on the on-screen format, which should be done before the two partnering companies can even start to look for sponsors.
“We’re looking for an innovative brand that wants to become part of the movie experience in a valuable way by joining in, and even leading, the social media conversation. Twitter has become an amazing barometer of movie trends, and this new show will take theater audiences beyond the red-carpet for an original look inside the world of movies,” said Cliff Marks, president of sales and marketing with NCM Media Networks.
For its part, Twitter seems excited about the prospect as well. Glenn Brown, senior director of Twitter Amplify, said that the company was always looking for new ways to bring great and useful content to users.
“Movie audiences are naturally social, and this partnership allows Twitter to work together with NCM Media Networks to help brands reach moviegoers in unique and creative fashion,” Brown said.
The new partnership is another nod to the increasingly important role that Twitter plays when it comes to movie trends, predicting and observing them.
While this may be the first time Twitter is taking its service and Vine to the big movie screens, Twitter has done something similar before. I am referring, of course, to the platform’s integration with live television shows on multiple networks.
This first happened back in 2011 on Comedy Central’s roast of Donald Trump and has since evolved into a real phenomenon, being picked up by a wide range of shows.