LOS ANGELES and SEATTLE, June 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CBS and RealNetworks(R), Inc. , the leading creator of digital media services and software, today announced that they will offer an exclusive 24- hour-a-day service streaming video from the BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS house, allowing fans to watch live and unedited houseguest activity, much of which never appears on TV.
This service, available through RealNetworks' SuperPass(TM) subscription service, brings TV to the Web in an entirely new way by combining around-the- clock footage with blogs, chats, message boards, polls and other interactive features that build on the drama and excitement of the BIG BROTHER television experience.
The webcast premieres on Thursday, July 6, immediately following the East coast broadcast of the show at 8:00PM ET. Subscribers to the 24/7 video stream can watch any one of four live camera feeds from the BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS house or catch all of the action at once with the special quad-cam view, which allows fans to simultaneously see four different video feeds. In addition, Real and CBS are enhancing the BIG BROTHER 24/7 experience with the introduction of new interactive features that bring together the fan community. Fans can interact with one another in BIG BROTHER-focused blogs, chat rooms, message boards, and weekly polls, and get much more information on the show and houseguests.
The entire three-month season of BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS is available through SuperPass. Fans who want to see everything that happens in the house, including things they won't show on TV, can sign up for the webcast via the official BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS website at http://www.cbs.com/ and through Real's SuperPass website at http://www.real.com/bigbrother. Fans can subscribe for $14.99 monthly or $39.99 for a discounted three-month subscription, with a free trial for everyone who signs up.
"Together, CBS and Real are delivering TV on the Web in an entirely new way," said Harold Zeitz, senior vice president of media software and services for RealNetworks. "Real's 'Big Brother' offering begins where reality TV leaves off, blending around-the-clock streaming video with blogs, chat and other fan-friendly features that allow fans to stay immersed in the Big Brother experience."
"The Big Brother web offering is even better this year, with the addition of new ways for fans to interact with each other and stay engaged with the show 24/7," said Brinley Turner, Vice President and General Manager, CBS.com. "We're thrilled to be partnering with Real to enhance the 'Big Brother' experience by enabling fans to check in on houseguests at anytime and watch as the action unfolds."
Subscribers can also access other components of the official CBS BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS website, including: detailed summaries of all the events and challenges that happen during each televised broadcast; popularity and opinion polls; photo galleries; and a houseguest section with complete profiles for each contestant.
In addition to BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS, SuperPass subscribers also have access to a compelling mix of features, including news and entertainment video, free music downloads from the RealPlayer(R) Music Store, free downloadable games, premium Internet radio, Real(R) PhotoVideo for sharing personal photos and video clips, security software, and more.
To preserve the drama for BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS television viewers, CBS may block or delay the webcast for a limited number of real-time events that transpire in the house.
Arnold Shapiro, Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan are the executive producers of BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS for Arnold Shapiro & Allison Grodner Productions, in association with Endemol Entertainment.
ABOUT CBS.com
CBS.com, the official website of the CBS Television Network, has become the top web destination among all Network television websites. CBS.com has been the most trafficked website among its Entertainment competitors with more unique visitors every month for the past two years. With its proven success of intersecting traditional television with new media, CBS.com attracted a record high of more than 12 million unique visitors in May 2004 as a result of the "Survivor: All Stars" finale and online voting for America's Tribal Council. Home to the official websites for all CBS television series, CBS.com's notable sites include "Survivor," "CSI" and "CSI: Miami," "Big Brother," "The Amazing Race" and "Late Show with David Letterman."
ABOUT REALNETWORKS, INC.
RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading creator of digital media services and software including Rhapsody(R), RealPlayer(R) 10, and casual PC and mobile games. RealNetworks has more than 2.4 million paid subscribers to its premium digital media http://www.real.com/. Broadcasters, network operators, media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to create and deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. RealNetworks' corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com/company.
NOTE: RealNetworks, RealPlayer and SuperPass are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. Other companies or products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
RealNetworks, Inc.
CONTACT: Matt Graves of RealNetworks, +1-415-934-2159, or mgraves@real.com; or Mitch Graham of CBS, +1-323-575-2415, or mitch.graham@tvc.cbs.com
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