Television
May 31, 2000
Kids’ WB! And Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group’s Live Interactive Online Event Makes Internet History
(May 31, 2000 – Burbank, CA) – Kids’ WB! and Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group (SPFE) made Internet history with the first-ever real-time animated live interactive experience on Friday, May 19. Powered by Rotor, a pioneer in state-of-the-art interactive technology, the Kids’ WB! webcast on www.kidswb.com generated an unprecedented response among Internet denizens. The announcement was made by Dave Doré and Betsy McGowen, Vice Presidents, Marketing, Kids’ WB!, and David Palmer, Vice President, Marketing, Sony Pictures Family Entertainment.
This groundbreaking live internet event, hosted by the lead character of the adrenaline-packed 3D CGI animated series “Max Steel,” featured an online interactive session that attracted more than 4,000 fans who participated for an average of 18.5 minutes. The session included real-time streaming animation; a behind-the-scenes tour of N-TEK, the series’ top-secret corporation; and allowed viewers to participate by helping guide the experience.
“We're very excited about the success of this event as it proves the ability of the Kids’ WB! brand to move freely from broadcast to the Internet and back, taking its loyal viewers along for the ride,” stated Mr. Doré and Ms. McGowen.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the response – a typical webcast usually draws only a few hundred participants,” said Mr. Palmer. “Our research also indicates the average visitor to a webcast stays with the site for only four-to-five minutes. The fact that ‘Max Steel’ fans participated, on average, more than 18 minutes is unprecedented and supports SPFE’s practice of providing compelling, entertaining content to not
only capture audiences, but also to hold them.”
The enthusiasm generated by this live interactive event on Friday evening continued into Kids’ WB!’s Saturday, May 20 broadcast of “Max Steel,” boosting the ratings to some of the highest numbers the series has garnered to date. “Max Steel” achieved its highest ratings in the past five weeks among Kids 2-11 with a 3.2/14 rating/share and Boys 2-11 with a 4.4/17 rating/share. Against all kid competition, the series ranked #1 in Teens 12-17 (2.7/17) and in Males 12-17 (4.3/28). “Max Steel” also increased +7 percent in Kids 2-11, +6 percent in Boys 2-11, +18 percent in Boys 2-5 and +69 percent in Teens 12-17 from its previous week.
By logging on to www.kidswb.com, kids were able to access the Internet’s first live-event audio/visual enabled player, the cutting edge Rotor Player, to participate. The event gave kids the opportunity to interact by guiding the action, asking Max questions and having them answered in real time. In addition, the on-line session included a thrilling behind-the-scenes tour of N-TEK, the super-secret international organization in “Max Steel” that appears on the surface to be an extreme sports conglomerate.
Rotor-powered Internet broadcasts are live, interactive events that enable mass audiences to actively participate and influence the content and flow of the programming. Rotor develops and markets the Rotor System, a groundbreaking new service that allows for the creation and large-scale distribution of live, online, interactive broadcasts. For more information on Rotor or to download the Rotor Player, visit www.rotor.net.
Airing on Kids’ WB!’s Saturday morning lineup, “Max Steel” is a half-hour animated-adventure that follows extreme sports enthusiast and college student, 19-year-old Josh McGrath -- a.k.a. Max Steel, a bionic super agent, who must defend the world from ruthless enemies.
Kids’ WB! is #1 in children's television. Season-to-date, Kids’ WB! is a market leader among all Saturday morning broadcast and cable competitors in the key demographics of Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11, Boys 2-11 and Boys 6-11.
Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group (SPFE), established in February ‘99, produces traditional cel animation, CGI and live-action properties for television and theatrical release around the world. # # #