CBS Strikes Deal with lonelygirl15 Creators
Network Inks First-Look Deal with EQAL
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/14/2008 6:35:00 PM
CBS and EQAL, the production house behind interactive series lonelygirl15 and KateModern, struck a deal to create original programming for television and new-media platforms.
The deal is not exclusive, but the network will get the first look at the company’s multiplatform concepts. EQAL will also consult with CBS on how to take its programming and integrate it online and on mobile devices. The production company will work closely with CBS writers to create series tie-ins.
EQAL CEO Miles Beckett said, "Until now, online content associated with TV shows has had virtually no real connection to the show's narrative experience. What CBS and EQAL are coming together to create is groundbreaking and will be the first time that television stories will be extended and amplified online in a way that takes full advantage of the Internet's capabilities for interaction and community.”
He continued, “The extended narratives online will give fans and viewers the opportunity for a whole new level of engagement both in between airings of the TV episodes and as stand-alone plot lines.”
