CBS launches multi-platform 'Big Brother' initiative

CBS announced a series of new multimedia efforts tied to the 11th season of the reality program Big Brother, which premieres tonight at 8 p.m. EST. CBS will simulcast episodes of Big Brother to mobile handsets via FLO TV's CBS Mobile Channel, enabling subscribers to interact with the show through SMS--in addition, a new mobile simulation game will enable viewers to compete in the Big Brother house as previous contestants, playing an assortment of mini-games tied to program elements like Head of Household and Power of Veto. The CBS mobile website will additionally host video clips and photo galleries.

Other new features introduced by CBS:

• A Twitter feed featuring real-time updates from a production insider tweeting during and between broadcasts. A second Twitter feed will allow the contestant selected as Head of Household for the week to tweet daily messages directly to viewers.
• A relaunched and redesigned official Big Brother website including photos and videos, community features, episode summaries and contestant profiles.
• An online contest, the Big Brother Fantasy League, enabling viewers to select contestants and accrue points based on their actions.  
• Full-length episodes across the CBS Audience Network, which includes partners like AOL, MSN, Yahoo, Fancast, Bebo, Sling Media, Windows Media Center, IMDb, Sony Bravia and TV Guide.
• Live streaming video coverage from inside the Big Brother house in partnership with RealNetworks.

For more on CBS's Big Brother efforts:
- read this InteractiveTV Today article [1]

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Verizon expands programming agreement with CBS [3]