AMC NETWORKS AND TWITCH PARTNER TO BRING NEW ‘THE WALKING DEAD’ UNIVERSE CHANNEL TO FANS
Trailer for New Channel Available At https://www.twitch.tv/twduniverse
NEW YORK, NY, September 17, 2020 — AMC Networks and Twitch today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that brings a new, live-streaming entertainment experience focused on “The Walking Dead” Universe exclusively to Twitch.
Called the TWDUniverse channel, Twitch and AMCN have partnered to create a truly unique, interactive way for fans to celebrate and engage with “The Walking Dead” Universe by live-streaming original TWD-oriented programming exclusively on Twitch. Live, original shows empower fans to become part of the content experience with Twitch’s unique interactivity, making it the ideal service to create conversation and a home for “The Walking Dead” community.
“As the storytelling and characters that span ’The Walking Dead’ Universe continue to grow, so do the innovative ways we reach and engage with fans – both old and new – across social media and popular new platforms like Twitch,” said David Beck, executive vice president and head of programming strategy and business operations, AMC Networks. “Sunday nights on Twitch are audience-first and fan-centric, and we are thrilled at this opportunity to build something new for passionate fans of ‘The Walking Dead’ Universe, giving them a new community to celebrate the Universe, channel their enthusiasm and express their fandom.”
The fan-forward channel will include original content, created exclusively for Twitch, and will start streaming beginning this Sunday, September 20th. The TWDUniverse channel will stream a live show on Twitch from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. followed by a Watchalong during episode premieres, then continue the conversation from 11 p.m. to midnight every Sunday night. It will launch with approximately 12 hours of original content a week.
“The Walking Dead has built one of the most passionate and engaged audiences on television, and we’re thrilled to partner with AMC Networks to develop new ways for fans to experience this pop-culture phenomenon,” said Michael Aragon, SVP of Content at Twitch. “Today, television audiences want more from their viewing experience beyond the traditional 50-minute episode, and we’re excited to partner with brands and networks in the future to expand this audience connection. On Twitch, we’re able to create deeply immersive experiences that extend the world of The Walking Dead and enhance how fans interact with the show and each other.”
AMC Networks has been innovating by experimenting with new formats and platforms to make its popular and critically acclaimed content available in the way viewers and fans are looking for it. “The Walking Dead” franchise is the perfect focal point for creating a new way for fans to experience their favorite franchise via custom interactive content developed specifically with Twitch for the community. AMC has partnered with Hyper RPG—a media company that specializes in livestreaming to oversee technical production, creative assets, and next-level interactivity for the TWDUniverse Twitch channel.
The cast lineup for the TWDUniverse channel is as diverse as the talent in its shows and across its audience – to bring as many voices and stories to Twitch as possible. TWDUniverse hosts including fans, Clarke Wolfe, Ronnetta Renay and Dylan Gabriel Guerra will guide superfans through an immersive, interactive line-up of programming as follows:
Launch Party
Launches Sunday, September 20
For its first stream, TWDUniverse will kick off with a Launch Party featuring hosts Clarke, Ronnetta and Dylan as they welcome fans into the TWDUniverse community to learn, play and discuss among the most authoritative voices on the franchise, as well as kick off a season 10 interactive marathon of The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead Catch Up
Launches Sunday, September 20
The hosts will lead fans through select episodes of The Walking Dead season 10 and Fear The Walking Dead season 5, with real-time reactions as they watch and interact with the community, leading up to the much-anticipated premiere of episode 1016 on October 4.
Re-Watching Dead
Launches Thursday, September 24
A weekly deep dive discussion show focusing on spoiler-filled exploration into past episodes of The Walking Dead — exploring both on-screen and behind-the-scenes stories. Fans will get to re-live the first time they saw the show through interactive discussion of the story and dig deeper behind the scenes via interviews, behind-the-scenes moments, and interactive segments and games where they are part of the show.
World Beyond Celebration (name pending)
Launches Sunday, September 27
A variety show celebration of World Beyond composed of quick segments diving into cast interviews, BTS discussion, or fun and games with the audience. Framed around the idea of youth, this show will dive into what we know so far about the new series and reflect on our hosts’ own teenage experiences.
TWD Sundays
Launches Sunday, October 4 with 4 hours of continuous streaming content each week:
7:30pm Recapping Dead Pre-Show – Hosts dive into recaps of the previous week’s episode, explore theories and give their best predictions and speculations before the new episode premieres on television.
9:00pm Live Watch Party – During the episode, TWDUniverse will keep streaming on Twitch to create a live second screen experience for new episodes in The Walking Dead Universe with behind-the-scenes info pop-ups, interactions from the community and live host reactions.
11:00pm After Show – Following the premiere of Talking Dead, fans can continue the discussion in a more informal, interactive space on Twitch, taking a deeper dive into the new episodes.
