First, it was the nation’s No. 1 audio content creation and distribution company.
Now, the parent company of all-things NBC and the Spanish-language Telemundo network is entering the metaverse. And, it is thanks to a newly forged partnership with one of the biggest global technology companies helping broadcast TV enter the NEXTGEN era.
Come Tuesday (9/20), NBCUniversal will launch “Tonight at the Rock – Powered by Samsung Galaxy.”
The Comcast unit describes “Tonight at the Rock” as “a playable experience” that’s been created in Fortnite, “allowing fans to place themselves directly in a fantastical version of Rockefeller Center and iconic Tonight Show locations.”
It’s just the latest virtual reality experience to involve a major broadcast media company, following the launch in late August of iHeartLand from iHeartMedia, featuring inaugural participating sponsor State Farm.
Throughout the “Tonight at the Rock” experience, players can immerse themselves within a co-branded virtual City of New York and make their way up to Studio 6B at Rockefeller Center, all while using in-game power-ups, inspired by Samsung’s mobile, watch, and tablet devices.
NBCU is playing up the fan factor of Jimmy Fallon and other Tonight Show elements in explaining why it teamed with Samsung to build an entire VR platform around the late-night program, which has come under intense competition from Gutfeld! on Fox News Channel as CBS and ABC continue to counter with hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, respectively.
“The moment our audiences enter the metaverse world, they will recognize the most identifiable Tonight Show architectural structures, blended with a visual aesthetic unique to Fortnite,” NBCU says.
After arriving at the hub, players will have the chance to play a series of mini-games, such as Tonight Show favorite “Giant Pong,” and hop from various game modes inspired by the show, like Race Up the Rock, Cabbie Crash Course, and Escape Studio 6B.
The gaming experience includes both single-player and multi-player games, “giving audiences the opportunity to compete against other fans who love the show around the world.” This demonstrates NBCU’s belief that outside of Canada, the U.S., the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, Fallon’s program is a known entity.
Janet Lee, SVP of Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics America, comments, “‘Tonight at the Rock’ empowers fans with a unique social adventure right in the heart of 30 Rock, all enhanced through in-game Samsung power-ups made possible by the Galaxy ecosystem. We are so excited to offer late night fans the first ever interactive Tonight Show gaming experience, in a way that honors our longstanding creative partnership.”
Mark Marshall, President of Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal, adds, “We’ve been collaborating with Samsung on unique, engaging integrations for over the past few years to bring Tonight Show audiences first-of-its-kind experiences they can’t connect with anywhere else. Now, we are transforming with our partners as the industry dives further into tech enabled activations such as metaverse platforms redefining interactive advertising within iconic pieces of IP like NBC’s Late Night slate.”
RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION: One can argue whether or not developing an entire Fortnite platform around Jimmy Fallon and Tonight is a savvy move. But, one thing is clear: From iHeartMedia to NBCUniversal, getting into the metaverse and getting a sponsorship partner is big business and perhaps an essential going into 2023. There’s no time to debate about its merits, cost or if it is fad — getting in now could generate strong ROI, and drive audience to other content should these metaverse initiatives ultimately fade. It will be interesting to see which radio and TV broadcasting companies follow the lead of both iHeartMedia and NBCUniversal.
