NBCUniversal brings late-night entertainment to the virtual world with an immersive augmented reality experience featuring Bravo’s hit talk show, Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, in a new partnership with Cox and DIRECTV.
Starting today, fans who have DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, COX, or Sling TV can interact with Cohen’s Clubhouse by virtually walking through a digital clubhouse, looking for featured objects, and answering trivia questions. The Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen AR experience is available to download on mobile and desktop devices using a unique QR code issued on the Bravo site.
This is not the first time NBCUniversal has launched an immersive entertainment experience to accompany one of its programs. In November 2022, the company partnered with Verizon to pair the NBC series La Brea with an AR scavenger hunt in which fans could explore a sinkhole to find objects from the show and unlock an exclusive deleted scene.
“Cutting-edge augmented reality technology has proven to amplify viewer engagement,” said Matt Schnaars, president of NBCUniversal content distribution. “By partnering with Cox and DIRECTV, we are excited to bring our loyal fans this interactive opportunity and drive value for our distribution and advertising partners.”
Eligible fans can also enter a sweepstakes to win tickets to visit the Clubhouse in person.
Cable and streaming providers are working with media companies to incorporate AR and VR into their services to offer unique experiences for their customers that potentially strengthen their relationship with a show or franchise. Amazon uses AR to help shoppers visualize how a product would look in their home, while Prime Video offers VR content.
Augmented reality uses a mobile device like a smartphone in a real-world setting like Snapchat filters, blurring the lines between the virtual and real world, unlike virtual reality, which requires a headset and is fully immersive.
The Watch What Happens experience was developed by Trigger XR, an award-winning XR developer studio that worked with NBCUniversal on La Brea. The immersive experience is available to U.S. DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, Sling TV, and Cox subscribers who are 21 years or older. The experience is available now through December 20 at 11:59 p.m. ET., along with the sweepstakes to visit the Clubhouse set in person.
Visit Bravo for the official rules, prize details, and how to enter for DIRECTV and Cox customers.
Image credit: NBCUniversal