Today Scener and Agora Inc. announced a partnership with Agora’s real-time engagement platform powering Scener’s new Watch Party feature, enabling millions of viewers to simultaneously stream content together over live video chat.
Up to one million participants can now simultaneously enjoy streaming content from Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, Vimeo or Funimation in a synchronized video chat environment. Users can host either public or private co-watching sessions, where content is synchronized with participants in real time, paired with video, audio and text chat.
“Live, interactive streaming is the next frontier in entertainment, and our partnership with Scener puts both our companies at the forefront of that,” said Reggie Yativ, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Revenue Officer at Agora. “People viewing content want more authentic ways to engage, whether they’re holding a virtual movie night with close friends or streaming an entertainment panel with their favorite stars. Real-Time Engagement allows viewers to use messaging, voice and video chats during a screening, and that brings more human interaction into these virtual entertainment experiences and helps viewers connect anytime, anywhere.”
After adding HBO support for its Chrome extension in May, Scener highlighted its public co-watching feature in July with watch parties for Comic-Con and Rifftrax, reaching a record 2.3 million viewer minutes on July 23. The company has seen 100x growth since March. With the partnership with Agora, the service now has the infrastructure to guarantee video-chat streaming quality across all borders, regardless of audience size.
“Agora’s engagement platform sets the stage for massive scale at Scener as we roll out our Watch Party Platform,” said Joe Braidwood, Scener co-founder and COO. “This partnership marks a watershed moment for both the entertainment industry and TV lovers globally, where more viewers than ever before can now come together in the same virtual theater to interact while enjoying their favorite shows and movies.”
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