Hulu to stream reality show internationally, incessantly
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted December 18th 2009 12:07PM
posted December 18th 2009 12:07PM
See this forlorn-looking male model? He's got a lot on his mind. Really, he's just like the rest of us -- a starry-eyed dreamer who's headed to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune. To this end, he's shacked up with four fellow photogenic wannabes in a Hollywood crash pad where they'll be webcast 24-7 for Simon Fuller's new Internet-only talent show, If I Can Dream. In addition to weekly episodes broadcast on Hulu, voyeurs viewers will be able to watch the action in the house live, as it goes down. You see, Hulu (who's not had much luck getting a foothold outside of the states) will be streaming the thing to select international markets in an attempt to spread their brand and influence worldwide. Will it work? Who knows? Besides, Jersey Shore is more our speed. PR, video after the break.
Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment Partners With Hulu, Clear Channel, MySpace, Pepsi and Ford Motor Company in Innovative Entertainment Venture
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon Fuller's new entertainment venture IF I CAN DREAM, which launches early 2010, will be distributed and marketed to a global audience through a number of integrated partnerships with blue chip brands.
Hulu and Clear Channel will create a ground breaking distribution partnership with MySpace building an exclusive audition platform. Both PepsiCo and Ford Motor Company are also confirmed as founding partners for the production.
HULU
Hulu will stream an IF I CAN DREAM TV episode each week exclusively via Hulu.com. Each programme will include highlights from the week, stringing together the storylines from the past seven days into an easy to follow episode. It will be the first recurring show to be available to select international audiences via Hulu.
"Innovate is not a buzzword for Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment. They've consistently delivered extremely high quality content in innovative ways, and helped to change how viewers engage with entertainment," said Andy Forssell, SVP of Content and Distribution at Hulu. "That's a great match with what Hulu is all about, and we're excited and honored to partner with them on IF I CAN DREAM as part of our mission to help people find and enjoy the world's premium content, when, where and how they want it."
CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO
Clear Channel Radio will serve as a core partner in introducing the IF I CAN DREAM (cast) to a national audience of over 100 million people on-air each week and to 30 million people on its digital properties monthly. Clear Channel's local radio personalities and audience interaction will spur daily conversations, and through Clear Channel's content creation and distribution platform, the IF I CAN DREAM cast member stories will come to life on-air, online, and on mobile devices.
"19 Entertainment's fresh approach to talent development will find fertile ground on Clear Channel's stations and digital properties," said Evan Harrison, EVP of Clear Channel Radio and president of the company's digital group. "Our highly engaged on-air and online communities will be the engines that drive ongoing interest in the cast. Together, we have the opportunity to completely change the paradigm and break new talent across multiple platforms simultaneously."
MYSPACE
As the exclusive audition and primary social networking platform for IF I CAN DREAM, MySpace will provide the ability for other hopefuls to realize their own dreams. Through the audition process, essentially anyone will have the chance to take part in the show by uploading videos explaining why they deserve to be featured. IF I CAN DREAM will have a customized page on MySpace empowering fans to socialize content by sharing, commenting and interacting. The integration exemplifies the aspirational overlay that has always existed on MySpace and the site's ongoing capability to offer access to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
Angela Courtin, SVP of Marketing, Entertainment and Content at MySpace, comments: "For years musicians, comedians, filmmakers, models and actors have come to MySpace to express themselves and to showcase their talents to a global community. Now we are giving them another incredible opportunity to do just that and looking forward to the talent that we know will emerge. We're thrilled to be working with 19 Entertainment and all other involved partners on this project to bring IF I CAN DREAM to a large audience."
PEPSI
IF I CAN DREAM is developing integrated partnerships with a select set of blue chip brands. Pepsi was the first company to embrace this innovative concept and its unconventional approach to multiple platforms. In keeping with the IF I CAN DREAM spirit of young people refreshing their worlds, Pepsi's Refresh Project will play an important role in the experience. As a founding partner The Pepsi Refresh Project on IF I CAN DREAM, which will also enable people to submit ideas that will refresh their world and lead to positive change, is a multi-million-dollar grant program that will launch in January.
"IF I CAN DREAM is a groundbreaking interactive experience that represents our ongoing efforts to engage with consumers across a variety of platforms," said Frank Cooper, SVP and Chief Consumer Engagement Officer, Pepsi-Cola North American Beverages. "IF I CAN DREAM is one of many innovative ways the Pepsi Refresh Project will be featured in the digital space. Partnering with 19 Entertainment, Hulu, and MySpace ensures that this will be a multimedia project that will change the way people interact with programming"
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Ford Motor Company will be partnering with IF I CAN DREAM to create a new marketing initiative to pre-promote the launch of the 2011 North American Ford Fiesta. This will build on the Fiesta Movement programme, a social media initiative that generated over 675,000 flickr views and 5.5 million YouTube views.
"The Ford Fiesta already has the attention of socially vibrant consumers months before it goes on sale in North America next summer," said Connie Fontaine, manager, Brand Content and Alliances at Ford Motor Company. "So when 19 Entertainment approached us to cast the Fiesta in IF I CAN DREAM, it seemed only natural. The role that 19 Entertainment and Ford has created for Fiesta is really exciting and will provide viewers a different look at the cast members through amazing technology and the Fiesta."
IF I CAN DREAM is produced by Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment, a fully owned subsidiary of CKX, Inc. ( CKXE)
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon Fuller's new entertainment venture IF I CAN DREAM, which launches early 2010, will be distributed and marketed to a global audience through a number of integrated partnerships with blue chip brands.
Hulu and Clear Channel will create a ground breaking distribution partnership with MySpace building an exclusive audition platform. Both PepsiCo and Ford Motor Company are also confirmed as founding partners for the production.
HULU
Hulu will stream an IF I CAN DREAM TV episode each week exclusively via Hulu.com. Each programme will include highlights from the week, stringing together the storylines from the past seven days into an easy to follow episode. It will be the first recurring show to be available to select international audiences via Hulu.
"Innovate is not a buzzword for Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment. They've consistently delivered extremely high quality content in innovative ways, and helped to change how viewers engage with entertainment," said Andy Forssell, SVP of Content and Distribution at Hulu. "That's a great match with what Hulu is all about, and we're excited and honored to partner with them on IF I CAN DREAM as part of our mission to help people find and enjoy the world's premium content, when, where and how they want it."
CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO
Clear Channel Radio will serve as a core partner in introducing the IF I CAN DREAM (cast) to a national audience of over 100 million people on-air each week and to 30 million people on its digital properties monthly. Clear Channel's local radio personalities and audience interaction will spur daily conversations, and through Clear Channel's content creation and distribution platform, the IF I CAN DREAM cast member stories will come to life on-air, online, and on mobile devices.
"19 Entertainment's fresh approach to talent development will find fertile ground on Clear Channel's stations and digital properties," said Evan Harrison, EVP of Clear Channel Radio and president of the company's digital group. "Our highly engaged on-air and online communities will be the engines that drive ongoing interest in the cast. Together, we have the opportunity to completely change the paradigm and break new talent across multiple platforms simultaneously."
MYSPACE
As the exclusive audition and primary social networking platform for IF I CAN DREAM, MySpace will provide the ability for other hopefuls to realize their own dreams. Through the audition process, essentially anyone will have the chance to take part in the show by uploading videos explaining why they deserve to be featured. IF I CAN DREAM will have a customized page on MySpace empowering fans to socialize content by sharing, commenting and interacting. The integration exemplifies the aspirational overlay that has always existed on MySpace and the site's ongoing capability to offer access to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
Angela Courtin, SVP of Marketing, Entertainment and Content at MySpace, comments: "For years musicians, comedians, filmmakers, models and actors have come to MySpace to express themselves and to showcase their talents to a global community. Now we are giving them another incredible opportunity to do just that and looking forward to the talent that we know will emerge. We're thrilled to be working with 19 Entertainment and all other involved partners on this project to bring IF I CAN DREAM to a large audience."
PEPSI
IF I CAN DREAM is developing integrated partnerships with a select set of blue chip brands. Pepsi was the first company to embrace this innovative concept and its unconventional approach to multiple platforms. In keeping with the IF I CAN DREAM spirit of young people refreshing their worlds, Pepsi's Refresh Project will play an important role in the experience. As a founding partner The Pepsi Refresh Project on IF I CAN DREAM, which will also enable people to submit ideas that will refresh their world and lead to positive change, is a multi-million-dollar grant program that will launch in January.
"IF I CAN DREAM is a groundbreaking interactive experience that represents our ongoing efforts to engage with consumers across a variety of platforms," said Frank Cooper, SVP and Chief Consumer Engagement Officer, Pepsi-Cola North American Beverages. "IF I CAN DREAM is one of many innovative ways the Pepsi Refresh Project will be featured in the digital space. Partnering with 19 Entertainment, Hulu, and MySpace ensures that this will be a multimedia project that will change the way people interact with programming"
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Ford Motor Company will be partnering with IF I CAN DREAM to create a new marketing initiative to pre-promote the launch of the 2011 North American Ford Fiesta. This will build on the Fiesta Movement programme, a social media initiative that generated over 675,000 flickr views and 5.5 million YouTube views.
"The Ford Fiesta already has the attention of socially vibrant consumers months before it goes on sale in North America next summer," said Connie Fontaine, manager, Brand Content and Alliances at Ford Motor Company. "So when 19 Entertainment approached us to cast the Fiesta in IF I CAN DREAM, it seemed only natural. The role that 19 Entertainment and Ford has created for Fiesta is really exciting and will provide viewers a different look at the cast members through amazing technology and the Fiesta."
IF I CAN DREAM is produced by Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment, a fully owned subsidiary of CKX, Inc. ( CKXE)
Reality shows aren't dead yet? ugh
@yulebellow
Whatever, this looks cool!
@yulebellow
Normal tv has replaced them with boring shows about middle aged people in boring professions, a kind of encouragement to adapt and be boring but for people of an age where they already did, just to make it extra pointless and unwatchable.
If I can dream, I'd dream Hulu would quit soo g_hey.
@Wwhat
anything but lawyer, police, or hospital professional shows. there are a hell of alot more jobs than those 3.
@yulebellow
Isn't it revolutionary to have a reality show that is available live 24/7 ? (At least that is what I got from the tone of the article). I want to know this because everyone just seems to yawing at this news.
@Al Capa
Not if we're counting our own fucking lives.
@Al Capa "Isn't it revolutionary to have a reality show that is available live 24/7"
On the Internet? It's not even revolutionary. It was done in the 90's. Jennicam was probably the most famous and started back in 1996.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Ringley
revolutionary -> should have been "evolutionary"
This is gadget related how?
@spin cycle
That its premiered in hulu. In that case, they might as well report on what new shows are being added.
@smartmouth
I'll agree... It's nice to see hulu going international, but wake me up when they've something good to show.
I'll stick to Spooks and Top Gear on iPlayer in the meantime.
Take that International audience. Suffer as we have!
@Teslanaut
hear hear!
The international crowd already put that crap in their blocklists, years ago.
Wonderful news! Now the rest of the world will have easy access to our warped sense of what 'reality' is!
How immensely sad. It is a great pity that tech and media has become so narcistic and shallow. Few space shuttle, space station and other interesting news stories make the front pages any more. It will be interesting to observe as The Pompei Effect takes it's toll on civilisation in due course.
@Oflife Bummer.
When you click on the hulu link directly, it still says you can't watch it if you're in Canada. Guess we're still a 3rd world country.
@joolsca
reality tv is like alcohol; it warps your perception, makes you sleepy, and for the weak of mind can by addictive. Due to this, in Canada you must watch via a LCBO proxy.
So it's basically a show where four people moved to cali, play music , and hope to make it big, while working in a mediocre job,and are being webcasted?
That sums it up for about every life here in cali.
This is a bad article about shit content and I am disappointed that it has been posted on Engadget.
jennicam lives.
that's Miley Cyrus ex-boyfriend
Hulu has not had much luck getting a foothold outside of the states. Hmm, I wonder why...
"We're sorry, currently our video library can only be streamed within the United States."
@(Unverified) Took the words right out of my mouth, just about to post the same!
@(Unverified)
Didn't take the expletives about hulu out of my mouth, you should hear them, but later, when you are a little older ;)
The Truman Show anyone? If only they weren't told they on the show...
Yet another reason to not like Hulu.
Jersey shore for the world.
Hulu has no foothold internationally? I wonder why... Could it be that everything HULU offers is only licensed in the states and all others only see a screen telling them they cant see it.
@Anoniempje
Exactly, Hulu is a geo-tagging NAZI. They go extremely out of their way to ensure non-U.S. IP addresses resricted from viewing anything. And if you use a site that hides your IP Hulu throws up a message telling you that because your IP cannot be detected you're blocked too. F U HULU! HOW DARE i even attempt to watch a four minute SNL skit while in Toronto...
One fact will determine the success or failure of this endeavor:
Will their be nudity?
Afterall Big Brother in the US is a flop, but its big in europe and australia, because of the nudity.
@brillow
Just because they have it on in europe doesn't mean it has viewers/popularity, that's not how things work in europe.
I highly doubt anybody but a few fringe nutters watch that crap, and that the UK tabloits go on and on doesn't mean much, they go on and on about lots of stuff that nobody is really that interested in, the people just like any kind of gossip about anything, look at tiger woods, much more people are reading and talking about his affairs than ever were interested in golf whatsoever, we are talking about a thousand times more interest in his dirt than his sport, doesn't mean you can claim 'golf is immensely popular'
@Wwhat That may be so about tv in europe, but I maintain my original assertion, that this shows success or failure depends on nudity.
No one wants to watch people milling about the house unless they might be naked.
I like how they say "Hulu (who's not had much luck getting a foothold outside of the states)" well maybe that's because YOU CANNOT ACCESS HULU OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. Dear god engadget, are you getting worse or is it just me?
Hey, I'm fine with just from the aspect that it's meant to be international! I'm so f**king sick and tired of not being able to watch something in another country because of outdated and archaic copyright laws and BS exclusivity agreements! (I'm looking at YOU, BBC!!)
Yes, I wish the content was something more palatable, but hopefully this is the start of truly international media.
@(Unverified)
@(Unverified)
^^^^^^^^^^^^
And why does this keep coming up as "Unverified" when I've been on Engadget/EHD for *years*?!