'Backstage Live' Tops Free Online Offerings, Apps to Make the Most of Your Emmys

Following the success of last year’s inaugural “Emmys.com Backstage LIVE” show at the Primetime Emmys, the Television Academy is bringing back this unique companion viewing experience for the “63rd Primetime Emmy® Awards,” airing live coast-to-coast on FOX (5-8 p.m. PT, 8-11 p.m. ET). “Backstage LIVE” http://www.emmys.com/backstage-live is a free “all access” pass to the Emmys and will stream simultaneously to the telecast, LIVE on Emmys.com as well as Ustream.

Ten cameras positioned in various areas backstage at the Primetime Emmys® telecast will provide viewers at home with the added experience of watching all the exciting moments that aren’t covered on the broadcast. This will include live streaming of television’s biggest stars as they enter and exit the stage, mingle in the greenroom with their fellow nominees, collect their Emmy® statuettes, conduct interviews in the press room, relax in the exclusive Winners Lounge and continue their speeches at the backstage “Thank You Cam.” Additionally, there will be a camera dedicated to following Jane Lynch and her team of writers as they work on her comedic remarks and host segments throughout the course of the show.

A new feature to the “Emmys.com Backstage LIVE” show this year is the addition of host and comedian Michael Kosta (Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show). Michael will be stationed in the control room, highlighting and offering his unique commentary on everything that is going on throughout the show and backstage.

Renowned specials and documentary director Bob McKinnon has been brought on as the executive producer for “Backstage LIVE.” McKinnon is a seasoned veteran of award shows, having directed some of the biggest televised ceremonies, including the Academy of Country Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and the Miss USA Pageant as well as red carpet specials for the Academy Awards and NASCAR Hall of Fame.

”Backstage is where the show ultimately begins and ends!” promises executive producer Bob McKinnon.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has also partnered for the first time with TVplus to create an interactive companion experience on the iPad to watch along with the broadcast.

The TVplus application tunes-in to the audio of the broadcast, and within seconds recognizes and syncs the iPad to the exact moment within the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast. The platform then delivers content related to each moment of the awards, including actor bios, fashion information, exclusive videos, red carpet photo galleries, award show trivia, behind the scenes news and much more! Further, the platform aggregates the social media activity around the Emmys telecast in one centralized environment, delivering up to the minute news and viewer reactions for every moment of the show.

The TVplus app is free for the iPad and available now in the iTunes store. Users just need to download the application on their iPad device, tune-in to the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards and the app will sync automatically.

Additionally, an Emmy-centric iPhone app has been created this year to give users the opportunity to get additional information, photos and videos from this year’s telecast. Users will be able to watch the exclusive “Backstage Live” show, view information for every nominee and winner from the past 62 Emmy telecasts, check out photos and video from other Television Academy events including the Emmy Nominations, Creative Arts Awards, Television Academy Honors Hall of Fame Ceremony, connect to the Academy’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages as well as receive up to date news and information about Television Academy events.

Executive-produced by Mark Burnett, the 63RD PRIMETIME EMMY® AWARDS will be hosted by Jane Lynch. The telecast will air live from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 18th, (8:00 PM EDT live / 5:00 PM PDT live) on FOX. If you plan to Tweet this story, please use the official Emmys hashtag #Emmys

About Ustream
Ustream, Inc. is the leader in live and interactive video streaming. The interactive platform connects broadcasters and viewers of unlimited size through innovative technology including co-hosting video features, IRC chat, Facebook, and Twitter. Ustream's free and premium solutions allow any broadcaster to create their own customizable channel with robust social and notification features to enhance visibility and virality across multiple platforms. In addition to activating the embeddable features on external websites, users are able to broadcast and view content while interacting in real-time directly from mobile phone devices, tablets, streaming players, smart TVs, and more. The company attracts millions of users ranging from music artists, celebrities, politicians, athletes, corporate executives, animal enthusiasts, and gamers which has contributed to Ustream's Guinness World Record for the “Most Content Ingested by An Online Video Service”. For more information about Ustream, visit www.ustream.com and follow us on our socials: Twitter (@Ustream); Facebook (facebook.com/Ustream ).