In an effort to reach out to members of the Television Acadamy, Showtime is launching a free preview on Time Warner Cable and DirecTV that also will give subscribers to those distributors in New York and Los Angeles free access to the channel this weekend.
Beginning June 15 and extending through Sunday June 17, the awards-themed freeview is the first such gambit by a premium network and is an integral part of the "Showtime 2012 For Your Consideration Emmy Awards" campaign.
In collaboration with Time Warner Cable and DirecTV, Showtime and its multiplex channels will be offered as a free preview and accessible to over 20 million homes, including Academy members and consumers in New York and Los Angeles through Time Warner Cable, and across the country via the DBS leader.
The "Best in SHO" Emmy preview weekend gives voters and consumers a chance to catch-up and sample the critically acclaimed and award-winning original series the network has to offer on Showtime, Showtime HD and Showtime On Demand. The freeview features marathons on-air and full seasons on demand of original series Homeland, starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis; Shameless, fronted by William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum; Dexter, featuring Michael C. Hall; House of Lies, with Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, Nurse Jackie, showcasing Edie Falco; The Big C, led by Laura Linney, The Borgias, withJeremy Irons; Weeds, presenting Mary-Louise Parker; and David Duchovny in Californication.
The weekend preview also gives viewers to the season finales of Nurse Jackie, The Big C and The Borgias on June 17. Moreover, the 2012 Peabody Award-winning documentary Rebirth, which chronicles the lives of five people whose lives were forever altered on Sept. 11, 2001, is available via Showtime On Demand. The film is a contender in the outstanding nonfiction special category.
The free preview is part of a Showtime's Emmy promotional arsenal that includes print and online ads in key trade titles, a major consumer media buy, and outdoor media, including digital billboards and wrapped buses targeting key routes in the Los Angeles metro area.
Academy members received their annual Showtime-branded For Your Consideration mailer in March, which included limited episodes of the network's original programming and selected documentaries. Additionally, for the fourth consecutive year, the network's dedicated award website will provide access to screen all episodes of its Emmy-eligible programs on SHO.com/FYC. Social media access includes Twitter (@SHO_gold) and Facebook (Facebook.com/SHOgold) pages, all aimed at increasing awareness for the network's new and returning series and talent.
For additional details on the free preview weekend, go to http://s.sho.com/BESTINSHO.
