WATCH IT EVERYWHERE, WATCH IT LIVE ON MTV: FROM BOTS TO SOCIAL CELEBS TO VR, 2016 MTV EMAS EMBRACES FANS-FIRST INNOVATION

First global awards show to launch interactive Facebook Messenger bot

MTV taps Brazilian pop culture star Hugo Gloss and global pop-rap duo Jack & Jack as social correspondents

*Follow along: @MTVEMA / #MTVEMA / MTVEMA.com

New York / Rotterdam (October 26, 2016) - Ahead of the world's biggest night in music, MTV today unveiled its digital and social 2016 MTV EMAs integrations, embracing fans-first innovation and bringing the audience at home closer to the show than ever before. From virtual reality to Messenger bots to social celebrity correspondents, MTV is using new technology and platforms to provide fans with an up-close look at the EMAs, experiencing content from the show everywhere, live.

The 2016 MTV EMAs are the first-ever awards show to launch a Facebook Messenger interactive bot to give fans an exclusive way to engage with the live show.

This year, fans can also watch show content live wherever they want. In addition to catching the EMAs on TV, the audience can follow along live across all devices via MTVEMA.com's EMA livestream, as well as custom experiences offered from our social MTVEMA hosts, Hugo Gloss (for Instagram) and Jack & Jack (for Snapchat). Additional EMA content will also be updated live within a Snapchat Live Story. MTV VJ Becca Dudley will host the official backstage show, which will stream on MTVEMA.com and Facebook Live, and feature exclusive interviews with the night's hottest talent.

In addition, the show will also be livestreamed on the MTV Play international mobile streaming video app, which is currently available in 25 markets. There will also be exclusive EMA content in the MTV Play app in the lead-up to the show.

The network is also evolving its virtual reality strategy, giving viewers around the world a true 360-degree video experience via the MTV EMA app, which puts them inside the Ahoy Rotterdam arena LIVE during the show.

"We are constantly evolving the way fans experience our brands' big moments, giving them new ways to be part of the action no matter where they are," said Karmelina Parouka, Vice President, International Digital Production, Viacom International Media Networks. "Last year, the MTV EMAs were the first global music award show to broadcast the full event live in VR; this year, we're taking it a step further, as the first network to roll out a real-time Messenger bot experience as part of a live awards show. We're giving our international fans a front row seat to the incredible music, moments and performances that make this show the world's biggest night in music."

Full details regarding the digital activations at the 2016 MTV EMAs follow:

EMA Facebook Messenger Bot

The 2016 MTV EMAs are the first-ever award show to launch a Facebook Messenger interactive bot to give fans an exclusive second-screen experience. During the live broadcast, fans at home can interact with the MTV EMA bot on Facebook Messenger, asking questions related to the show, interacting with Facebook Live backstage host Becca Dudley, and accessing live updated show GIFs powered by GIPHY. The technology is a collaboration between MTV, Viacom Velocity International, Viacom Labs, GIPHY and Conversable.

Social Correspondents, Custom Content and Additional Digital Integrations

The 2016 MTV EMAs will feature influencer red carpet correspondents, providing fans with new perspectives for following and immersing themselves in the show, wherever they are. Brazilian pop culture personality and co-host of MTV Brazil's Rid�culos (Ridiculousness) Hugo Gloss (Brazil, 13.7M followers collectively) will host the night's @MTVEMA Instagram Story, focusing on pop culture coverage, while pop-rap duo Jack & Jack (USA, 26M+ followers collectively) is tapped to host on MTV EMA's Snapchat account as the night's music correspondents. MTV VJ Becca Dudley will host the official backstage show, which will stream on mtvema.com and Facebook Live and feature exclusive interviews with the night's hottest talent. Additional live access will be available during both the red carpet and the main show through the MTV EMA Snapchat Live Story, and exclusive content on Vine and Twitter. Additionally, the MTV International Snapchat Discover channel will have special EMA editions throughout the weekend.

Viewers at home have more ways than ever before to show off their EMA fandom while joining the social conversation online, with special MTV EMA geofilters on Snapchat; custom Twitter emojis, triggered by EMA-related hashtags; and live updated GIFs powered by GIPHY.

Virtual Reality

The 2016 MTV EMAs will evolve its live virtual reality viewing experience of the main show, giving fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with their favorite music and celebrities in real time. By placing cameras in the main show, fans from around the world will be able to choose where to look, giving them a unique and individual interactive virtual reality experience. Accessed via the 2016 MTV EMA app and used in conjunction with an easy-to-use cardboard viewer, the real-time experience lets fans feel as though they are on stage with their favorite artists as they perform at the EMA. Fans without a viewer can still access a 360-degree viewing experience via the MTV EMA app.

MTV Bump

Fans will also get the opportunity to have their social video posts featured on air via MTV's social-to-linear initiative, #MTVBump: All night-of social posts tagging #MTVBump and #MTVEMA will have the potential to be featured on air in as little as two hours. #MTVBump connects the Internet to the network's linear broadcast system, allowing social media videos on Instagram or Vines shared on Twitter with #MTVBump to be up on-air in as little as two hours. MTV collects the videos using a custom content management system (CMS) developed together with B-Reel Creative that allows MTV teams to curate the content, filtering for local relevance, pop culture topicality or number of fans, and then seamlessly scheduling it to be up on-air and across platforms. Users can submit video content directly on Instagram or with Vines shared on Twitter, or go to MTVbump.com, where they can also view the "bumps" that have made it on-air around the world.

The official international sponsor of the 2016 MTV EMAs is évos headphones. The night's official red carpet sponsor is Listerine. Official sponsors of the U.S. broadcast include 5(R) Gum and PANTENE(R).

2016 MTV EMAs voting is open until November 5 at 6:59PM EST so visit mtvema.com to cast your vote!

OFFICIAL TAGS:

To stay in tune with all things EMA, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and follow the social conversation using #MTVEMA and @MTVEMA.

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About the 2016 MTV EMAS

The 2016 MTV EMAs, in partnership with évos headphones will broadcast LIVE across the globe on Sunday, November 6 from the Ahoy Rotterdam, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with support from Rotterdam Festivals, Rotterdam Partners and the city of Rotterdam. Official sponsors of the U.S. broadcast include 5(R) Gum and PANTENE(R). One of the biggest global music events of the year that celebrates the hottest artists from around the world, the MTV EMAs bring music fans a unique, multi-platform experience across MTV's global network of more than 60 channels and over 300 digital media properties and platforms. Follow @MTVEMA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine, and join the conversation with #MTVEMA. Fans are invited to participate in the 2016 MTV EMA campaign using MTV Bump. Bruce Gillmer and Richard Godfrey are Executive Producers for the 2016 MTV EMAs. Debbie Phillips and Chloe Mason are Producers.