Skip to main content

Movie theaters are about to get Twitter and Foursquare-focused pre-shows

movie theater
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Those 15 minutes before the previews start in the theater are about to be taken over by something other than local ads. Twitter and Foursquare have partnered with National CineMedia, responsible for selling pre-show ads to show theater goers, to highlight movie-related tweets and topics.

The specific details of how this collaboration will look on big screens remain under wraps, but it already sounds more interesting than cheesy car dealership spots and concession stand promos.

All we know so far about the partnership is that the companies will create a weekly series that showcases the hottest Hollywood topics using Twitter. Of course the idea here is to create some new profit, and AdWeek reports that the companies will be shopping the advertising opportunity around to brands and marketers.

As for where Foursquare comes into play, the partnership will give advertisers are chance at possibly getting an opportunity to serve movie-goers interactive ads, or implement a feature that involves check-ins and local search best utilizing Foursquare’s tech.

“Movie-goers spend a lot of time on those small screens, too,” National CineMedia President Cliff Marks said at the Upfronts in New York. “For the first time, advertisers will be able to connect their ad on the big screen with the audience’s mobile device.”

These videos will be shown in thousands of theaters nationwide – and we’re guessing you’ll be encouraged to keep your phone on right up until the previews start rolling once we see this new partnership get up and running. 

Editors' Recommendations

Francis Bea
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Francis got his first taste of the tech industry in a failed attempt at a startup during his time as a student at the…
Elon and Jack hit Twitter to talk about a Twitter feature
A lot of white Twitter logos against a blue background.

During an idle moment away from running SpaceX, Tesla, and The Boring Company, prospective Twitter owner Elon Musk on Wednesday night tweeted to his 92 million followers how “chronological tweets seem much better than what ‘the algorithm’ suggests.”

Musk was referring to the feature that lets you see the most recently posted tweets at the top of your timeline, rather than letting Twitter’s algorithm decide the order by picking out the tweets it thinks you’ll find most interesting.

Read more
Curious about Twitter’s future? So is the U.K. parliament
elon musk stylized image

We're all wondering what lies ahead for Twitter now that it is going to be owned by Elon Musk. Though the Tesla CEO has tweeted hints of what's to come for the social media platform after his acquisition, the U.K. Parliament has decided to get the details via a more straightforward approach: Inviting Musk to testify before them.

On Wednesday, the U.K. Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) tweeted out a copy of a letter it sent to Musk, inviting him to speak about his plans for his newly acquired social media platform.

Read more
Details emerge about Twitter’s paid service, Twitter Blue
Twitter symbol photo. Credits: Twitter official.

Twitter looks close to launching a subscription service called Twitter Blue that will cost subscribers $3 a month.

The news comes courtesy of reliable app researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who posted details of the company’s expected service at the weekend.

Read more