Today AMC Networks and Twitch announced their partnership to bring a first-of-its kind channel centered around The Walking Dead to the Live Streaming platform. The channel, called “TWD Universe,” will begin streaming Sunday, September 20th with content created exclusively for Twitch. TWD Universe will air a live show from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Sunday night followed by a Watchalong during episode premieres and will wrap up the conversation until midnight.
Twitch’s unique Live streaming experience makes this a true, interactive destination for The Walking Dead fans.
“As the storytelling and characters that span ’The Walking Dead’ Universe continue to grow, so do the innovative ways we reach and engage with fans – both old and new – across social media and popular new platforms like Twitch,” said David Beck, executive vice president and head of programming strategy and business operations, AMC Networks. “Sunday nights on Twitch are audience-first and fan-centric, and we are thrilled at this opportunity to build something new for passionate fans of ‘The Walking Dead’ Universe, giving them a new community to celebrate the Universe, channel their enthusiasm and express their fandom.”
“The Walking Dead has built one of the most passionate and engaged audiences on television, and we’re thrilled to partner with AMC Networks to develop new ways for fans to experience this pop-culture phenomenon,” said Michael Aragon, SVP of Content at Twitch. “Today, television audiences want more from their viewing experience beyond the traditional 50-minute episode, and we’re excited to partner with brands and networks in the future to expand this audience connection. On Twitch, we’re able to create deeply immersive experiences that extend the world of The Walking Dead and enhance how fans interact with the show and each other.”
Here’s the launch lineup:
Launch Party
Launches Sunday, September 20
For its first stream, TWDUniverse will kick off with a Launch Party featuring hosts Clarke, Ronnetta and Dylan as they welcome fans into the TWDUniverse community to learn, play and discuss among the most authoritative voices on the franchise, as well as kick off a season 10 interactive marathon of The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead Catch Up
Launches Sunday, September 20
The hosts will lead fans through select episodes of The Walking Dead season 10 and Fear The Walking Dead season 5, with real-time reactions as they watch and interact with the community, leading up to the much-anticipated premiere of episode 1016 on October 4.
Re-Watching Dead
Launches Thursday, September 24
A weekly deep dive discussion show focusing on spoiler-filled exploration into past episodes of The Walking Dead — exploring both on-screen and behind-the-scenes stories. Fans will get to relive the first time they saw the show through interactive discussion of the story and dig deeper behind the scenes via interviews, behind-the-scenes moments, and interactive segments and games where they are part of the show.
World Beyond Celebration (name pending)
Launches Sunday, September 27
A variety show celebration of World Beyond composed of quick segments diving into cast interviews, BTS discussion, or fun and games with the audience. Framed around the idea of “youth,” many of the stitching comes from exploring what younger versions of Walking Dead characters would be like. Plus, it gives us a chance to get to know our hosts and guests better as they share stories from their high school years, as well.
TWD Sundays
Launches Sunday, October 4 with 4 hours of continuous streaming content each week:
7:30pm Recapping Dead Pre-Show – Hosts dive into recaps of the previous week’s episode, explore theories and give their best predictions and speculations before the new episode premieres on television.
9:00pm Live Watch Party – During the episode, TWDUniverse will keep streaming on Twitch to create a live second screen experience for new episodes in The Walking Dead Universe with behind-the-scenes info pop-ups, interactions from the community and live host reactions.
11:00pm After Show – Following the premiere of Talking Dead, fans can continue the discussion in a more informal, interactive space on Twitch, taking a deeper dive into the new episodes.