Net audience to eclipse Obama inauguration
Facebook users worldwide were able to share updates and thoughts while watching free streaming video of the memorial on CNN Live, ABC, and E! Online websites.
“We are preparing for numbers that easily outweigh the inauguration,” said Facebook marketing director Randi Zuckerberg ahead of the event.
“There is just so much global reach for this star; something about him or his music has touched people around the world.”
The same technology used to stream CNN coverage of Obama’s inauguration – Facebook Connect – was put to work letting people watch the Jackson memorial in CNN Live video players.
“Internet users across the globe can watch [the memorial] live while simultaneously updating their Facebook status and following their friends on Facebook – and other Jackson fans around the world,” Facebook said.
A Michael Jackson page at Facebook has topped 6.5 million fans, unseating Obama’s “fan page” as the most popular at the California-based social networking service, according to Zuckerberg.
Free virtual versions of Jackson’s famous glove are the top gifts at Facebook, with more than 800,000 having been sent to members.
“This is a man who has elicited so much emotion from people during his lifetime,” Zuckerberg said.
“He continues to elicit emotion after death. He is the focus of remarks good and bad at Facebook.”
Video of the Jackson memorial was also streamed at MySpace thanks to collaboration with entertainment titan AEG.
MySpace said it was showcasing the memorial because it has a global online platform and its users care about the event.
MySpace Music also lets members of the News Corp-owned service listen to songs from more than 30 of Jackson’s digitised albums or view some 20 of the King of Pop’s music videos online free due to a partnership with Sony Music.
Fox News video of the memorial streamed live online at Hulu, a popular video service owned by NBC Universal, News Corp and Providence Equity Partners.
Hulu also promised on-demand access to video of the entire memorial service after the event.
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