ROCK giants Bon Jovi will be brought to the masses by Manchester media companies.
The London preview gig for the American act's latest album will be beamed to 25 specially selected venues, most of them cinemas operated by the Manchester-based chain UCI.
The September 18 concert will also be streamed live over the internet into 63 countries and broadcast via a dozen radio stations in Europe.
Saddleworth satellite outfit Locked-On Communications will play a key role in ensuring everything runs smoothly by joining forces with Universal Music, UCI, Mediawave and Aepona.
Locked-On's outside broadcast facilities will upload the encoded single into the Eutelsat Satellite, which has a "footprint" covering the whole of Europe.
Streaming
The company will also site remote-controlled receiver systems at each cinema, while Locked-On will use its own streaming technology, LockedStream, to deliver the concert to the internet.
Locked-On MD Bob Lockeridge said: "Through this joint collaboration we are building a new era in digital entertainment, creating compelling new events for consumers and enabling new business opportunities for venues, cinemas and content owners."
The multi-media event will preview Bon Jovi's new album, Bounce, which is due for release on September 23.
It highlights the potential revenue opportunities in "e-theatre" for cinema, content and rights owners looking for new and innovative ways to deliver entertainment and sports coverage.
The cinema setting is aimed at recreating the live concert experience.
Oliver Buckwell, head of new media at Universal Music International, said: "Bon Jovi are a huge global act and this is a digital extension of their desire to reach fans in as many exciting ways as possible.
"Digital technology will unite fans across Europe and the world, giving them a high-quality cinema experience that will mimic the raw sensations of a live gig." Tweet