Houseparty is launching a new feature for co-watching live events with friends. ‘In the House’ will feature 40+ artists performing.
Houseparty is a video chat app that has seen an enormous growth spurt since the pandemic started. Now the service will allow friends to co-watch live events digitally together.
Houseparty is hosting the first-ever live event to test the new feature, dubbed ‘In the House.’
The live event will feature over 40 different artists and celebrities who will dance, talk, sing, work out, and more. The event takes place starting Friday, May 15th through May 17th.
Viewers can sing and dance with Alicia Keys and DaBaby, or share a cooking lesson with Bad Bunny, José Andrés, and Christina Tosi. Cam Newton and Terry Crews are hosting workout sessions, while Derek Hough and Addison Rae host more dance sessions. Other artists participating include John Legend, Katy Perry, David Blaine, Lindsey Harrod, Gabi Butler, Snoop Dogg, CHVRCHES, and Dua Lipa.
The live event will be available directly inside the Houseparty app. All users of the app will be able to see what’s ‘In the House’ while the event is live. A billboard for the current show will appear 30 minutes before each broadcast. Users can subscribe to the event to receive a push notification when the show starts.
Houseparty wants families who are apart to come together and watch the show together.
A TV icon will appear in the app when there is a new live stream to watch. Houseparty completely redesigned its video player experience to make co-watching possible. The new player doesn’t cover friends’ faces, allowing chatters to see their friends and the live show simultaneously.
Live shows on Houseparty will only be available 12 hours after the original air time. Then, the show disappears completely – much like Snapchat Stories. Houseparty’s creators say this weekend’s virtual event will be the ‘first of many live co-watching experiences to come.’