The British are coming, the British are coming! To an iPad near you, that is.
In preparation of the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, NBC News released an aptly titled The Royal Wedding by NBC News app for the iPad.
On Monday, as the app was launched in the iTunes store, NBC also announced its broadcast plans for the big day, April 29. So far, 20 hours of coverage are planned across NBC and its stations, including Bravo, E!, Telemundo, and The Weather Channel (Yes, The Weather Channel). That’s not including the shows, like Access Hollywood and Today and hours of prime time special, dedicated completely to the big event.
But if sitting back and merely watching isn’t your thing, the interactive app will definitely get you involved. Features include more than 300 photos (both new and from the NBC news archives), the latest from NBC’s royal experts, a royal family tree, tips and ideas for hosting your very own royal wedding watch party, connect and post through your Facebook and Twitter accounts, and, of course, an official royal wedding gift shop.
Despite the app’s limited release to iPad users, early reviews are crowning this title a hit. Fear not: “The Royal Wedding” app will soon be released for iPhone and Android.
The last time people (in America, at least) were this excited for royal nuptials was back on July 2, 1981, when Prince Charles and Princess Diana wed in what was dubbed “The Wedding of the Century.” The event was named a national holiday in England (as is the upcoming April 29 affair), and had a worldwide audience of 750 million.
Yet that media coverage will pale in comparison to today. Never before has the mass media and social networking (via apps, especially) been so forefront at such a global stage. Even just a couple of years ago, a royal wedding app would have only been available to a select few, if NBC News would have even taken the time to create it at all. Today, it almost seems expected, and if successful, will almost certainly change every other major event from here on.
Prince Willam and Kate, wedding of the century? Try wedding of the millennium.
