ABC’s “Good Morning America” this morning unveiled Social Square, a new digital studio that will be the show’s social media “nerve center.”
The studio, which is an addition to the current “GMA” studio in Times Square, features Samsung monitors and tablets that feature Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ and Spotify components. In addition to being used throughout the show, Social Square will also be the home of “GMA Live,” the online broadcast that airs at 9amET on the show’s website.
The unveiling of Social Square comes six months after NBC’s “Today” show debuted its own social media studio, the Orange Room. During a tour of the studio after the show this morning, ABC News senior editor of social media Andrew Springer told TVNewser the planning process for the “GMA” studio was underway before “Today” unveiled its version.
He said Social Square’s primary goal is “drive the conversation” and facilitate viewer engagement, bringing online fans closer to “GMA” anchors and guests. “I think we’re going to do it better than our competitors,” Springer said.
Among the studio’s other features: a foosball table, a Twitter Mirror similar to the one on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” a social media slot machine that will generate a random question from social media, and a Spotify installation that will allow guests to scroll through and pick songs to play on the air.
The studio is half green room, half digital media center. Celebrity interviews will often begin in the Social Square, with guests taking a few questions from viewers online, and then move into the main studio for a more formal sit-down with the “GMA” anchors, like on the debut interview with Kristen Bell this morning.
Springer said the room will be constantly evolving as social media evolves.
“This is our first go at it. We’re all about the future,” Springer said. “This room is built to expand.”
Watch Lara Spencer’s tour of the space below.