PUBLISHED ONSeptember 15, 2021 1:18 AM
SINGAPORE, Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Traditional 'one-way' variety shows could soon become a thing of the past. The latest episode of a new interactive variety series, 'Celebrity Tour with the Stars Live!', was streamed live on HyperLive.tv last Sunday afternoon and showcased how future variety shows could be produced.
Mr Desmond Tan (Leftmost) with migrant workers at a Pasir Ris construction site, along with host Marcus Chin (Rightmost)
The episode featured celebrity host Marcus Chin, who took the viewers to the eastern part of Singapore, where he visited hawkers at Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre as part of the SGLive initiative to help promote and feature local businesses during these challenging times. Mr. Desmond Tan, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Sustainability and the Environment, and who is also grassroots advisor to Pasir Ris Central, came in support of the cause.
"During these difficult times, many businesses and our hawkers in particular, are finding it hard to cope and I am very happy that an initiative such as SGLive is encouraging the community to stand together and help those in need," said Tan during the show's opening.
The SGLive initiative was started by HyperLive Entertainment to help local businesses pivot into digital transformation successfully while at the same time, empowering aspiring individuals to create live content to drive potential customers to companies in need. Through SGLive, 'An Initiative to Help Singaporeans, by Singaporeans', HyperLive aims to collaborate with strategic local partners and help companies enter the field of professional live streaming by utilising shared resources on its new interactive platform while leveraging the popularity of local influencers.
During the show, hawkers shared behind-the-scene stories and how their livelihoods were affected by the current pandemic situation – this was when the show's concept became interesting.
Unlike traditional television broadcasts or on-demand videos where content delivery is predominantly a one-way traffic, 'Celebrity Tour with the Stars Live!' invited viewers to help the plight of these hawkers by contributing to the show's food sponsorship program. This was made possible by interactive online features on HyperLive's platform, which allows online viewers to chat, vote and send e-gifts to hosts in real-time.
The audience were actively engaged, entertained by host Chin's candid antics, and encouraged to show their support for the community throughout the show – setting the stage for a new form of interactive entertainment of the future. All proceeds collected during the show will be used to purchase food from the featured hawkers over the next few days and deliver them to various groups in need.
After buying food from the hawkers, Chin then delivered the food to a work site in Pasir Ris, where migrant workers were still working on a hot Sunday afternoon to construct new MRT lines and other amenities in the neighborhood.
Tan added, "Migrant workers play an important role in Singapore's nation building efforts and I am thankful for their hard work and contribution even though they are far away from home. People often do not realize that they have been through a lot during the pandemic so we want to show our support to them as well."
The hour-long episode attracted close to 3,000 viewers online and raised $5,027 in food sponsorship.