How Brazilian Whovians influenced BBC's strategies through Twitter: Fifty years of "Doctor Who" and fan engagement

Abstract

Doctor Who (1963–89, 1996, 2005–) is a remarkable example of how storytelling and marketing strategies can be assembled. Its fiftieth anniversary special was broadcast simultaneously in 2013 in ninety-three countries on TV (with a peak audience of 10.6 million on BBC One alone) and was also screened in more than 1,500 movie theaters after fan mobilization on Twitter. We show how this fan mobilization influenced the BBC's strategy to broadcast the special in Brazilian territory.

Keywords

• Fandom
• Social TV
• Social media