ABC Launches Free-to-Play 'Dancing with the Stars' Online Game

BBC Worldwide and ABC Entertainment have launched the first free-to-play online game based on the reality TV series, Dancing with the Stars. The new game, Dancing with the Stars: Keep Dancing, is available online at ABC.com/DancingWithTheStars and at DWTSKeepDancing.com, allowing the networks to bypass Facebook and connect directly with their fans through network websites.

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Gamers have been able to play PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Wii versions of Dancing with the Stars since the titles launched in 2009 from Activision. But this new free online game is squarely aimed at the show’s casual gaming audience. Players will interact with the show’s professional dancers like Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Derek Hough, Mark Ballas and Kym Johnson as they compete for the Mirrorball trophy by performing dance routines like the Samba, Jive and Tango.

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“Dancing with the Stars is a global pop culture phenomenon and developing this game has been a major initiative for our business,” said Robert Nashak, EVP, BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment & Games, commented. “We've tried hard to create a fun and authentic experience that fully engages players in everything that it takes to be a celebrity contestant on the show.”

“Fans can’t get enough of Dancing with the Stars, and this game allows them to become completely immersed in the experience,” said Karin Gilford, Senior Vice President, Digital Media, ABC Television Network. “We think the ease of use, along with the degree to which fans can customize their own experience will make it an absolute obsession for anyone who has dreamed of taking a twirl under the Mirrorball.”

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Strictly Keep Dancing will launch concurrently in the U.K., with players in both countries having access to play on the both shows dance floors. Over time, BBC Worldwide will roll out Dancing with the Stars: Keep Dancing to the 75 plus territories where the show is broadcast. Unique local versions will let players participate with the famed professional dancers on their local production.

The Dancing with the Stars format launched as Strictly Come Dancing in the U.K. in 2004. Dancing with the Stars, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions, premiered on ABC in 2005 as the U.S. version of the smash hit series. Since then, the format has been licensed to more than 40 countries across six continents and has been broadcast in over 80 countries around the world.