{alltv} Bravo Works With Foursquare to Engage TV Fans on Phones

Starting Monday, you may have the opportunity to steal a mayorship from Padma Lakshmi, the host of Bravo's reality TV show "Top Chef."

A new partnership between Bravo and the mobile social gaming platform Foursquare hopes to engage viewers long after they turn off the television and close the lid on their laptops.

In its traditional form, Foursquare encourages users to "check in" to restaurants and local businesses on their phones and share interesting tips with other players. Users can also collect "badges," like the one at right, and become the "mayor" of a location, which creates a gaming aspect to the service: mayors are offered freebies at some Foursquare bars and eateries.

Starting Monday Bravo will begin offering its own badges and special prizes when viewers "check in" to over 500 locations on Foursquare. The locations will be handpicked by Bravo from across the United States and correspond with locations from Bravo shows including "The Real Housewives," "The Millionaire Matchmaker" and "Top Chef."

To many, the line between television and computers is increasingly blurring, as more viewers have their laptops open while watching their favorite shows — following along on both screens, reading live commentary on blogs, or sharing their own thoughts on a social network.

But television executives have struggled to blur the line between television and cellphones. Bravo hopes its partnership with Foursquare will change that.

"We really want to tap into the power of Foursquare by engaging their audiences and bringing our Bravo viewers these unique experiences on a national level," said Ellen Stone, Bravo's senior vice president for marketing.

Dennis Crowley, Foursquare's chief executive, sees the partnership as a way to enhance his service with additional tips about restaurants and other locations. After all, who is to say that a friend from a television show is different than a real one?

"With Foursquare, people leave content behind for others to find, like tips of the best drink at a bar," Mr. Crowley said, adding that content from contestants and judges, "is going to make it even more interesting."