Bravo Works With Foursquare To Engage TV Fans On Phones

NEW YORK TIMES — 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...