Maybe you line up for a concert ticket at 4 a.m. and scream your ears out the entire duration of the show.
Maybe you tape their appearances on MTV and worry that J.C. isn’t getting enough rest. Maybe you have your own fan site and debate why Joey doesn’t get more solos.
And maybe you pray that Justin dumps Britney after he spots you in the crowd.
And if that’s the closest you think you’ll ever get to ‘N Sync, think again.
The pop group today announced a joint venture with the Microsoft Network, creating an Internet access service called *NSYNC@MSN. The service, available for $21.95 a month after the first month free, will give fans ‘N Sync-customized Web browsers, Messenger service and Windows Media players. Users will also receive a special newsletter and exclusive access to video and photo footage.
“We’re always trying to be on the cutting edge of things, and we think this is the cutting edge of where we think the Internet is going,” said member Chris Kirkpatrick at a news conference in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The group, whose official site is the most popular for a band on the Net and has the largest number of chat communities on MSN, has collaborated with the Internet network to generate ideas for what they call the “ultimate online experience.” These ideas include participating in chats, shooting their own digital footage and starting an online radio station that they can manage on the road.
‘N Sync member J.C. Chasez told Hollywood.com that the group plans to expand on MTV’s “Making the Tour” and “Making the Video” specials.
“There’s 365 days in a year and [MTV] was with us for like a week. [But] people are [also] kind of interested to see what goes into making an album,” Chasez said. “People never get to really see you in the studio and things like that. … People are gonna get to see what it’s like to be in the studio. See us interact with fans, see how they act, and that’s how they’ll be able to relate to other people. … It’ll be a great way for them to meet each other.”
And while the group, who holds the record for one-week sales of 2.4 million for “No Strings Attached,” groans a little about essentially signing their privacy away, they say that they’re more than eager to reach out to the fans even if it means as much ‘N Sync as possible.
“In other words, we’ll be like ‘Big Brother: The Tour,'” cracked Kirkpatrick. “You’ll have us in your face the whole time … it’s kind of sick.”
Fans of ‘N Sync — Kirkpatrick, Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone — will be able to sign up for the *NSYNC@MSN Internet Access service by going to http://msn.com/nsync or picking up an installation CD at the group’s spring concerts. The service will be available only in the United States starting Dec. 1.
