The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed a rumor swirling around today: Ashton Kutcher will join “Two and a Half Men” on CBS, replacing Charlie Sheen.
For CBS, they’ve just inherited arguably Hollywood’s biggest social media star. With 9.3 million Facebook fans and 6.6 million Twitter followers, @aplusk even created his own social media production company. Combine that social reach with the show’s 18.7 million Facebook fans, and you likely have the largest social media presence for any TV show, anywhere.
For a show that hit a big speed bump with the exit of #Winning Charlie Sheen, Kutcher’s social media following — assuming his willingness to promote the show there — could be a key driver in its continued success. It will be interesting to see how CBS plays the social media angle as Kutcher takes the airwaves.
Update: With that last tweet, @aplusk has essentially confirmed the deal. Meanwhile, “Ashton Kutcher” is climbing the trending topic chart on Twitter.
