"The Voice" introduces Facebook voting with new app

(CBS/AP) - Staring Monday, viewers of "The Voice" will have a new way to vote for their favorite contestants.

The NBC series is jumping on Facebook's "timeline" app bandwagon. The new application allows viewers to cast votes for "Voice" singers and connect with friends and others watching the show, NBC and Facebook said Friday. Voting on live performances begins Monday.

Besides serving as a ballot box and a bridge between viewers, the "Voice" app will lead users to new content, including performance videos and blogs, NBC said.

Dubbed "frictionless sharing" by Facebook, the apps allow a user's activity to be automatically shared through Facebook - although people can limit who's able to see this activity when they sign up for the apps.

"The Voice," which features Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton as coaches, has seen a sharp increase in viewership in its second season and is drawing the young adult viewers prized by advertisers.

It's also gaining ground on TV's top competition shows, Fox's "American Idol" and ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." Those programs have seen their total viewership drop by double-digit percentages compared with last season, while "The Voice" is up by double digits.

In a measurement of viewers ages 18 to 49, "The Voice" was second only to Wednesday's edition of "American Idol."

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