In what could be a first for television distribution, Fox will premiere two of its shows simultaneously on the small screen and online.

The experiment, which will involve the season opener of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and the series premiere of "Fringe," will allow users logging on from .edu domains to view both shows on the web at the same time they are aired on television.

"We talked about what we could do with colleges given the fact that we have so much traffic coming from them," Fox Entertainment chairman Peter Liguori told Daily Variety. "The light bulb went off -- by simul-streaming 'Fringe' and 'Sarah Connor,' [the college students] get to see the show, and we get the increased fanbase and buzz."

"Terminator" will make its dual-debut Sept. 8; "Fringe" will premiere the following day.

Fox would not say if it planned to continue the experiment beyond the premieres, and there are no plans for additional advertising tie-ins beyond what Fox already sells on its website. However, the company is hoping the experiment will give it a new viral launching pad for its slate of shows.