The Germany – Argentina match at the World Cup finals in 2014 kept people everywhere in the world glued to their seats. The match was relevant to a lot of people not just because Germany won but because of two other reasons too.
First, TV viewership in the U.S reached a higher than expected peak that Sunday when 26.5 million people watched the game on television.
Second, football tweeting related to the game registered a number of 32.1 million tweets during the television broadcast.
These two records above serve as a practical example of second screen interaction and social TV at its finest.
Photo source: The Guardian
Second screen and social TV: same thing, different practice
The practice of using a computing device to engage in conversations over TV content on social networks is very common, not just when it comes to sports. This practice is what we now call social TV.
Social TV developed along with the advent of second screen interaction. Subsequently, second screen emerged as a result of computer booming first, increased smartphone and tablet ownership later on. The second screen concept refers to the use of an additional computing device while engaging with content on another device, which is usually, the television. Second screen interaction involves a mobile application (in most cases) that compliments TV viewing. An example of second screen put to good use is HBO’s “Game of Thrones” app that includes character and movie-related information. Social TV however is a somewhat different experience.
Photo source: Parks Associates
Social TV is similar to watching television with family or friends; only the communication interactivity occurs with people on social networks and is facilitated by second screens. The social element of TV can engage a whole community of people around the world, making it a much more fun and interesting experience for those who watch the latest episode of a TV series. Or a favorite television show. Or a big game. The television content can be various.
Social TV revitalizing traditional television
The capitalization of the social element of TV began when broadcasters, TV producers, channel owners etc. understood the potential of social media and television put together. They started to implement second screen formats that supported live commenting, viewer participation, voting etc. Social TV became a means to revitalize traditional TV viewing, encourage digital conversation over television content, and of course, attract audiences and enhance the audience’s relationship with viewed TV content.
Programs such as the Oscars, the Grammys, the Billboard Music Awards, and the World Cup receive up to millions of tweets during a broadcast. Many times, crew or cast members maintain the level of interest on social networks by posting updates, behind-the-scenes photos and inside information. People communicate virtually around this TV content and join the digital discussions while they’re watching the television program. The more active and tuned in a show is on social networks, the likely it is that they receive more interest on social media.
When BBC created the hashtag #SherlockLives for “The Reichenbach Fall,” the final episode of the second series of the show, it received over 365,000 tweets. The hashtag increased people’s interest in the show as they came up with their own theories of how Sherlock must have survived the fall.
Source: Nielsen
How broadcasters can benefit from Social TV
One of the most important benefits of social television is access to social media data. What people watch, what people criticize, what their preferences are, where they’re from, when they watch, this is valuable information that can be resourceful in developing relevant and successful TV content.
Analytics help with building target audiences so that advertising can be tailored to groups of people who might resonate better with specific ads. For example, people who watch sports might be more interested in fitness products and sports clothing than in anything else while watching the event on television.
Second screen components, which can be social TV apps or a social media presence, give TV producers a chance to understand television trends to make important business decisions. Broadcasters can decide which retailers’ ads they’ll run during a specific show to help generate more revenue.
Social TV can also help with direct monetization of, for example, items associated with a specific TV program. Synchronization of TV content with ads on social networks can attract new revenue streams for both retailers and broadcasters.
There are plenty of opportunities for the TV industry with the socialization of televisions, and collaboration is essential in reaching the full potential of this model of watching television.
