By: Kellie Mazur, Administrative Assistant
“Couch potato” used to mean something bad. But lately TV viewers are multitasking. Many of us are fully engaging in social media while we watch our favorite shows.
Recent findings indicate that television broadcasts have been in decline for years. But take a look closer. Some programs are seemingly beating the system and not reflecting a decrease in viewers or in buzz, largely due to this change in how we watch. Viewers are watching shows like The Voice, Glee and The Simpson’s with their laptops and smart phone on hand, and ready to contribute to the ongoing, and ever present social media conversation. TV events like the Grammys and the Winter Olympics provide viewers endless material to comment on – whether it’s red carpet fashion or Shaun White’s Double McTwist 1260.
The TV moment that holds the record for tweets per second belongs to a very famous fetus. As Beyonce revealed her baby bump during this year’s MTV Video Awards, she sent the world a-twitter, literally! The baby bumped the U.S. Women’s World Cup from the top spot with an incredible 8, 868 tweets per second.
Gone are the days when you could passively tune into American Idol. Now the moment that Pia Toscano is shockingly sent home (in week 9!?), you better be tweeting your disbelief! The phenomenon, dubbed “social TV,” is when viewers instantly sound off via social media like Facebook and Twitter, about what is happening on the tube.
There is even a website, Trendrrr.tv, which tracks social media in real-time and ranks shows by their activity across a variety of social networks. Trendrr is even predicting which shows will succeed in the new Fall lineup based on pre-premiere online buzz. (By the way, based on the research, you may want to tune into ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” which has generated the most online buzz.)
TV programs are now making a conscious effort to incorporate social media so as to boost numbers for live tune-ins. If a TV show takes over the Twitter feed, it certainly creates a buzz and curiosity around the program which encourages viewers to “see what all the fuss is about.” Many viewers will likely want to watch the program live when the internet is buzzing about it, and not the next day off their DVR or on Hulu. And advertisers should pay attention to social TV’s spike in viewership, and also what viewers are talking about.
Some new fall TV series have hopped on the bandwagon too. CBS’s should-be breakout hit, 2 Broke Girls, not only has an official Twitter and Facebook page but the lead actresses (Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs) have been actively tweeting in an effort to build an early fan base around the show. And Fox’s “Terra Nova” uses social media to offer behind-the-scenes photos and videos.
Just remember: no one can call us lazy if we’re doing two things at once. What fall show are you most looking forward to? Will you tweet during?
