“Whoever figures out Social TV, will be the next Steve Jobs of his generation”
-Ynon Kriez, CEO of the Endemol Group
The Social TV Revolution Social TV is the biggest transformation in TV since it was invented. •It’s qualitatively different to any other developments in TV so far; colour, satellite, HD, 3DTV. •Gives social networks significant commercial roles in the TV business.
-Futurescape 2011
What is Social TV? Social TV is digital interaction between people about television content or their digital interaction with that content.
•Discuss, criticise, recommend, share •Facebook and Twitter •Multi-screen devices
“The future isn’t either traditional or digital: it’s a feedback loop between the two” -Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, FOX Broadcasting
Social TV is about engaging audiences in new and compelling ways. “We’re very interested in facilitating conversation – tapping into the power of social conversations across different programs to give viewers the power to connect with each other and build our relationships with our fans”
-Gayle Weiswasser, VP, Social Media Communications, Discovery Communications
Social TV participation is growing, because it meets some of our must fundamental social needs, such as self-expression and affiliation with others through
shared cultural references.
#Trends
Research... Ovum, the research firm, polled 8,000 broadband subscribers in 8 countries – France, Germany, Japan, India, The Netherlands, Spain, UK and US – to gauge evolving attitudes and habits.
In all, 74% of consumers with broadband say that they at least occasionally use a second-screen device while watching TV and 27% do so on a regular basis.
Of those who at least occasionally use a second screen, 38% discuss the TV show they are watching, via social networking sites. This rises to 53% for 16-24 yr olds. -WARC 2011
According to media economist Jack Myers, the US Social TV market could be worth $12bn by 2020, with other analysts predicting a global market 2 or 3 times that value.
-Jack Myers, Media Economist and Chairman of Media Advisory Group
800 million monthly active users 350 million active users via mobile
100 million global active users 55% of active users on mobile Averages 230m tweets a day
75% of users reside outside the US
400 million monthly browsers
50% return daily -James Quarles, Facebook, Director of International Accounts
4
-The Guardian, 2011
Facebook and Twitter are now major players in the global television market.
Distribution via Facebook
“Facebook is an increasingly influential destination for discovering and acquiring movie and television content. Action comedy Aim High takes video distribution to a whole new level by making the actual viewing personal and social in a truly innovative and entertaining way� - Thomas Gewecke, President, Warner Bros Digital Distribution
Content owners and right holders are turning to Facebook as a distribution platform. They can raise awareness of content via Facebook pages, which fans can Like and so share with their social circle, and via news feed stories with video clips for fans to share.
A Nielsen survey of brand integration in US television found that unpaid appearances by Twitter and Facebook rivalled paid product placements.
Twitter was the 2nd most visible brand, after paid appearances by AT&T. Facebook took 9th.
Social functionality integrated into set-top box middleware.
Social TV increasingly available via cable, satellite and IPTV
Social networking through game consoles, e.g. Xbox Live
Similar integration with broadcasters’ online video players. BBC iPlayer using Facebook and Twitter for viewers to recommend shows.
Social TV Startups More than 30 startup companies such as GetGlue, Miso, yap.TV and zeebox – have launched to seize the opportunities presented by social TV.
The main technique is enabling individuals to “check-
in” while watching a show. Checking-in gains viewers points in a loyalty scheme which rewards them with prizes like badges for being top fans and with stickers sent in the post.
GetGlue is an entertainment-based social networking website for mobile devices. Users “check-in” to the entertainment that they consume using a website, mobile website, or a device-specific application. “Leader in the emerging social entertainment market” – Bloomberg, November 2010
March 2011
June 2011
September 2011
Foursquare check-ins, enabling users to say what they’re watching and where.
The record for Most CheckIns to a TV Show was broken during the premiere of True Blood Season 4 on HBO. Over 38,000 users checked-in.
Partnered with DirecTV to enable users to checkin via on-screen controls, its first partnership with a pay-TV service.
Retailer GAP sponsored startup GetGlue to give GetGlue users a 40% discount on clothing when they checked-in to new TV shows on a list in Entertainment Weekly magazine.
75,000 fans accessed a discount in the first 2 weeks of the one-month campaign.
A Global Phenomenon Although much of the most high-profile Social TV innovation is taking place in the USA, this is within a larger, global trend.
The X Factor UK’s Tap to Clap app, that lets viewers support or disapprove of contestants, had 100m interaction in 5 weeks.
France Telecom-Orange provides subscribers with a Tvcheck iPhone app. This automatically recognises what a user is watching and presents multi-screen options for discussing it. Status updates, comments, and programme recommendations.
Dutch daytime game show Intuitie relies on the audience playing through second screens, for discount coupons as prizes. Viewers can play for free using their laptop or smartphone. The show will test viewers’ gut instincts with picture-based questions on people and places. Everyone who takes part in the show wins prize vouchers; the number of vouchers won is determined by the audience’s average score. SCREEN
Pay-TV operator Liberty Global, which has 18m customers in 14 nations, is deploying its Horizon advanced TV platform, with Twitter and Facebook, in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany.
HBO Connect’s Web-based Social TV service offers fans innovative social participation with HBO shows.
There are new Social TV apps launching every day.
Real-Time Social Programming Guide Audio / Visual Recognition Check-In Live Twitter Feeds and Trending Topics See what your friends are watching Popular TV Shows
Phineas and Ferb is currently trending as the 4th most popular program across over 150 of the US’s most popular TV networks.
The TV Industry is backing Social TV For the TV industry, Social TV holds the promise of intensifying audience engagement and interaction with content, thereby growing revenue. •Increase ratings and therefore advertising revenue •Boost pay-TV and video-on-demand and income •Work with paid transactions, such as merchandise sale
93 % of TVGuide.com users watch live TV to avoid spoilers from social networks and friends. --Christy Tanner, Mashable Media Summit, 2011 *Source: TVGuide.com has 728,000 twitter followers
Opportunities for Disney
Higher Viewer Engagement
Increased Brand Awareness
Increased Reach
Stronger Ratings