Almost two-thirds of social media interactors are watching TV shows live specifically so they can join the conversation on Twitter about what they are watching in real time.
The figure comes from a Network Ten research report into social TV as it continues to push itself as a leader in the area.
Among the findings, it said that 60% of social media users seek out the opportunity to interact live with other social media users about a show being broadcast in real time at least once a month.
“Social media discussions are now a significant factor in television viewing decisions,” Ten's head of research, analytics and inventory management, Sarah Keith, said.
“Social media is the new water cooler. People want to discuss the television programs they love in real time and social media is an ideal way to get into the conversation.”
Last week Nielsen's head of Twitter ratings in Australia Scott Gillham told AdNews that in the US, 70% of tweets about a TV show were being made in real time.
“If something happens and you're watching Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad or whatever it may be, you want to tell someone about it immediately,” Gillham said.
“You don't want to wait until an ad break to engage in that conversation.”
Some brands have already sought to tap into the real-time conversation around TV shows by prompting users to interact with them about live TV moments.
Ten surveyed 1067 people across the five main capital city markets about their social TV habits. Half of daily social media users were actively seeking out a TV show as a result of seeing chatter about it on social media.
The report identifies the group of people tweeting about a TV show as the “key influencers” on whether or not people seek out a TV show.
Ten had previously said social media chatter drove people to seek out catch-up TV services.
However, while users may be plugged into the larger feed around a TV show, 93% of respondents said their decision to watch a TV show was driven by whether their friends, family, or colleagues were talking about a show rather than people they didn't know.
While Ten said the research was useful, it admitted that it was only a first step in creating strategies for brands to plug into the conversation.
“Our next step is working with our advertisers to help understand the context in which screens are bring used in order to target appropriately,” Keith said.
Ten is plugging social TV hard, recently teaming up with Neilsen and Twitter to launch the Australian-first Twitter TV ratings in an effort to give advertisers a new metric to measure social engagement with a TV show.
However, media buyers have told AdNews that while having metrics around social TV was a nice to have, brands were screaming out for clearer strategies from TV networks.
“Networks are still grappling with the concept of social marketing and are yet to understand the true commercial opportunity,” IPG Mediabrands' chief investment officer, Victor Corones, said.
“We see this only improving over time as networks focus greater energy into their own social strategies and for their programs."
More news:
Media Wrap: Discovery, Foxtel and Seven manoeuvre in Ten play; Gyngell to stay
Taking a walk on the dark side
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at jamesmcgrath@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day. Need a job? Visit adnewsjobs.com.au.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.