Social TV

Introductory Citation

Ynon Kreiz, (CEO of the Endemol):

“The ability to create content that will enable people to interface with each other, to connect, to recommend, to share and experience over television, is going to change the landscape of the industry.” [1]

Definition

From the Wikipedia:

"Social Television is a general term for technology that supports communication and social interaction in either the context of watching television, or related to TV content. It also includes the study of television-related social behavior, devices and networks. Social television systems can for example integrate voice communication, text chat, presence and context awareness, TV recommendations, ratings, or video-conferencing with the TV content either directly on the screen or by using ancillary devices. Social television is very active area of research and development that is also generating new services as TV operators and content producers are looking for new sources of revenue. While a number of existing social television systems are still at a conceptual stage, or exist as lab prototypes, beta or pilot versions are available commercially. White-labeled social TV platforms have also emerged (such as Visiware's PlayAlong, LiveHive Systems and Ex Machina's PlayToTV) which allow TV networks and operators to offer branded social TV applications. On the ratings front, companies such as SocialGuide, Bluefin Labs, Networked Insights and TrendrrTV have emerged to measure the social media activities tied to specific TV telecasts.[1] In essence, these new companies seek to serve as the Nielsen Ratings of the social televisions space." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_television)

Description

David Wasserman:

"it’s about merging your social media networks to the TV. It’s making TV social–again. It’s about taking the water cooler effect and making this virtual, it’s about the empowered consumer viewing content when and where they want, deciding who they want to share it with and being able to do this all in real time.In essence it is a term that describes technology that supports communication and social interaction in either the context of watching television, or related to TV content.

...

Social TV is important because social media will bring together the TV and the digital world. People already use their TV’s socially: they either watch it together as a family, or watch a show separately but talk about them together at a later time. So Social TV is about bringing real-time interactivity back to TV, which has been lacking in recent years.The people who used to sit in front of a television and talk about their experiences to friends, family and co-workers are now empowered to do so right here, right now. Perhaps more important however, people are building full-fledged networks around them, creating a distribution channel of audiences with audiences and their reach is as influential as it is infinite.As WIRED magazine recently stated, TV is moving from a “vast wasteland” to a “vast garden”. Today, “TV is a crazy, weed-filled, wonderful, out-of-control garden.” It is time to rethink TV. It is time to imagine what it could be and redefine it for the participatory culture of tomorrow." (http://wcntransmedia.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/the-future-of-tv-is-social-the-revolution-is-coming-a-must-read-article-from-david-wasserman-digital-culture-blog/)

Examples

Video exemplifying uses of twitter by TV programs, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Jc8TQppzORE

TV shows with social integration:

• BBC series 'Up for Hire' incorporated social media content from television viewers into a massive in-studio display[8]. Viewers could get their comments on TV and the hosts would interact with the content.

• C-SPAN streamed tweets from US senators and representatives during the quorum call

• Top Gear has an integrated Facebook branded page and has integrated Facebook into its website. After each episode ends, Top Gear posts clips of the last episode on Facebook.

• American Idol is piloting a programme where users can login with Facebook and vote for their favourite candidate for free.

• The Voice had the judges of the program tweet during the show and the posts scrolls on the bottom of the screen. The use of Twitter also led to an increase in viewers.

• "Glee" Entertainment Weekly created a second screen viewing platform for the Glee season 3 premiere.

1. http://vimeo.com/35011173
2. http://www.horizont.net/aktuell/medien/pages/protected/ZDF-laesst-Zuschauer-von-Rette-die-Million-im-Internet-live-mitraten_96146.html
3. http://media.twitter.com/1479/more-tv-hashtags
4. http://media.twitter.com/1468/cspan-tweets
5. http://www.tvgenius.net/blog/2011/04/19/4-ways-facebook-social-tv-1-video/
6. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-voice-uses-twitter-raise-203243
7. http://tvrecaps.ew.com/viewer/episode/?id=EP011413890047

Tools

Social TV Systems

• never.no A broadcasters toolkit to get social media on-air and create synchronized two screen apps. Broadcasters using the never.no Interactivity Suite for Social TV include BBC, Al Jazeera[20], Music Choice, Viasat, TV 2, and others.

• GetGlue The largest social entertainment network in terms of activity.[21] Users check-in to shows, socialize with friends, get recommendations, and earn rewards (Social TV application for iPhone, iPad, Android, and GetGlue.com)

• WiO (free mobile application enabling users to receive information, as well as various deals and discounts, from the brands they see advertised in television commercials and programs)

• Boxee (TV content shared with friends)

• Xbox Live

• Tank Top TV (Social TV application, UK only)

• PlayAlong

• SnappyTV Platform that enables content providers to clip videos of TV content as it airs live and instantly share to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets. Rights holders can also enable show viewers to snap and share their own highlights as well which has been used by companies such as FOX, FOX Sports, MTV, PGA Championship and others.

• Youtoo Social TV A Social TV Network That Allows Millions to be on TV. Users can upload 15sec videos called "Fame Spots" to the US-based Youtoo TV national cable network using smartphones, tablets or personal computers.[22](Social TV application for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Youtoo.com)

Social TV Applications

David Wasserman:

"One of the main drivers of social TV has been the rampant proliferation of mobile social & TV apps which fall into two main categories:

• TV “check-in” apps: “Check-in” with apps like Get Glue, Miso, PHILO, IntoNOW, TV Chatter and new Aussie kid on the block Twelevision, to share what you’re watching with your friends and, in some cases, earn social currency/rewards.

These apps are directly leveraging existing behaviours for example how many times when watching TV have you gone onto IMDB.com, Google, or YouTube to find out more about a show or actor? How many times have you tweeted or posted to Facebook about the show you’re watching? The various “social TV” apps begin to bring all of this natural online behaviour into a single second screen experience.But if you thought social TV apps were just check-in devices think again as Miso one of the main social TV apps has just announced a partnership with Fox that takes their app one more step beyond “just a check-in.”

Miso CEO Somrat Niyog is aiming the service not just live events but the long tail of TV programs so if you are watching Dexter for the first time you can engage with other fans to see what they said around particular episodes. As more and more TV becomes a “what you want when you want it ‘experience apps like this make sense to engage and add to the viewing experience no matter when you get into watching your favourite new TV series. Rival service ‘get glue’ has also been quick to run promos around key TV shows like scfi classic show the Fringe where subscribers have the opportunity to win props from the show as part of a promo for loyal fans.

• Synced i-Pad apps: enable viewers to get additional content while you’re watching a show with a show specific app such as The Kennedy’s, Oscars, Royal Wedding or a via specific TV network (NBC & Discovery).Perhaps one of the best known ones in the Greys anatomy app which Using the audio watermarks that TV programs typically use for tracking TV ratings, the app can figure out where a viewer is in a program and offer up corresponding content on the i-Pad. This means that in addition to using the app when watching the show live, users can also use the app when watching on a time-shifted copy of the program or when fast-forwarding or rewinding the show.

The i-Pad since its launch is quickly becoming a unique second screen device and a new study by Nielsen reveals where people are using their iPads, and it’s even more evidence that tablets are natural “second screen” devices in front of TV. Compared to smartphones and e-readers, iPads are more TV-friendly, although television also ranks as the top “time spent” (20%) and “situational use” (68%) for smart phones.

It is a trend not lost on Daniel Heaf, Digital Director of the BBC Worldwide, who said in a Beet TV interview that he see’s tablets as an amazing opportunity for long form content

“Whether being on our magazine app or whether on our news app, are much more akin to the types of session times we’ve seen in traditional media apps, like TV and magazines,” he says. “It might not be a fully lean-back event in a way like watching your plasma screen might be, but it’s definitely not a lean-forward experience, it’s definitely not a 3-minute medium.”

Expect the iPad to grow in importance as a quick and easy way to leverage existing TV behaviour and enhance the viewing experience whilst TV manufactures rush to get app content launched on their respective connected TV sets." (http://wcntransmedia.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/the-future-of-tv-is-social-the-revolution-is-coming-a-must-read-article-from-david-wasserman-digital-culture-blog/)

Discussion

David Wasserman:

"So what will the future of TV look like in 2020?

1. The Decline of traditional TV as we know it. The concept of TV as we know has changed and will be in the future over multiple platforms and social will be designed into all TV formats as a natural part of the viewing experience.

2. TV will be al a carte & you will be able to pay to avoid Ad’s. It will only be a few years away where you will be able to subscribe to your favourite TV show and pick and choose what show you watch based on your tastes as part of a subscription package and watch them on any device anywhere anytime.

3. Global communities will dominate media –Global social networking applications will continue to proliferate into the video arena, providing communal interaction and real-time ratings and recommendations, creating shared experiences and across geographic boundaries.

4. Every TV network will have a social media Team -Every launch will have a dedicated social media plan. Two years ago, there was nothing. Today, social is a core component of how the US networks do their job. This will spread globally across broadcast media.

5. Most viewing will be on personalised screens- The opportunities around Tablets and touch screens are only just beginning and more audio and video will be consumed on personal devices than on the traditional shared living room display, which will become more multifunctional and less defined by the television viewing experience.

6. Mobile will be the number one device people view TV on with programs made specifically for the format. In Tokyo there are currently more than 1.5 million paid subscribers for TV shows specifically made for mobile which will only spread globally between now and 2020.

7. Transmedia story telling will be the norm -Storytelling across multiple forms of media with each element making distinctive contributions to a fan’s understanding of the story world. By using different media formats, transmedia creates “entry points” through which consumers can become immersed in a story world. Watch out for the new Fox8 series ‘Slide’ which launches in August a great example of home grown transmedia storytelling via Hoodlum entertainment.

8. Social Commerce on TV will be ubiquitous via new business model like GOAB

9. Touch devices will replace remotes-the awful point and click will be replaced by touch sensitive, interactive devices including tablets and multipurpose smartphones.

10. All TV’S will be connected to the web" (http://wcntransmedia.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/the-future-of-tv-is-social-the-revolution-is-coming-a-must-read-article-from-david-wasserman-digital-culture-blog/)

Social TV as retention strategy for declining television

MIT Technology Review, By William M. Bulkeley:

"Carriers, networks, and content producers hope that making it easier for viewers to link up with friends will help them hold on to their audiences rather than losing them to services like Hulu, which stream shows over the Internet. And opening TV to social networking could make it easier for companies to provide personalized programming.

Many developers are working on ways to let people share the viewing experience over broadband connections or through set-top boxes; indeed, cable companies and other broadband video providers have sponsored small trials of various interactive TV services around the world for more than 20 years. But most of the systems were even clumsier than the combination of laptop and large-screen TV that today's viewers have kludged together. ­Montpetit wants to unite different communication systems--especially cellular and broadband services--to create an elegant user experience. She's been sharing ideas about that sort of system with BT, which provides broadband connections to 15 million people in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including nearly a half-million digital-TV subscribers.

Though BT won't comment on what form its social-TV system might take, Montpetit and her students at the MIT Media Lab demonstrated an intriguing prototype last year. A central database aggregates video from online sources like YouTube, shares user-specified data with social networks, delivers video to the user's TV, and lets users and the people in their networks send comments and ratings back and forth via an iPhone app. It avoids using the TV screen for messages, something that has proved irritating to consumers who don't want clunky text obscuring the pictures on their 52-inch HDTVs. The app also allows the user to tell the network what program to show on his or her set. For instance, if a friend suggests a show and the owner agrees, that show will pop up at the appointed time. In February, Montpetit and her students presented a refined version of this system to BT. Jeff Patmore, who works with Montpetit as head of strategic university research at BT, says such a system could be rolled out this year, although he declines to confirm any plans. But Montpetit anxiously awaits U.S. deployment of social TV: her daughter, with whom she watches certain shows, heads off to college next fall. Engineering and business issues aside, she wants social TV to help friends and family stay connected, even as they move apart." (http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/25084/)

More Information

1. Twitter and TV
2. TV Communities
3. News via ScoopIt social tv curation, http://bit.ly/fphHVW
4. Graphic summary of Social TV Media Strategy using twitter etc ... http://davidwesson.typepad.com/.a/6a010535373ed2970c015432f5cdd6970c-pi
5. Graphic summary of Social TV Media User Map, via http://davidwesson.typepad.com/.a/6a010535373ed2970c014e8915c7a0970d-pi