Social TV Keeps Viewers Engaged When Minds Might Wander
Second Screen Helps Hold Viewers’ Attention, Study Says
Reblogged from AdAge, by Mallory Russell
Media companies and marketers are watching the development of social TV closely. But when viewers constantly use their computers or mobile devices during their favorite shows, won’t they wind up seeing less of the show itself?
Advertisers and TV networks shouldn’t worry, a new study suggests.
Interacting with social media on a second screen makes viewers more engaged in programming than if they were watching alone without social media, according to the study by Time Warner Research Council. Instead of distracting viewers, it merely augments the way that they view TV.
The researchers used biometric monitoring and eye tracking to gauge 126 Millennial viewers’ engagement with episodes of “Conan” and “TMZ” as they participated in varying levels of social behavior. They found that viewer engagement levels while watching with a friend or connecting with a friend over social media were 1.3 times higher than for people watching alone and not using social media. Engagement among those using co-viewing apps, designed to deliver content and allow conversation in sync with the program, proved 1.2 times more engaged than those viewing alone without a social app… [Full Story]
