What we watch shapes how we watch

Data released by Twitter recently has shown how the type of content we are watching can impact our second screen social media activity. For example, if people are watching a gripping drama like Homeland, they are far less likely to tweet at the same time. On the flip side, if it’s a light entertainment show like X Factor, people will consistently tweet throughout the show with peaks in Twitter activity directly linked to specific contestant performances. Meanwhile investigative shows like Panorama stimulate prolonged Twitter activity with viewers discussing it during the show but also after it has finished.

The report is targeted at advertisers however it also contains valuable information for the wider TV industry; consumers no longer just passively watch TV, Twitter adds a new dimension to the viewing experience. We are likely to see more TV shows actively encouraging viewers to go online whilst the show is on.

Broadcasters already trail hashtags before shows, but this is just the start. They are now using Twitter to evaluate the performance of shows, and it will be fascinating to see how this data is used and impacts programming and additional, associated content in the future.

Second screen apps here to stay

We’ve talked previously on this blog about hardware advances that were showcased at CES  this year. Another significant trend at the show was the second screen apps that are supporting them. The number and range of second screen apps on display this year demonstrated that the second screen is here to stay.

While the CES demonstrations weren’t necessarily showcasing features that we haven’t seen before they did highlight that second screen applications have reached mainstream coverage with TV titles such as Variety now looking at the impact this technology can have on the industry and ultimately the consumer.

With this growing confidence in second screen apps the market is likely to become increasingly crowded. There is already a multitude of apps out there, and this number is only going to grow. The real winners will be the ones that are able to tap into changing consumer behaviour.

Smartphone growth provides Connected TV and second screen opportunities

Nearly half of the UK now owns a smartphone. What’s interesting about the smartphone adoption rate is the pace at which it has accelerated (31 per cent in 2012). An increasing number of us are using these devices to access online content and we’re using them more often. This increase also represents an opportunity for the Connected TV market.

One of the longstanding criticisms of the Connected TV market is that these devices are often purchased and then not used to their fullest extent. Connection rates of TVs are slowly increasing although this remains an industry challenge, better consumer awareness, improved OTT content and better user interfaces are all needed. The growth of the smartphone market also presents opportunities for the Connected TV market; second screen applications can significantly enhance the Connected TV experience.

Touchscreen Smartphones are ideal for searching TV listings, scheduling recordings and managing the main TV without disrupting what’s being viewed. Live and recorded content can also be streamed to these devices as we’ve shown with our own ANT Galio Move.  

At this year’s IBC we demonstrated a range of new ANT Galio Move features that enable consumers to interact with social media and access additional associated online content such as iTunes, YouTube and Wikipedia based on what the consumer is watching. As smartphone and tablet adoption rates continue to grow so does the second screen opportunity for the connected TV Market.

Moving the EPG to the companion device, a natural evolution

One new development that was commonplace at IBC this year is the use of companion devices such as an iPad or smartphone for navigating the EPG. Over the last year there have been lots of demos of these services, but now it’s becoming a commercial reality. ANT Galio Move, the companion device offering from ANT, is available to consumers today under the View21 brand in the UK and recently won an award at the ConnectedWorld.tv awards for its approach to using a second screen.

This isn’t just a “we won an award” blog entry, though.  What I really want to talk about is how this kind of app has changed my use of the EPG.  

Moving the EPG off the main screen on to a second screen does more than just give me a better way of navigating around a grid-based guide. It changes how the guide gets used as a browsing tool and a content discovery mechanism, and affects the whole dynamic of watching TV. Many tablet owners are already used to multi-tasking while watching TV, and having the EPG on a companion device means that browsing the guide simply becomes another part of that multi-tasking.  Most importantly, it means that it’s not interrupting other people’s TV viewing.

Having the guide on a companion device, with its own connection to the Internet and a richer interaction model also opens up new possibilities for what the guide looks like.  Imagine “zooming in” on a programme to find out more about it, as if the detailed information about the programme is just another part of the main guide grid.  Imagine having that tied in to a recommendation engine, or personal recommendations from friends via Twitter that suggest programmes you’d like.  Imagine having it integrated with catch-up TV services, or VoD services, or the iTunes store so that you can buy the movie or TV series to keep.

With the rich metadata that is now available, the combination of advanced TV services and a companion device with an easy-to-use user interface means that are we now in a position to make the best use of that new data to improve our EPG and help us to more easily find what we want to watch.

Second screening becomes big business

24% of people are using second screens whilst watching TV, and almost half of all 16-24 years olds use social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to discuss what they’re watching, according to new stats in Deloitte’s new report.

Viewers are interacting directly with the programmes they’re watching, but they’re also increasingly talking about the content within the programme with their friends on social media networks. There is a real opportunity here from those broadcasters and advertisers that react quickly to this growing trend. Advertising specialist YuMe, has stated there is a window of opportunity for them to pitch their wares to a growing connected TV audience, as for now they will interact with the ads out of a simple curiosity.

To make of the most of this, advertisers should therefore be leading the way for consumers, providing interesting and personalised content so that when they do go online using their connected TV, they have something compelling to interact with.

There’s also a huge opportunity for manufacturers to get involved here, and we are seeing a growing number of companion apps becoming available that consumers can use to interact with their favourite TV shows. Integrating social media networks into the viewing experience for example, means viewers can be more engaged with their favourite TV shows, following the relevant hashtags on Twitter and discussing with friends online. 

These latest stats show viewers are becoming more accustomed to using second screens and interacting directly with the programmes that they’re watching. So faced with a more switched-on connected TV audience, the onus is firmly on the TV industry to create a converged first and second screen experience so compelling that it could potentially have more impact than a single screen experience.