TV Viewers Crave Online Connections: Study
Most TV viewers who are passionate about the shows they watch are eager to engage with additional content related to their favorite program online, a new survey found.
More than two-thirds (68%) of TV viewers said they go to the Web for more information about an episode after watching it, while 37% indicated they go online for details before the show airs, according to a Yahoo study, “Engage and Entertain: the Impact of the Internet on your TV Show Brand.” And 65% said they seek information about shows online while they’re watching them.
People don’t just want information for themselves, they want to share it, results show. Among those surveyed, 64% said they specifically seek additional information to share with others, while 49% said they want information for themselves and others.
Viewers who go online for show information before its debut convince an average of 5.1 of their friends to tune in, too.
More than half of drama and comedy viewers go online either before or after they watch their favorite shows, while 70% of reality TV viewers only surf the Web afterwards.
Viewers age 35 or older consider the show the “main event” and seek content about it after viewing it. Younger viewers, age 18 to 34, are more apt to be interactive, responding to the show’s “brand.”
Drama TV viewers make an “appointment” to watch their favorite shows, while reality TV viewers aren’t as apt to watch first run episodes, since they’re typically replayed.
Deep Focus commissioned Yahoo to survey 2,000 people about 7,000 shows over an eight-week period during the fall season.
