Traditional TV has a golden opportunity to interact with an audience that has become more active over the years. Will it take?
So far, saying that TV has been suffering since the emergence of streaming platforms seems pointless. That's because we all know that ever since Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max and other platforms came along, people started cord-cutting to such an extent that traditional TV never recovered, but not for lack of trying.
Traditional TV channels have ventured into many things trying to recover their audience. They launched their own streaming services, made their content available on their websites, and even developed social media campaigns to generate even more engagement. These strategies had mixed results, but failed to return television to the entertainment spotlight.
It is highly likely that TV will never return to its former glory. But that doesn't mean it's dead. In fact, there is a huge opportunity for TV broadcasters and producers to interact with an audience that has become more active over the years. This opportunity lies in a strategic partnership with social media platforms, something we are already seeing.
The second screen phenomenon
There was a change in public habits that became fundamental to this golden opportunity for TV. Since social media platforms took over the world, people have become accustomed to engaging and interacting not only with friends and family, but also with brands, artists and all types of social actors.
With each passing year, thanks to social networks, people have stopped consuming content passively and started actively selecting, sharing and interacting with what they are watching. Naturally, streaming platforms have also played a role in this, as they offer options for users to choose and consume what and when they want. Thus, interactive experiences began to gain popularity, which is extremely harmful for an experience as passive as watching television.
Today, we are largely familiar with the social conversations that happen in real time as a show or event takes place. This is exactly what we're talking about when we discuss second screens: most people no longer watch anything passively, as they now do so with another device (usually their phones) in hand, ready to check social media to comment on whatever they want. They are watching.
Social media (and Twitter most of all) has become the new, albeit improved, water cooler. Instead of waiting to go to the office to discuss a show with friends and colleagues, people do it in real time and simultaneously with what they are watching. You certainly remember how people took to Twitter every time a highly hyped show premiered, even if it was on an on-demand platform, with trending topics, memes, spoiler warnings, and shared conversations.
The second-screen phenomenon isn't reserved for on-demand shows. Highly-watched TV events (particularly live-streamed events, from breaking news to the Superbowl) are frantically talked about on social media, which shows that this is far from a trend. Second screens are here to stay and this, interestingly, can benefit TV stations.
The rise of social television
If social media is now an essential part of a cross-platform, cross-device viewing experience, then broadcasters have a golden opportunity to build their offerings around it. There have been attempts to do this for years (some of which have lasted almost a decade), but without success. Does this mean that the golden opportunity is actually a golden trap? Not exactly.
The key is knowing how to integrate the content that traditional TV companies have to offer with the real-time commentary capabilities that social media is known for. And that is exactly what some companies aim for.
A few weeks ago, Twitter announced a major global deal with ViacomCBS , one of the most relevant media and entertainment conglomerates in the world. The idea of the partnership is quite simple: ViacomCBS will provide its portfolio of news, sports, live events, TV shows and franchises for Twitter to stream on its platform.
What's more, ViacomCBS will host Twitter Watch Parties to capitalize on Twitter's second-screen capabilities. The entertainment giant will host these parties on Paramount+, its own streaming platform, which is interesting since executives are recognizing with this move that even on-demand services need the boost of social conversations.
Earlier this year, Twitter also expanded its deal with NBCUniversal that dates back to 2013. This partnership is very similar to what the social media platform did with ViacomCBS: NBCUniversal provides the content, Twitter provides its infrastructure to broadcast it. .
Both partnerships are great examples of what social television can be going forward. An established company can offer its vast catalog of content, while social media platforms can act as amplifiers, serving both the interests of traditional media (who want to engage more viewers) and those of viewers themselves (who are now part of the active audience that wants to be able to interact and comment on everything they watch).
Going beyond the surface
What I've described so far is just scratching the surface. In reality, a true cross-device viewing experience can mean so much more. Integrating on-demand streaming services with social media features is the logical next step, but there is much more that can be done. Using wearables and virtual assistants to consume, share and interact holds exciting promise. New core applications, virtual and augmented reality, multi-screen technologies, and even the metaverse are also avenues worth exploring.
Some might argue that social television has been around for years and has yet to take off and probably never will. This may be true. However, the entertainment industry is very different than it was a decade ago when social media began to gain massive popularity. New technologies can finally satisfy the original requirements and help overcome the many challenges that lie ahead.
The viewing experience is changing and has been for a long time. It probably won't stop evolving anytime soon, so broadcasters that want to stay relevant should start taking note and pushing for a more integrated experience that takes advantage of new technologies and caters to the new habits of an active audience that is willing to engage, as long as broadcasters recognize that such a thing will eventually happen.
Source: BairesDev
