New Face of TV Viewership: Laptops and Tablets and Phones, Oh My!
A new study from Google shows that TV viewers are increasingly turning to YouTube on their laptops, smartphones, and tablets for content related to their favorite TV shows.
A new study from Google shows that TV viewers are increasingly turning to YouTube on their laptops, smartphones, and tablets for content related to their favorite TV shows.
Google has published some research that measures the impact of YouTube engagement on tune-in and fanship for TV shows. The data and insights are being rolled out in time for the third annual NewFronts marketplace, which will be held between April 28 and May 8 in New York City.
Over the past year, industry analysts and analytical leads at Google have seen an increase in the number of YouTube TV partners who are using YouTube to build an engaged fan community to take them beyond their late-night time slots. This includes Jimmy Kimmel Live‘s twerking prank.
It also includes The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon‘s playlist of clips featuring Justin Timberlake and #hashtags.
So, these folks at Google thought it would be interesting to take a look at the data behind these anecdotes. The key findings will be shared on the AdWords Agency Blog in a post by Mahlet Seyoum, industry analyst of media and entertainment sales at Google. An advanced copy of her post, which just went up, was provided to ClickZ under embargo.
According to Seyoum, “It’s been called the ‘New Golden Age of Television,’ but today’s TV ecosystem differs greatly from that of the era of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone. People now turn to their laptops, smartphones, and tablets to view trailers and research cast information before tuning in, to use social media for real-time conversations about their favorite programs, and to binge-watch episodes on demand. In fact, 90 percent of TV viewers also visit Google and YouTube, signaling the shared audience between both digital and television.”
She adds, “In an effort to identify how digital has impacted viewer behavior in this new era, we analyzed search queries, video views, and engagement metrics from a sample of 100 cable and network television shows. From this analysis we published a new report called ‘The Role of Digital in TV Research, Fanship, and Viewing,’ which outlines how online behavior is a clear indicator of a show’s popularity.”
Here are a few of the key findings from the study:
What does this mean to digital marketers? There is an old saying, “If you want to catch fish, fish where the fish are.” Well, today’s TV audiences use Google, YouTube, and digital overall to extend and inform their TV-watching experience. So, you should be fishing in these waters, too. And try to act nonchalant if the guys fishing next to you look like Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon. They both work the night shift, so there’s no telling what they do during the day.
To read Google’s full report, go to Think Insights With Google.