Facebook wins in influence on Social TV

According to a survey of US internet users, conducted by Nielsen for the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), people still most often talked about TV shows while in the same room, face to face or over the phone, reports e-marketer.

The report states that digital and mobile channels also had a “discernible presence among viewers looking to socialise about programming.” 3 in 10 said they had used SMS to discuss shows, and roughly the same number reported using Facebook for that purpose.

Facebook had the greatest influence on getting people to watch, with 46% saying they picked up a show as a result of the social network. That was followed by Twitter (14%), the websites of TV shows (9%) and then forums or discussion boards (8%).

As our viewing behaviours change the way we watch TV, the report confirms that viewers also showed a preference for talking about shows – either in person, online or over the phone – after the show aired.

About 70% of respondents talked about a show while it was on-air, while three-quarters did so right after its conclusion. The day after a show was broadcast, the percentage of people chatting about a show leaped to 83%.

To see the full article, complete with graphs, visit e-marketer’s website.