We’re starting to see some of the early products, and as is customary with Twitter, we’re seeing it first with an API partner. TBG Digital was given an early run at the adverting API, and this week it announced a new product called “Calendar Live” which gives marketers the ability to buy Promoted Tweets in sync with TV shows. While marketers could already do this manually — for example, buying tweets against show-related hashtags and scheduling them around the show’s airtime — TBG Digital has compressed it into an easy-to-use tool with more granular time-targeting abilities and trend monitoring.
Debate #3 did not reach social levels of Debates #1 and #2
Presidential Debate #3 generated 8.0M social media comments across Twitter and Facebook profiles that are marked as public. Twitter accounted for 7.8M of the total and public Facebook accounted for 152K.
But still a major event in social TV
At 8.0M social media comments, Presidential Debate #3 still breaks into the Top 10 Social TV Events of All Time, across all programming genres.
Specifically, it ranks #7 all time. It’s ahead of the 2012 NBA Finals Game 5, the clinching game when LeBron James won his first NBA title (6.3M comments) and just behind The BET Awards 2012 (8.1M comments).
Debate #3 faced stiffer competition in social TV on its night of airing
All three presidential debates commanded a dominating “share of commentary” during their respective nights of airing, but debate #3 faced the stiffest competition: it aired on the same night as Game 7 of the MLB NLCS as well as NFL Monday Night Football. Nevertheless,debate #3 accounted for 79% of all social TV commentary in prime time for Oct 22.
This network proprietary app has a better chance to survive than most because it will be paired with a ton of exclusive live TV events. Yet is there enough exclusive engagement experiences to draw users from twitter, texting or the dozens of other Social TV apps? The potential is there, but I continue to believe users will want one single agnostic home for all of their Social TV engagement. The network apps would then be positioned to feed in to this neutral platform and simplify the disparity and huge number of proprietary options. Create an experience for the user as simple as turning on their TV and you have the potential for mass adoption.
I really like the partnership for Christy Tanner and TV Guide. Witstream does a great job of curating and this brings some great content to TV Guide’s already powerful app.
I especially appreciate the mention of iBubblr as a part of this conversation!
In March, we reported on iBubblr a new startup that’s working primarily on the curated conversations aspect. Many second screen apps give badges, stars or “super fan” credentials for engaging a lot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have interesting things to say. Entertainment Weekly launchedviEWer last fall to bring their editorial juice into real-time TV watching and second screen sports appshave launched with major players backing them. Who do you wish you can watch your favorite shows with besides the actors that are in them? Comedians? Journalists? Both?
I’m a few days late on this post, but it is definitely worth mentioning because Lost Remote is considered by most to be the leading Social TV resource on the web. Now backed by MediaBistro and WebMediaBrands Inc, it will become an even more powerful entity. Congrats to Cory, Natan and the team.
