Sweeps Thursday Social TV Must-Reads (April 25)
Let Sweeps Season begin! Season finales, cliff hangers and cancellations as well as moves for next season all coming into view. Check out our daily roundup of Social TV must-reads.
Today, we have a look at Social TV from the individual point of view ( Jimmy Fallon), as well as a best practices from an industry exec (Viacom) as well as a look at the second-screen connected-vs-companion debate.
Also, news from NBCU’s Digital Upfronts, and, on the hardware side, Amazon may be moving to the TV set-top. In content, Netflix has a plan for the future while ‘Saturday Night Live’ archives are moving to Yahoo. Additionally, there is research out that links Facebook TV “likes” to obesity. In sports, Major League Baseball is giving voice to fans through social media while, in the Latin Market, Telemundo joins with Zeebox.
Let us know what you think!
Top Stories
Ready to be ‘Swept Away’ by Prime Time Television?
The broadcast networks are counting the days until they begin their summer vacations. May “sweeps” is a four-week period jam-packed with season finales for scripted dramas and comedies, and with the crowning of champions in competition-reality shows.
NBC Tunes Into Social With ‘Million Second Quiz’ Game
is a huge hit, thanks in part to its strong integration of social TV and the second screen. Now NBC is hoping to replicate that success with a new live competition show airing this fall called The Million Second Quiz. From the description NBC released, The Million Second Quiz sounds like Big Brother meets Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
NBCU Launches New Digital Initiatives
Kicking off Newfront season, NBCUniversal on Wednesday debuted a series of digitally based initiatives, including “The Million Second Quiz.” While the game show will air in prime time, viewers will be encouraged to tune in to a 24/7 live stream — and play along — online.
A TV show should feature 15 social media talking points, says Viacom Senior VP
TV shows should have between 10 and 15 social media talking points baked into them to guarantee a successful social TV experience,…
What Jimmy Fallon Can Teach You About Social Media
Over the years, Fallon has grown a huge presence on social media. He has more than 8.5 million followers on Twitter, and regularly makes his fans and their comments part of his show. No NBC will be bumping him to the prized Tonight Show time slot, and he’ll be taking over for Jay Leno.
Technology
TVTechnology: Connected or Companion TV: Which Is Better for Broadcasters?
“We’re not going to make a bet on a single platform or app,” says Brian Handly, CEO of StepLeader Inc., a work-inducing but realistic stance for a company focused on creating on-demand TV and second-screen apps for TV stations and networks. “This market is still too fragmented,” Handly adds.
Insights into innovation in social TV
Futurescape publishes strategy reports on social TV and the future of television. Buyers are industry leaders at: International advertising and media agencies TV broadcasters and producers Cable, satellite and mobile operators Media owners and publishers Industry analysts and government agencies Global companies purchasing reports include Adobe, AT&T, BBC, BSkyB, CBS, Digitas, Disney, Eutelsat, Fox, Havas, HBO, Irdeto, ITV, MediaCom, NDS, MTV, Ogilvy, Orange, Philips, Publicis, Samsung, UBS, Vi…
Content
Top-trending music topics to fuel new TV show
Called “Trending 10,” the program will be on the music-oriented cable TV network Fuse and is being produced in partnership with Twitter and Trident gum. Do you like music and want to know what the hottest music-related stories are? A new TV show that features the top trending music topics on Twitter hopes to have you covered.
‘Saturday Night Live’ Archives Moving to Yahoo
When they were performing on “Saturday Night Live” three decades ago, Al Franken, Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy surely didn’t expect they would ever be streamed on computers and phones. In fact, they probably would have made fun of the idea. But it’s reality now, as the owner of the “S.N.L.”
Hardware
Here Comes Amazon’s Kindle TV Set-Top Box
Amazon is making e-readers, tablets and will likely soon introduce a smartphone. As it works to build all types of connected devices, that leaves a natural next step: a television set-top box. The e-commerce giant is planning to introduce a device this fall dedicated to streaming video over the
PLAiR Connects TV to Devices for $99
If you like TV, and you like the Internet, you’ve got some really good options for getting those two crazy kids to play nicely together. Even without a Smart TV in your living room, you can use an HDMI cable to connect your Mac or iPad directly to your big-screen HDTV (although that’s a bit of a mobility buzzkill).
Buzz
Here’s how Netflix sees the future of TV
Netflix released a new 11-page document that outlines the company’s long-term outlook on the future of television – and more importantly, who will come out as winners. The outlook document comes after the company’s successful 2013 first quarter earnings report, which saw Netflix bring in over $1 billion in revenue and a record 33 million subscribers.
Brian Stelter Reveals How ‘GMA’s’ Robin Roberts Survived the Ax
The story of the “Today” show’s fall from grace – from its ratings losses to the debacle of Ann Curry’s firing – has received a lot of press. But, there’s a whole other side of the story, which Brian Stelter’s newly released book, “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV,” exposes.
Could Facebook help predict obesity hotspots? Areas where people ‘like’ TV more than sport are less healthy
People with television-related Facebook ‘interests’ more likely to be obese Those related to a healthy lifestyle are less likely to have weight issues People’s online ‘interests’ could help predict and map obesity rates by area.
People
Donati, Brainch among raft of NBCU appointments
NBCUniversal International senior exec Duccio Donati is moving to a new role overseeing the E! cable channel in the US, with a CNBC chief taking his role. Concurrently, NBCUI has tapped a senior UK factual production creative to lead a major charge into unscripted programming.
Abbe Raven Elevated to New Role as Chairman of A+E Networks; Nancy Dubuc Named President & CEO
NEW YORK, April 22, 2013 – Nancy Dubuc has been appointed president and chief executive officer of A+E Networks, becoming the third CEO in the company’s nearly 30-year history.
Sports
Social media giving MLB fans a voice
More and more MLB teams are figuring out how to connect fans in a more engaging way. Social media nights are nothing new for MLB teams. Most teams have at least one on their promotional calendar this year.
Latin Market
Telemundo Media Named First Official US Hispanic Partner for Zeebox
“As U.S. Hispanics lead the industry with their consumption of social and mobile media, this new multiplatform initiative with zeebox speaks to Telemundo’s desire to deliver more innovative content and new opportunities for our audiences to further deepen their engagement,” said Peter Blacker, Executive Vice President, Digital & Emerging Businesses, Telemundo Media.
Social TV Daily publishes a daily roundup of news articles across the Internet. Excerpts are drawn from the content and full URLs are included.
