Viewers Who Preview New Shows Online Are Loyal, So Engage Them: Yahoo Survey

65% Of Respondents Go Online While Watching Programs; 64% Preview Shows Online

By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 6/18/2008 10:01:00 PM

Viewers who go online to find out about new TV shows before they premiere are more likely to watch them regularly, and to even convince their friends to watch those programs, according to a study by Yahoo and Deep Focus.

The “Engage and Entertain” study also found that there’s a direct correlation between advertising for a show–whether on TV, through a portal or billboards–and online searches regarding a program. When asked what prompted respondents to go online to learn more about a TV show, 55% said because they “saw or heard an advertisement,” according to the study.

The research was conducted by Yahoo and Deep Focus to help TV studios figure out the best way to engage consumers online, even during the traditionally slow summer TV season.

The takeaway is that TV studios should use the Internet early on to build loyalty to new shows.

And, according to the study, TV studios should be engaging with consumers even before the new TV season begins. For example, viewers who seek out information on a show online before its actual TV premiere convince an average of 5.1 of their friends to watch that show, the survey found. The study also determined that people who seek information online about new shows before they debut are 46% more likely to watch the show regularly.

Also, TV studios should engage with potential viewers at different times, depending upon the type of show. For example, about half of respondents go online before and after a drama or comedy show, whereas 70% of reality show viewers only go online after the show. Also, they can even gauge success levels of a show based on online activity–a highly important factor for advertisers.

During the course of the study, Yahoo and Deep Focus talked to consumers about their viewing habits around today’s hottest shows–such as Heroes, Lost, Entourage, 30 Rock, House and The Wire–andreality television programs–such as the Bachelor, Project Runway, The Hills, American Idol and America’s Next Top Model. 

Some key findings from the study include:

-- Viewers who “engage” with a show online before its actual TV premiere convince an average of 5.1 of their friends to watch that show.

-- About half of respondents go online before and after a drama or comedy show, whereas 70% of reality show viewers only go online after the show.

-- 65% of respondents reported they search online for information about a TV show while they are watching it.

-- For new shows, the majority of respondents, or 64%, searched for information pre-premiere. For current shows, information-seeking is fairly constant throughout the season (52% search pre-premiere and 48% search after show begins).

-- Older viewers, those 35 and older, tend to view the show as the “main event” and look to online content as a supplement to the actual program. Younger viewers, those 18 to 34, tend to be more interactive and are more likely to respond to the “brand” of the show, of which the episode is only a part.

-- Viewers make their favorite dramas “appointment television.” For reality TV, it is very much the opposite. Watching first runs are less important since reality shows are replayed very often.

The companies spoke to over 2,000 TV viewers about more than 7,000 shows. Viewers were surveyed over an eight-week period in order to capture online behavior of shows before and after the full fledge start of the Fall Premieres. Participants consisted of viewers, age 14 years or older who watch television shows at least 2-3 times a week and searched for at least one TV show title from a pre-determined list in the 30 days prior to the survey.