Social TV study finds most people delay viewing their favorite shows

Viewers in this digital age use a second screen, such as a mobile phone or notebook computer, to communicate with others about the content of a specific television show and to read comments written by friends and unknown peers. This emerging trend in current media consumption is known as social TV. In order to understand the drivers of viewers’ social TV activities and the consequences of their participation, three researchers – Jhih-Syuan Lin from National Chengchi University in Taiwan, Kuan-Ju Chen from National Central University in Taiwan and Yongjun Sung of Korea University – conducted a survey with 345 participants. By examining the concepts of motivations, social TV usage, TV program commitment, and network loyalty, the authors found that participants watched program content most frequently on TV, followed by computer or laptop, and tablet or smartphone. More than half of the participants delayed viewing — watching TV programs after they aired live. Among them, 31 percent reported watching on DVR, 16.5 percent on Netflix, 12.9 percent on network websites, 4.8 percent on Hulu and 4.2 percent on YouTube. The results also show that social infotainment and social companionship were the primary motivations of social TV participation. But only social infotainment significantly predicts the intensity of viewers’ social TV usage, which has a positive influence on program commitment and network loyalty. Moreover, the relationship between social TV usage and network loyalty were partially mediated by program commitment. To read the full text of the study: Lin, J. S., Chen, K. J., & Sung, Y. (2018). Understanding the Nature, Uses, and Gratifications of Social Television: Implications for Developing Viewer Engagement and Network Loyalty. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 62(1), 1-20.

You might also like

---