Social media is fundamentally changing the way engaged viewers are watching and talking about their favorite programs. No longer content to watch shows passively, viewers are taking to social networks to get recommendations and share their own opinions on programs, making the digital realm the new host of “watercooler” discussions.

Research has also found that the conversations taking place on social networks are leading viewers to new shows. According to a January 2012 poll of US heads of TV households conducted by marketing research company Horowitz Associates, 19% of respondents had begun watching a show after reading about it on a social network or blog.

Viewers also headed online to find out additional information about shows and content. Twenty-three percent of those polled said they had visited a website or used an app that provided more content about a show, while 39% had used the Internet to search for more information about something they saw on television… Read more