Mobile and digital technology business Mobile Interactive Group (MIG) has released a global research whitepaper on the trends and opportunities in Participation TV (P-TV) services in particular social channels across global markets.

The research includes technological and behavioural insights into the P-TV value chain, from the types of devices that consumers use to interact with TV shows (tablet, internet, mobile, apps, SMS and fixed line); how they multi-task with them while watching TV; and over which payment channels they prefer to take part in participation services, such as voting and competitions.

The report also interrogates mash-ups between established social media channels, in particular Twitter and Facebook, with TV and interactivity, and concludes that there is an emerging and potent P-TV model based on interactivity driven through social media, which MIG dubs ‘Social Participation TV’.

The research reveals that mobile will become the main vehicle for interaction between viewer and broadcaster, saying that 40 per cent of mobile users are most likely to be multi-tasking using their phone while watching the TV.

Smartphone adoption will drive TV and mobile multi-tasking in the UK and US, creating a more engaged audience, and significantly increasing programme interaction. MIG points out that the majority of multi-tasking occurs during the evenings and weekends during peak TV times, when online browsing declines and mobile browsing grows.

MIG believes that Facebook will drive a shift in interactive audience behaviour, away from phone calls and text, with these channels becoming peripheral in the long term. The company points out that Facebook mobile now accounts for 50 per cent of its 700m users globally. 67 per cent of all respondents indicated that the internet is the ideal way to interact with TV shows, with 50 per cent of those indicating that Facebook would be their preferred channel to purchase and use participation TV services such as voting. The report notes also that interactive events via Facebook are expected to generate $51.7m (£32m) in the UK by 2012, and $2.9bn globally by 2016.

MIG’s research into the Social Participation TV sector incorporated qualitative and quantitative insights from The IAB, PhonePay Plus and Adfonic, and also drew conclusions from interviews conducted with 3,000 consumers in the UK.
MIG CEO Barry Houlihan says: “Social participation TV is a huge opportunity for MIG and our broadcast partners, with mobile featuring as the key enabler and engagement tool. The mobile device is ingrained in our daily lives, and is rapidly becoming a core component in the ability to create an interaction between the viewer and the TV. As a medium, TV continues to be the biggest and best in terms of attracting a large audience; and mass P-TV shows like Big Brother remain the cornerstone for broadcasters in terms of interaction and entertainment, whilst also opening new revenue channels.”

MIG’s mVoy platform enables brands to interact, engage and communicate with consumers via mobile. mVoy Engage provides media, broadcast entertainment companies with a toolset to power social interactive formats and services to viewers.