The most dedicated TV-show fans are also dedicated Twitter users, with more than 60% of TV “superfans” sharing their thoughts about their chosen show on Twitter, according to a study from the social media giant.
The so-called superfans in Twitter’s study — which surveyed about 7,000 U.S. regular Twitter users — are defined as those who rate any one show a nine or 10 on a 10-point scale, which made up 52% of those surveyed.
Two-thirds of those superfans watch more than three hours of TV a day, and more than 70% said social media goes hand in hand with their TV viewing experience.
“Fans not only come to Twitter while their favorite shows air live, but they also tune in to express and feed their fandom between episodes and seasons,” Katherine Karp, senior research analyst with Twitter, wrote in a blog post discussing the findings. “These self-professed superfans jump onto to Twitter to join dialogues and share excitement around their favorite programs, too, while enjoying direct access to talent and watching exclusive clips and information.”
The study, done in partnership with marketing agency Dentsu Aegis Network and its media buying arm Vizeum, found that the superfan segment was more likely to tune in to live programming, compared to their less-enthusiastic peers, opening up more opportunities for targeted advertising for brands looking to Twitter for eyeballs.
Sixty-one percent of the superfan base said they use Twitter simply to share their thoughts about the show, while an almost equal percentage (60%) said video clips of their programming was their Twitter draw.
For broadcasters, the survey bullet point that may be most relevant: 40% of superfans told Twitter they aim to convince friends to latch on to their favorite TV content. Additionally, 60% of superfan respondents said they’ve discovered new shows via social media in general.
