Nielsen Study: Big Tweets Map to Big #TVRatings

Research firm finds clear correlation between Twitter volume and viewership

By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/20/2013 10:53:33 AM

While TV shows with a Twitter-happy fan base definitely have higher ratings, it still isn't clear that heavy tweet traffic actually results in higher ratings, according to a new Nielsen study.

Nielsen, along with SocialGuide, evaluated fall 2012 premiere and midseason program ratings across more than 140 broadcast and cable programs. The finding: Twitter volume was one of only three variables analyzed -- along with prior-year ratings and advertising spend -- that affected TV ratings in a statistically significant way.  

"We expected to see a correlation between Twitter and TV ratings, but this study quantifies the strength of that relationship," SocialGuide CEO Andrew Somosi said.

About 32 million U.S. TV viewers actively engaged in Twitter conversations in 2012, according to SocialGuide, which Nielsen acquired last November.

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