Linear and Digital Becoming One, Says Greenblatt

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There’s a direct connection between shows that perform well on social media, and those that score in terms of Nielsens, NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Each NBC show, he said, has digital producers embedded in the crew to get the social activity humming.

The network’s more socially engaged series include Saturday Night Live, The Voice and This Is Us. SNL’s digital endeavors include producing Snapchat skits. The Voice’s app allows viewers to interact directly with the show and vote. The This Is Us trailer, released before the season started, sparked the trend of people watching it, with their own deeply emotional responses.

Greenblatt told the crowd he believes broadcasters won’t be delineating between linear TV and digital enhancements for much longer.

“Social and digital are really becoming one with what we’re doing,” he said. “It’s going to be the confluence of the programming and the digital becoming one big thing.”