Anyone with a television set (the old-fashioned, difficult-to-carry-around-with-you-type), has noticed the rise of participation TV, which currently facilitates the marriage of SMS and reality/game shows. The Wall Street Journal has gotten wind of the trend and is running an expansive article that attributes its popularity to a recent move by the industry to establish best practices for text-messaging voting on TV shows. The best practices allowed for premium text message charges by television shows and also aim to clarify any billing confusion or relieve network overload. While the television season started last year with about a dozen participation-TV shows, insiders say that in the fall there should be half a dozen more. That's 50 percent growth!
Programmers like the participation aspects not only for the 40 percent cut they usually get of the premium SMS fees, but also because text-to-win campaigns keep viewers glued to their sets during live broadcasts. It's a sure way to prevent at least some viewers from fast forwarding through the commercials when watching the show later on TiVo.
For more on the SMS participation TV trend:
- read this WSJ article [1] (sub. req.)
Links:
[1] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115336109951711994.html?mod=mm_media_marketing_hs_left