Social networkers are looking to score some airtime, with 36 percent of them wanting to access their networks via TV screens, according to an ABI Research survey released Thursday.
The survey of more than 1,000 households found that younger consumers are most interested in chatting and messaging with friends while watching TV. Middle-aged adults want a more passive experience, such as the ability to check on status updates via their TV sets. And those over 50 are most interested in knowing what their friends are watching.
"Just as video entertainment is moving fluidly across various screens, so is social media," Jason Blackwell, a senior ABI Research analyst, said in a statement. "We've seen that consumers find increased value through shared entertainment experiences and want to explore and deepen these experiences through communities of interest, and that's what's social TV will ultimately do."
Intel, for one, is banking on that notion. The chip giant and Yahoo are looking to bring the Internet and interactivity to consumers' TVs.
Intel has conducted studies to gauge the pulse of consumers and has found a strong interest in connecting with friends and family via the TV, which falls within the purview of social networking.
Yahoo, meanwhile, is developing its Yahoo Widget Channel, which aims to allow network-enabled applications to run on TVs. Social-networking site MySpace has partnered with the project, providing a MySpace widget to let people access their profiles, messages, status updates, and other features.
Worldwide subscriptions to telecom-delivered TV are expected to grow threefold by 2012, according to a report released Monday.
Despite the dire economic climate, the number of such subscriptions is expected to reach 71.6 million by that time, according to market researcher In-Stat's report.
Telecom-delivered TV--offered in the United States by AT&T and Verizon Communications--includes IPTV, which is television delivered via Internet Protocol. Elsewhere in the world, France Telecom, Telefonica, Deutsche Telecom, and China Telecom are jumping aboard.
The telecommunications providers are trying to take on the giants of TV service--satellite and cable.
Key markets over the next few years include Brazil, Korea, and India due to recent regulatory changes that create more favorable conditions for the technology, In-Stat said.
"A number of new countries, including places as varied as Montenegro, Jordan, and Ghana, saw the launch of their first commercial IPTV offerings in 2008," Michelle Abraham, In-State analyst, said in a statement. "Only a few markets, like Japan and Argentina, remain hamstrung by restrictions that hinder incumbent operators."
The In-Stat report is another indicator of the growth expected in IPTV, with ABI Research anticipating similar increases in telecom TV subscribers.
In-Stat's report also notes the continuing trend toward convergence, such as the ability to control set-top boxes from PCs and mobile phones.
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