Fox says Twitter can drive viewing and ad revenues

US broadcast network Fox has commissioned research that has found that Twitter is driving users to new programmes and also to acting as a successful call to action for brands.

The US study was co-commissioned by Fox and the Advertising Research Foundation and conducted by db5.

It found that 77% of Twitter users that recalled seeing tweets about a particular show have then sought it out on TV, irrespective of whether they had seen it before. Of that total 42% have made a plan to watch the tweeted show later, 38% have watched it online (where possible) and 33% have changed the channel they are watching to tune in to the show in question.

Other findings includes that Twitter users preferred source of TV tweets were actors, cast members and official show accounts.

It also reported that Twitter users were demonstrably more receptive to brands affiliated with shows they liked and connecting with on Twitter. It claimed, for example, that Twitter engaged fans of American Idol were 14% more likely to buy products from advertisers that used the programme brand.

“This groundbreaking research has allowed us, for the very first time, to understand and quantify the very real value of the enormous volume of tweets generated by our shows and our brand partners every week,” said Judit Nagy, Fox’s VP, analytics.

“The level of engagement, activity and perceptual impact we’re seeing from these results far exceeds what we’d expected, and that’s really good news for networks and brands alike.”