Families used to gather in the living room to watch television together. Friends used to gather for more than just the big game, the Oscars or the World Cup. But this has decreased with increased personal devices, increased TV sets in households and attention directed towards other digital endeavors (non-companion oriented). This will once again change, however, and the innovators that fuel this change will be the champions of a new breed of watching behaviors.
From the social standpoint, group watching will always makes sense. We are inherently social beings and when you start to take away venues to socialize in-person, we will create and seek out new venues. As the digital galaxy has exploded and given us more reason than ever to stay in our rooms with a personal device, new concepts are taking root. Group fitness classes have skyrocketed due to both increases in options, as well as the growing popularity of new formats like Crossfit and Zumba—many of which hinge on their social aspects. Anybody who has hit a new and trendy restaurant in a major city will see more and more “Group dining” with tables conjoined with strangers. Concert tickets sales from 1999-2009 tripled, far surpassing population growth.
The point is that as digital takes away the need for certain forms of in-person transactions (video stores, music stores, bookstores) and provides an increased ability to socialize online, we are increasingly seeking out more experiences to be in actual physical proximity to other people. As we remove the need to be around people during increasingly personal content experiences, new formats will emerge. TV has yet to crack this code. The industry already has a slew of technology at its fingertips that allows people to once again gather around the screen, whether it be transmedia endeavors, multiscreen experiences, augmented reality and gamification platforms.
But how do we gamify in-person TV experiences? How do use digital technology to create in-person socialization that lends itself to groups of friends or families circled around the living room? We innovate. We put resources behind what is ultimately the biggest driver of audiences for any endeavor: other people.
During this year’s World Cup, bars reported anywhere from a 20% to 700% increase in patrons over their typical numbers. Grant Park in Chicago saw a staggering 20,000 people show up for a “viewing party.” The turnout was so large the police had to turn people away. As soon as football season revs up, fans in big cities will flock to their favorite sports bars that represents their team—whether it be Boston or Nebraska—to watch the game alongside fellow fans.
Ultimately, it’s long been known that people like to get together for games, but the staggering numbers show an even greater trend. We want reasons to be around others during most parts of our life. Whether it’s fitness or eating, it will only continue and digital entertainment presents a new frontier. The more experiences we build around in-person socialization in the living room, or the bar or wherever else a screen is to be found, the more people will gather around, have a beer and truly interact. And this will drive a more robust, but especially engaged audience. When we can create and discover new ways to drive these experiences around great stories, Television will evolve. It’s more than watching what you want, where you want, how you want. It’s about being with who you want.
This post was written by Zachary Weiner, the CEO of Emerging Insider Communications, a communications firm for emerging media and technology startups and innovators. You can follow him at @emerginginsider.