Second Screen TV Apps Are Being Used--Just Not For TV

Like most people, you’ve probably noticed the explosion of second screen apps springing up all around you.

The good news is that people are using the new second screen apps. But the startling news is that they’re not using them for the purpose of interacting more deeply with the television shows they were created for.

While people use their second screens to multitask as they watch television (88% of Americans own a second screen device according to a study from The NPD Group), few viewers actually use  the second screen with the purpose of interacting with a specific program. Not that viewers aren’t using the second screens while watching. They are.

Viewers are very interested in using Wikipedia or IMDB to find out more information about the show they’re watching—but far less interested in participating in games or other applications that are created as a component of programming.

In other words, play-along games, check-in rewards, and live voting? Enjoy them while you can. They may be going the way of the dinosaur, 8-track, MySpace.

But don’t take our blog for it. Click below and actually speak with an FYI metadata expert who probably watches television on both screens--and give our data a test drive.