Social television is a general term for technology that supports communication and social interaction in either the context of watching television, or related to TV content. It also includes the study of television-related social behavior, devices and networks.

     (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

"Everyone says that social television will       be big. I think it’s not going to be big —     it’s going to be huge…"          Ynon Kreiz, CEO of the Endemol Group (Digital Life Design (DLD) conference, January 2011)

Social television aims to connect viewers with their friends and families even when they are not watching the same screen.

It is not necessarily limited to a

traditional television screen, but could also be presented on a computer or handheld device such as a cell phone, tablet computer or netbook.

A survey from Digitas shows that three in five U.S. adults have browsed through online content while watching TV.

The majority looked at content unrelated to the show, but 27% said they viewed related content.

(April 2012)

Digitas report:

51% of online video viewers, ages 18-44, say that if they watch a video online and it mentions a new product or brand, they would look that brand up.

62% of online video viewers who have a favorite celebrity, ages 18-34, would check out an online video starring that person.

Second screen, sometimes also referred to as "companion device" (or "companion apps" when referring to a software applications), is a term that refers to an additional electronic device (e.g. tablet, smartphone) that allows a television audience to interact with the content they are consuming, such as TV shows, movies, music, or video games. Extra data is displayed on a portable device synchronized with the content being viewed on television.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

IntoNow from Yahoo! for iPad The IntoNow iPad experience makes

watching TV more engaging, social and fun with the touch of a button. IntoNow identifies what people are watching, whether live or recorded; shows related content and personalized recommendations; and enables discussions with friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmEiE4qcV3k

Examples of IntoNow from Yahoo! Apps

IntoNow Heats Up With Food Network’s Next Iron Chef: Redemption

http://screen.yahoo.com/intonow-food-network-integration-31027712.html

IntoNow Dives "Through the Wormhole" To Answer Life's Mysteries

IntoNow Heats up the Hamptons with Big Prizes for ABC’s ‘Revenge’