Twitter Buzz Helps Boost Television-Show Ratings, Nielsen Finds
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Twitter Inc. users, sending status updates in 140-character bursts on the social-networking site, can increase television ratings by sharing their thoughts while a show is on air, researcher Nielsen found.
After analyzing more than 200 episodes of prime-time television programs, Nielsen determined that a surge in the number of tweets about a show increased its ratings almost a third of the time. The reverse is also true: The more people tuning in, the more usage there is on Twitter.