Breaking Bad, Twitter Spoilers & What It Means For Advertisers

Are Breaking Bad fans really paying attention to those TV ads? Well the companies fighting for that spot sure hope so! Some of the largest brands in the US are seeking a 30 second spot on Breaking Bad; and that may cost them up to $300,000. The advertisement cost is almost double that of ABC’s Revenge where a 30 second slot only costs $155,501. Last year, AMC asked for $375,000 for a 30 second slot on Walking Dead. With only the season finale left of the season, will the last minute spot price beat out the Walking Dead?

While companies are focused on fighting for these commercial advertising spots on primetime television; what are viewers really up to during this time? Twitter has already entered the television world through hashtags tracking trends. Have you ever seen them on season finales and premieres? Well this new trend is good news for TV broadcasters and advertisers. Tweets are increasing viewership and program ratings. There is an inherent pressure to watch in real time – if you don’t, you’ll know the outcome before you get a chance to watch your show. This was recently confirmed in a study from Nielsen. The study showed that more than half of viewers are involved in social media during program time and about one fifth of those viewers were actively reading or discussing the program online.

Tweeting about your favorite shows gives the viewer the chance to interact with others discussing the talent on reality shows like Dancing with the Stars, spoiler alerts and all those unexpected twists! Some companies are being threatened with the pressure to keep up as spoilers are released and fans are tweeting while the show is airing. The benefits of forming a partnership could help these broadcast companies in the long run.

Twitter is stepping deeper into the television industry with its advertisement product Amplify. A new partnership with CBS brands has recently formed. Twitter users will now have instant replays of 42 different CBS shows with 5 to 10 second ads. Twitter fans can retweet summaries and videos hopefully reaching out to bring in other viewers.

Twitter is changing the way viewers respond to television every day. While the broadcast companies are benefiting, they must better use it to their advantage.