#Eurovision: Twitter as a Technology of FandomAxel Bruns, Tim Highfield, and Stephen HarringtonARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and InnovationQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbane, Australia

a.bruns | t.highfield | s.harrington @ qut.edu.au@snurb_dot_info | @timhighfield | @_StephenHhttp://mappingonlinepublics.net/

TWITTER, TELEVISION, AND FANDOM

• Twitter and television:– Key role for Twitter in second-screen activities– Major peaks in Twitter activity around televised events– Important factor in driving audiences back to live viewing

(http://yearinreview.twitter.com/en/tps.html)

TWITTER AND TELEVISION

• Four intersecting dimensions:– Tweeting about TV

• Twitter as a virtual loungeroom, especially for live feedback

– Tweets as audience research• Empirical evidence of ‘audiencing’ as it happens

– Tweeting for TV• Direct incorporation into the show, especially live

– Twitter-enhanced ways of watching TV• All of the above, and more – towards transmedia

experiences

(Harrington, Highfield, & Bruns, 2012)

TELEVISION HASHTAGS (AND MORE)

• Hashtags:– Key mechanism for connecting audiences– Ability to reach beyond one’s personal follower network

• Hashtags and television:– Often pre-advertised by shows and broadcasters,

or created ad hoc by audiences– Easy for audiences to follow during the live broadcast

(but do they, or do they only participate without reading?)

• But also:– Dedicated accounts related to a specific show

(broadcasters and celebrities; fans, including spoof accounts)

LIVE IS BACK

• Twitter and the live experience:– Twitter is more effective for live coverage than Facebook:

• Short messages + public hashtags = more immediate reach

– Live audience communion around specific shows:• Sports and other live events, but also first-run broadcasts

– Antidote to time-shifted viewing practices (PVRs etc.)– Broadcasters back in control of viewers’ experience– Sustaining a declining advertising market

#EUROVISION

• Eurovision Song Contest:– Pan-European event, held since 1956– Operated by European Broadcasting Union– One song entry per country, live performance on the night– Past winners include ABBA, Celine Dion, and Lordi

• 2012:– Host city: Baku, Azerbaijan– 42 countries participating; two semis + final event– Votes from each country are tallied and decide winner– Television audience: 100+ million world-wide– Live broadcast throughout Europe; delayed in Australia

#EUROVISION AND TV

• Cult following:– Change in audience attitudes over past decade– From earnest contest to ironic detachment– Eurovision as festival of pseudonational kitsch– Strong gay audience at least since Dana International win– Half-serious commentary on intra-EU relationships– Broadcast in Australia by minority PSB SBS since 1986

• Terry Wogan:– Long-standing BBC commentator (until 2008)– Famous for snarky, acerbic commentary– Similar tone adopted by many social media users

#EUROVISION, #SBSEUROVISION 2012

• Dates:– Semi-final 1: 22 May 2012 (SBS: 25 May 2012)– Semi-final 2: 24 May 2012 (SBS: 26 May 2012)– Final: 26 May 2012 (SBS: 27 May 2012)

• Datasets:– #Eurovision: 22-28 May 2012; 688k tweets; 271k users– #esc: 22-28 May 2012; 167k tweets; 48k users– ‘Eurovision’: 22-28 May 2012; 1.2m tweets; 509k users– #SBSEurovision: 25-28 May 2012; 112k tweets; 20k users

– Most activity during live broadcasts themselves:#Eurovision: 85%; #esc: 88%; #SBSEurovision: 98%

DISTRIBUTION OF ENGAGEMENT

Broadcast and date #eurovision #esc Broadcast and date #sbseurovision

Semi-final 1(22 May – 6 hours)

214,579 tw, 82,913 users

47,416 tweets, 13,715 users

Semi-final 1(25 May)

39,950 tweets, 8486 users

Semi-final 2(24 May – 6 hours)

157,745 tw, 50,771 users

54,584 tweets, 15,215 users

Semi-final 2(26 May)

25,500 tweets, 6175 users

Final (26 May – 10 hours)

214,837 tw, 133,475 users

45,458 tweets, 21,994 users

Final (27 May)

45,213 tweets, 10,093 users

Entire week (22-28 May)

688,255 tw, 271,826 users

167,680 tw, 48,546 users

Wider period(25-28 May)

112,836 tweets, 20,418 users

% tweets during broadcast periods

85.3% 87.9% % tweets during broadcast periods

98.1%* (shorter period tracked)

#EUROVISION: SEMI-FINAL 1

21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:000

500

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Mon

tene

gro Alba

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RUSSIA

(http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/year/participant-profile/?song=27713)

IRELAND

(http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/year/participant-profile/?song=27733)

#SBSEUROVISION: SEMI-FINAL 1

20:40 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:400

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#EUROVISION: FINAL

21:00 21:08 21:16 21:24 21:32 21:40 21:48 21:56 22:04 22:12 22:20 22:28 22:36 22:44 22:52 23:00 23:08 23:16 23:24 23:32 23:40 23:48 23:56 0:04 0:12 0:20 0:280

200

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#SBSEUROVISION: FINAL

19:30 19:39 19:48 19:57 20:06 20:15 20:24 20:33 20:42 20:51 21:00 21:09 21:18 21:27 21:36 21:45 21:54 22:03 22:12 22:21 22:30 22:39 22:48 22:57 23:06 23:15 23:240

200

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MR. LORDI: FINNISH RESULTS

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npQ8LpV2jG0)

THE WINNER: SWEDEN(http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/year/participant-profile/?song=27943)

#EUROVISION, 22-28 MAY 2012

AlbaniaMalta

Serbia

Ireland

Jedward

Spain

Human Rights

France

Italy

Greece

Turkey

Sweden

UK

(indegree 10+)

#ESC, 22-28 MAY 2012

Sweden

Sweden

Sweden

Austria

Germany

Serbia

Italy

(indegree 10+)

NOTABLE RESULTS

• Hashtag divergence:– #Eurovision vs. #esc: Europe vs. Sweden, Germany, …– Different lead users for each hashtag community– Performers and broadcaster accounts prominent– Language differences, but also interconnections

• #SBSEurovision: – Separate hashtag for delayed telecast– Effective at least for Australian east coast audiences (AEST):

substantial ‘live’ audience in spite of pre-determined outcome– Limited engagement by central / western viewers, due to

further timezone differences

NOTABLE RESULTS

• Terry Wogan’s legacy continues:– Strong focus on (quasi-) comedy acts (e.g. Russia, Ireland)– Clear evidence of ironic viewer detachment (and ironic

voting?)– Comedians prominent amongst most retweeted accounts:

RT @Queen_UK: Ok people, get voting for Greece. If only for the look on the faces of European central bankers. #eurovision

– But also reactions against national stereotyping:

Do you enjoy casual racism? Join the Twitter conversation at #SBSeurovision

FURTHER OUTLOOK

• Opportunities for broadcasters:– Strong engagement by audiences:

• Possibility for more direct incorporation of tweets

– Important to understand diverging motivations for participation:• E.g. general audiences vs. dedicated fans of specific acts

• Open questions:– Who is represented here?

• Dedicated fans may seek to game the system

– Depth vs. breadth of engagement:• Few highly active users or many less active participants?

Potential distinction between ‘fandom’ and ‘audiencing’

http://mappingonlinepublics.net/@snurb_dot_info

@jeanburgess

@_StephenH

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@timhighfield

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