HISTORY’s site for the campaign features a pre-populated tweet to encourage you to tweet with #thankavet. The network will be “promoting this via all the HISTORY property Twitter accounts as well as the HISTORY fan page (America’s VetDogs will be promoting via their social channels as well.),” a HISTORY spokesperson told Lost Remote. “No other sponsors are involved, solely America’s VetDogs, the donation recipient identified by our Corporate Outreach group,” the spokesperson added.

According to HashTracking.com in the past 24-hours, “947 tweets generated 1,213,237 impressions, reaching an audience of 557,225 followers.” Twitter activations like this should be a no-brainer for every network to execute on a constant basis. If you’re not already familiar with ClickToTweet.com, it’s the easiest way to pre-generate a tweet for someone with a custom hyperlink.

Apple should sell the world’s first non-TV TV. Instead of selling a replacement for the TV you just bought, Apple should convince millions of Apple fans that they need a new screen in their lives. Call it the iHub, a 32-inch screen with touch, gesture, voice, and iPad control that can be hung on the wall wherever the family congregates for planning, talking, or eating — in more and more US homes, that room is the dining room or eat-in kitchen. By pushing developers to create apps that serve as the hub of family life — complete with shared calendars, photo and video viewers, and FaceTime for chatting with grandma — this non-TV TV could take off, ultimately positioning Apple to replace your 60-inch set once it’s ready to retire.

In other words, turn a TV into a utility device that doubles as an entertainment vehicle.

Of course, who knows what Apple’s working on, but this idea breaks out of the TV mold (and the seven year upgrade cycle) with a truly interactive device that many people would crave. “I want this so bad I can almost taste it,” McQuivey says. Would you buy it?

For viewers, that sounds like nirvana. For the networks, it sounds illegal. FOX sued for copyright infringement and breach of contract “because of their surprising move to market a product with the clear goal of violating copyrights and destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem,” explains a FOX statement published by Hollywood Reporter.

In response, Dish has asked a judge to rule that there’s no copyright infringement and the feature “remains in compliance” with Dish’s network agreements.

You may remember Replay TV from years ago — I still have the remote somewhere — that detected commercial breaks in DVR playback and skipped ahead automatically. Replay TV went out of business in the middle of a similar legal fight, which was never resolved.

Dish is taking it a step further by enabling subscribers to record all the broadcast network primetime schedules automatically, then wiping them of commercials. So Fox may have more to work with in this lawsuit. Clearly one to watch.

Not surprisingly, the peak in comments occurred after Philip Phillips was announced as the winner of season 11. With competition rising from NBC’s The Voice and Fox’s X Factor, it will be tough for Idol to continue to break records. In fact, last night’s show was the lowest-rated finale in Idol history.

On the flip side, building a fan-base over eleven seasons can really help keep the show in the social spotlight. How many more seasons do you think Idol will last? Will social buzz play a big role in determining that?

The app offers a very clean, simple weather forecast (powered by Accuweather) as well as a few short news updates. “The Alarm Clock app is ideal for the growing numbers who turn to the small screens of an iPhone or an iPod touch first thing in the morning for news and information,” explains Carla Carpenter, SVP of Digital Media for the ABC Owned Television Stations Group.

We noticed the app was filed in the “utility” category in the App Store, so I asked Carpenter about the strategy to create a utility instead of another news app:

“As a long time news director, I’m always up for creating spaces for news but we felt our next step should be in something that is useful beyond the information an app can provide. An alarm app represents the perfect marriage of news content (which includes weather and traffic) and usefulness. Members of the ABC OTV Digital group saw examples everywhere, including in their own lives, of the viability of a news app that offered an alarm for wake ups. We think of this as another level of service that we can offer our users.”

KTRK-TV’s “ABC13 Houston Alarm Clock” is now available for download, with the other seven ABC-owned TV stations rolling out in the next few weeks.

Capital One’s major initiatives include one of the biggest sports events of the year, the NCAA’s March Madness. This year, their activations included a Facebook app that allowed you to predict the sweet sixteen. They also partnered with Viggle, which seems to be a brand favorite as of recent. Darne, who’s worked at Sallie Mae and Marriot International previously, discusses scaling social TV and how the Olympics are set to be the next major social TV event.

Lost Remote: How does Capital One approach social TV?

Mike Darne: We are very much in a test and learn phase when it comes to social TV.  As marketers, we are trying to understand the ROI of social TV investments – specifically, will the added investment and resources deliver an incremental return on our advertising dollars?  But as we seek to show ROI, we also need to consider the ways in which we are measuring success.  Should we isolate our thinking to more traditional measures associated with broadcast advertising (e.g. audience, reach, efficiency, etc.) or do we need to broaden our perspective to include measures of engagement?  And if we do broaden our perspective, we then need to think about how we value the results.

We are also thinking a lot about whether we will be able to efficiently scale our investments in social TV.  Achieving results may, at the end of the day, be a very labor intensive effort as we actively become part of the conversation.  So, we are looking to identify major “tent pole” efforts that would benefit from a social TV integration.

LR: What did Capital One do on the social side of March Madness this year?

Darne: As a major sponsor of the NCAA, the men’s basketball tournament becomes a major focal point for the company.  This year we developed a Facebook application that encouraged basketball fans to predict the winners of individual games beginning with the Sweet Sixteen.  The objective here was to drive engagement and activity on Capital One’s Facebook page with a lightweight competition.

We also ran a “Viggle Live” engagement that provided an interactive experience for Viggle users that “checked” into games beginning with the Sweet Sixteen.  The interactive experience within the Viggle application delivered trivia questions, game related questions (e.g. will the guy at the line go 2 for 2) and questions about the Capital One brand.  The results we saw through this engagement were impressive.  We saw an increased number of check-ins with each round and found that users were hanging in through most of the game – answering +60% of the questions.  In addition to the activity-based results, we also saw some meaningful movement in key brand metrics.

LR: You recently, spoke about social TV at the AdAge Social TV conference, what did you present and what other social TV companies/presenters were you most impressed with?

Darne: I was on a panel led by Mark Ghuneim from Trendrr that included marketers from Viggle, Bing and Bravo.  During the discussion I touched on the need to find scale in social TV and the importance of activating what I called the “social TV ecosystem.”  As I see it, the social TV ecosystem is grounded by the TV – obvious, huh?  The additional elements of the ecosystem include dedicated second screen applications (e.g. Viggle and those associated with shows / networks), the back channel (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and search.  Marketers need to find ways to efficiently work within this ecosystem in a way that is additive to those consuming content.  The notion of creating additive experiences is perhaps the single most important thing for marketers to consider as they enter this space.  If we enhance the experience in a way that is also relevant to what they are already doing, the consumer will embrace the message and the brand.  If, on the other hand, brands become disruptors, the message and brand will likely be rejected.

The notion of creating additive experiences was reinforced by Kay Madati of Facebook when he challenged those in the audience to return to the basics and “understand what motivates people to do what they do.”  If we are able to tap into these basic insights, we will be able to produce experiences that engage audiences and deliver greater returns on our media investments.

LR: Do you work closely with the traditional TV marketers at Capital One?

Darne: Yes, my team is part a of the larger team at Capital One that is responsible for creative and media.

LR: What are some campaigns we should pay attention to on the social TV side in the coming months?

Darne: I’m not so sure that it is campaigns that we should be looking to.  Rather, I think the focus will be around big events that deliver large audiences and allow advertisers to take advantage of the scale – season premiers, awards shows, sports, etc.  Clearly one of the biggest events this summer will be the Olympics.  I’m really looking forward to seeing how the social TV space develops on this massive, international stage.

The Flaming Lips, infamous for the beautifully long, electric and stunt-driven performances couldn’t be a better fit for an awards show that will be sure remind the world that the internet has no borders. While Coyne isn’t bouncing around crowds in bubbles while dropping wads of cash from Dave Matthews Band, he’s using Twitter to engage with his nearly 95,000 followers.

In our video interview above, he jokes about tweeting naked pictures of his wife, the love he has for talking to his fans on social, how him and his wife enjoy Mad Men and Breaking Bad, and how excited he is to perform across the 24-hour OMAs.

The theme of the campaign is called “Best Night Ever,” and it features sponsored content that lets the viewer decide what happens next. The story follows a “hot guy and girl” inside an exclusive club (called “Clear” to tie with the product) as they try to make their way into the VIP section to have their “best night ever.” At varying points in the online video — which has hooks into Facebook and Twitter — you’re prompted to make a decision on what should a character do next, and the storyline evolves with it. Jane Krakowski, Giuliana Rancic, Andy Cohen and Tim Meadows are among the cast members.

This announcement comes less than two weeks after NBCU’s first Digital NewFront, an event created to prove to advertisers that they’re properties on social and digital are as worthy of digital and social dollars as they are linear.

How did this massive integration across NBC, Style, Oxygen, E!, Bravo, NBC.com, MyStyle.com, Oxygen.com, Eonline.com, Bravotv.com, and DailyCandy come together? Who were the different players that were involved and how did social TV startup Interlude become the technology to power one of the biggest social TV ad campaigns ever? To paint the picture of this social TV fairytale we spoke with the following executives.

- David Rubin the U.S. Haircare Marketing Director for Unilever – Rubin, a Yale and Wharton graduate has been with Unilever since 1999 and was on the team that launched AXE to the college market.
- Christine Lamson, Mindshare’s Managing Director for the Unilever account – Lamson, who’s been at her current role with Mindshare for less than a year, has experience that includes having led strategic planning for Procter & Gamble’s Olay brands and Physique Haircare lines.
- John Shea, the Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for Integrated Media Entertainment & Digital Networks/Integrated Media for NBCUniversal – Shea, who’s held this newly created position since November 2011, has experience that includes creating the first-ever short form linear/digital mini-series on MTV. He also executive produced the MTV series, “Gamekillers,” in partnership with Unilever.
- Yoni Bloch, the Founder and CEO at Interlude – Bloch, arguably one of the most interesting social TV startup founders in the industry is an extremely successful Israeli musician. He was even a guest judge on “Kochav Nolad” season 5, the Israeli American Idol, before he launched his company.

Lost Remote: Why did you decide to launch this is a multiplatform social campaign with Unilever across NBCU? What are the goals?

David Rubin: We are launching a new product that is going to revolutionize the hair care industry. CLEAR SCALP & HAIR THERAPY nourishing shampoos and conditioners offer a unique approach to hair care that starts with scalp nourishment and creates the right foundation for strong, beautiful hair for women and dandruff-free hair for men. In addition to traditional advertising we wanted to go beyond to really engage with our audience in an unconventional way. To do that we’re partnering with NBC Universal to help bring compelling stories, unique properties, top talent and cutting-edge technology to involve and engage consumers across multiple channels while building large-scale awareness for our new brand.

LR: How did Mindshare come across Interlude? Why did you recommend they power this campaign?

Christine Lamson: Mindshare Entertainment had a relationship with the founders of Interlude, an Israeli based company with a very compelling technology. We saw examples that had been executed in other markets and were immediately enthralled with the capability.  We introduced our vision to NBC Universal and they worked seamlessly with the Interlude team.  Interlude technology drives people online to play with compelling content and choose the path the story takes.  We built on this idea to allow consumers to influence the storyline that plays out on television.  In essence, we loved the interplay between the 2 screens.

LR: Do you think social is changing TV? How is this campaign innovative?

Lamson: Absolutely and that landscape dynamic is what inspired our CLEAR SCALP & HAIR THERAPY launch activation with NBC Univeresal and Interlude.  The campaign is innovative because it leverages a growing consumer dynamic of engaging with multiple screens to enhance the viewing experience.  This is a new way of viewing major events- from awards to live sporting events.  Our campaign brings that 2-screen dynamic to the branded content experience.  We intrigue our consumers with  our branded content and the interlude technology compelling them to engage.  The branded content provides the excitement & fun for consumers, complementing the functional message of the brand equity message.

LR: How is marketing hair care products across social media different?

Rubin: Hair is a highly involved category.  Women and men recognize that hair is a critical part of overall appearance and image.  As such, they want the latest products and tips, the best quality, and brands they can trust.  The evolution of digital social media has only amplified that historical word-of-mouth, as we see that hair topics are highly searched and talked about online.  Consumers want exclusive content they can use to get the look they want, and to share with their friends. That’s why the NBC Universal  integration is ideal to help launch our new brand. With the convergence of television and social media channels, we are able to easily integrate CLEAR SCALP & HAIR THERAPY into an experience consumers are already having and become a relevant part of the conversation. In addition, social media channels enable us to really listen to our community of consumers and brand enthusiasts. Because we have access to direct consumer communication, we are attuned to the trends, styles and innovations they want to see, and we can apply those learnings to our business in real time.

LR: How is this campaign innovative?

John Shea: The Integrated Media partnership with Unilever drives engagement in a new way and puts the power of storytelling in the audience’s hands. The campaign, which was developed internally with Barbara Blangiardi and her Creative Partnerships & Innovation team, creates a cycle where the on-air vignettes drive to the online video, and the user’s choices within the digital story impact the next installment of the on-air spot. It’s a highly compelling way to integrate a brand’s message.

LR: How do you think this campaign is redefining what a 15 or 30 second spot/vignette on TV is?

Shea: It’s redefining what a spot can be by offering the viewer a two screen experience tied to linear content that, in turn, offers choice or “gameplay,” and a strong commercial message for the brand.

LR: What are the social media components to the campaign?

Shea: This campaign’s sharing functionality is deeply integrated into the experience across Facebook and Twitter. In addition to the presence of the hashtag #bestnightever in all the creative, the Interlude player is connected directly to Facebook, presenting users with the opportunity to share the experience by dropping it directly onto their Facebook Timeline, thereby helping to organically spread the message.

LR: How does Interlude’s technology work? How is Facebook, Facebook Timelines incorporated?

Yoni Bloch: Interlude’s proprietary platform offers users the opportunity to make choices that affect the course of the video in real time. Interlude videos are structured like decision trees. Before reaching a decision point, the Interlude player presents a few options (at least two, and as many as six) to the viewer allowing the viewer to effectively determine what happens next. Once a choice is made, the player loads the relevant video segment as selected by the viewer.

The Interlude player can be embedded directly into a Facebook wall or tab. Also, we have integrated a Facebook Connect feature so that, when authorized by a viewer, the player can seamlessly incorporate data from the viewer’s profile (e.g., photos, name, etc.) into the video to further personalize the viewing experience. You can see this in both the Nokia and Intel projects we released in the last two months.

LR: What role is Interlude playing in the new Unilever hair campaign across NBCU? How did Mindshare give NBCU a heads up about Interlude?

Bloch: NBCU wrote a script for an interactive video specifically designed to leverage the capabilities of our platform. We have worked closely with the NBCU creative and technical teams to provide guidance on the structure of the underlying story, and of course to create the final interactive video which will be distributed across a number of sites as of Monday, May 21.

Mindshare has been excited about our technology for a while and have explored incorporating our capabilities in the digital campaigns of a number of their more forward looking clients. The opportunity with Unilever and NBCU was obvious to all parties; and we think audiences will be excited about the result as well.

LR: How does Interlude make TV more social?

Bloch: Interlude’s technology is not per se “social,” but it does enable true interactivity and deeper user engagement with any video content. Some of our partners have even allowed audiences to determine the “official” linear version of a video based on the choices made by the majority of users who engaged with the interactive version. Thus, for example, the official music video by Andy Grammer, as released on MTV and other platforms, is a reflection of the most popular choices made by hundreds of thousands of online users.

It’s unclear where the term “hate watching” began, but a New Yorker column by Emily Nussbaum, “Hate-watching Smash,” has popularized it. That story sparked a Slate podcast, then a Slate column and now an AP column, “How to find joy in TV you scorn.”

AP columnist Frazier Moore found a hate-watching example stretching back to the pre-social 90s — a snarky weekly email written by Ian Ferrell that dissected episodes of Melrose Place. “The Melrose Place Update team of expert analysts works overtime to ensure each reader receives the news and commentary he needs to transform Melrose Place from one of the most reprehensible shows on television to the ‘hoot and holler’ farce it deserves to be,” wrote Ferrell in a third-season email we unearthed on Speakeasy.org.

It’s hard to tell if hate watching is a trend per se, other than the natural emergence of behaviors that come with blending social media with television. Mentions of the hashtag are few compared to many, with the exception of #hatewatching trending when the New Yorker and Slate stories hit.

Besides, does it matter? Negative social buzz may not be a good thing, but “hate watching” is an entertaining activity — driven by short Twitter wit — and by extension it could drive a little viewership on its own under the umbrella, “all publicity is good publicity.” Regardless, it looks like this could be getting more mainstream press than the phenomenon represents.

We’ve seen networks explore turning Twitter handles into TV shows. We’ve also seen writers with social media influence launch TV shows for NBC and HBO. Still, the chances of using the social web to get your show idea picked up are slim to none. The industry still relies heavily on agents, development shops and of course the networks to give a new writer a chance. To their credit, this has helped provide fans with must-tweet-TV. Aubrey Levy has launched a platform with the mission is to empower the social web to pick the next hit TV show.

Lost Remote: What’s your background and why did you start Mobcaster?

Aubrey Levy: My co-founder and I both started our careers on the creative side.  I was an actor and writer, and he a writer/independent producer.  We had each experienced pitching TV shows into the system and running up against the multitude of hurdles and gatekeepers.  On my end, after transitioning to the business side, completing business school and a stint at HBO, I felt there needed to be an alternative to the current TV creation process, one that added more value for the creators, audiences and even networks and advertisers.

LR: How does Mobcaster work? What kinds of users do you have?

Levy: Here’s the process: Show Creators (Showrunners) can upload their pitch for a new show on Mobcaster.  Usually they start with a show concept and are trying to create the pilot episode. With a 2.5 min pitch video, non-financial rewards and the script or treatment for the episode (which we keep private unless they want it disclosed), they can try to raise necessary funds for the pilot.  If it’s successful, they go and shoot the pilot then bring it back and go through the process again, this time to raise funds for the rest of the first season (5 more episodes – we work with 6 ep seasons).  Those shows that successfully fund for a season or more, we broadcast on site.

Our users are show creators who love the opportunity and autonomy that comes with creating the show independently and TV lovers, who want more control over their TV content.

LR: How is Mobcaster making television creation more social?

Levy: Mobcaster takes social engagement around TV to a whole new level.  The viewer doesn’t just engage with the content once it’s landed on their screens, he/she engages with the show at the very beginning, using their voice and support to actually get the show made.  Users engage with show creators through Mobcaster and across social media platforms, and equally as important, they engage with each other.  Shows only get made if there is sufficient viewer support to fund the show, which often means its viewers have to get very active spreading the word and building awareness.

LR: What are some of the biggest successes? How much have they raised? Have any of them been on TV?

Levy: Our largest success so far is “The Weatherman“, our first full season funded (also the first full season that fund-raised!).  It’s a half-hour comedy about a hilariously helpless weatherman trying to stay relevant as his prime has past him by.  They raised ~$74k for the season.  None have gone to traditional TV yet, but we’re only just getting started pumping out great new shows.

LR: Have you worked with any TV networks or brands?

Levy: We’re in conversations with a variety of participants on the traditional TV and brand side.  However we can best help our show creators get exposure and opportunity for their shows we’ll explore.

LR: Anything else?

Levy: Sure, the beauty of the model is that we are able to disrupt the traditional TV creation process without destroying the system. Mobcaster enables TV shows to come to life in a way that creates opportunity for show creators, empowers and adds value for audiences and makes it easier for advertisers and networks to source content in a more efficient manner.  We’re creating a channel of exclusively market-supported TV shows, that should a network want, could easily make the jump to traditional TV.

While working at Zenith, Polley created the “Flash-Matic” remote control, which was launched in 1955. It’s widely recognized as one of the biggest inventions in TV, sparking “channel surfing,” living room squabbles and deep-diving into sofas for that lost remote. Today, 57 years later, the remote control is undergoing its first major reinvention, migrating to second-screen touch devices and potentially disappearing altogether with voice and motion-controlled TV.

Polley and fellow Zenith engineer Robert Adler were honored in 1997 with an Emmy Award.

“Xfinity TV on the X1 Platform” will launch in Boston first, with other markets coming online later in the year. While the programming guide and DVR interface is a big upgrade — with a few social sharing features that we’ve previewed before — it most notably adds third-party TV apps, as well. “We have a number of apps that have been customized for television,” Smit explains, showing apps from Facebook, The Weather Channel and Pandora.

To go along with the new platform, Comcast will offer the X1 Remote App, turning any iPad and iPhone in a remote control that doesn’t just graphically mimic a real remote — it redefines it through gestures (demo video below). Press and hold for a guide, pinch apart to go back to full screen, spin the tablet on its side a full keyboard appears. Each app is customizable, so you can create your own shortcuts into different parts of the program guide.

Then there’s Dayview, a social home screen (video demo below). “I think of Dayview as your UI for your life, your home, your entertainment,” explains Smit. “It’s your own personal welcome screen.” Dayview is a sliding screen of tiles with local weather and traffic, social media updates, your appointments, local sports scores, Xfinity Home controls (security, lighting and energy management), text messages, voice mails, news headlines, new on-demand shows and recently recorded shows on DVR.

For example, if it knows you live in Boston, and your calendar says you have an event tonight, the DVR will suggest recording the Boston Red Sox game for you. Pretty nifty.

All of these products use social media sparingly, perhaps, but as we’ve seen from Comcast patent filings, you can likely expect social features to be added on the platform. Since X1 is cloud-based, Comcast can easily push software updates to boxes everywhere. And there’s the new app marketplace, which opens up interesting social opportunities for third parties.

The home screen alone is a big development. While it appears that Dayview will be used as a screen saver of sorts to start, I think it’s safe to predict that every TV set will soon boot up with a social home screen, not to the last channel you viewed (in fact, we predicted this earlier this year). This real estate has tremendous value, and Comcast is just beginning to scratch the surface here.

While the Super Bowl had a social media command center for the big game, the MLB decided to take over an entire store in Manhattan’s Noho to house nine “Cave Dwellers” tasked with “watching every single baseball game each day,” in the 15,000 square foot space. MLB players, celebrities and musicians stop by the Fan Cave to create video content and more that gets distributed via their Twitter and Facebook channels. Each Dweller was chosen based on their passion for the game and ability to leverage the social web. They’re now competing to become the number one fan, which will be decided through online voting after they compete in different activities throughout the season.

Additionally, the Fan Cave is “fully integrated with MLB’s broadcast partners, with FOX, ESPN, TBS and MLB Network regularly featuring content from the Fan Cave and using it as a conduit for reaching fans via social media,” according to the league. We spoke with Tim Brosnan the Executive Vice President of Business for Major League Baseball about how the Fan Cave became a 24/7 social media strategy.

Lost Remote: How did you come up with the idea for the fan cave?

Tim Brosnan: The MLB Fan Cave grew out of our desire to address three specific areas in which we saw opportunity for growth:  engaging with fans via social media, both at the league level and through players; reaching younger fans and converting casual baseball fans into more avid followers; and raising the profile of our players by showcasing their off-field personalities. During the offseason before the 2011 season, we had a number of meetings with our new marketing agency, Hill Holliday, and an idea evolved of creating a place that’s both a physical location as well as a virtual world, where baseball can intersect with all things pop culture through viral content, all while celebrating the epic nature of the baseball season and all the daily twist and turns through 2,430 games.

LR: How did it become a big part of the MLB’s social strategy?

Brosnan: At its core, baseball is a social activity.  You go to games with friends and watch games on TV in groups, you talk about last night’s game with coworkers and debate everything about the game – your favorite team, your favorite players, who’s better than whom, statistics, history, etc.  And we all know how important the second screen has become to people while watching live sports on TV.  The MLB Fan Cave allows us to tap into that digital water cooler, giving fans a platform to engage with baseball 24/7.  During the day we’re creating compelling video content for fans to share with friends featuring MLB players and celebrity visitors. At night, fans gather online to share in the experience of watching baseball along with the nine “Cave Dwellers” in the Fan Cave.  These superfans survived a process that began with 22,000 applicants, and are watching every single game inside the Fan Cave while chronicling their experience via social media and competing with one another to stay in the Fan Cave through the end of the World Series.

We know that the MLB Fan Cave is accomplishing all our goals and then some.  We have successfully reached a younger audience, as the average fan of the Fan Cave is 30 years old compared with 45-48 for the typical avid baseball fan.  We have reached a highly engaged audience via social media, as more than a third of our Facebook followers have liked or shared a piece of content, up to six times the usual rate for sports pages.  And we have created nearly 400 pieces of compelling video content featuring more than 200 players, celebrities, musicians and other entertainers, allowing baseball to cross over beyond the sports page.

LR: What are the different TV elements that the Fan Cave amplifies and complements?

Brosnan: Live baseball games account for more than 15,000 hours of national and local television programming each season, far and away more than any other sports or entertainment property.  And that doesn’t even count all the highlight shows and ancillary programming created to preview, recap and talk about the game.  So the sheer tonnage alone provides endless opportunities for social conversation and interaction.  But the fact that those 15,000 hours include everything we love about both sports and television – drama, suspense, thrilling victories and heartbreaking defeats – it’s no surprise that baseball is such a popular conversation topic on social media.  And the MLB Fan Cave taps into all of that while also giving fans an opportunity to learn more about who their favorite players are off the field, which deepens their engagement with the sport.

LR: What partners do you work with?

Brosnan: Our national television partners include FOX, ESPN, TBS and MLB Network, and we also work closely with the regional sports networks that air each clubs’ games locally.  We’ve worked closely with each of them to integrate the MLB Fan Cave appropriately, and have encouraged them to think of the Fan Cave as a conduit to reaching fans and viewers through social media.  ESPN regularly airs highlights of players visiting the MLB Fan Cave on SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight, MLB Network does the same on MLB Tonight, and FOX and TBS show highlights of the week’s activity as part of their national game of the week on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

In addition, beginning this season FOX is airing a new show on Saturday morning’s created by Major League Baseball Productions titled “MLB Player Poll,” which involves considerable integration with the Fan Cave.  Each week, the show seeks to answer a compelling baseball-related question (such as “who is the most intimidating hitter”) by polling the current players themselves and presenting the results in an entertaining countdown format.  In addition, each week’s poll question is posted on social media by the MLB Fan Cave accounts and re-tweeted by MLB and FOX accounts reaching a combined four million fans, with the results of the social media fan poll presented on the show along with the player poll results.  In addition, two of the Cave Dwellers are interviewed as part of the show each week, providing an update on recent activity at the MLB Fan Cave and previewing that day’s games on FOX and MLB Network.

LR: How do you think the Fan Cave is making TV more social?

Brosnan: We are constantly analyzing updated research telling us who our fans are, what they like, where they’re getting their information, as well as who exactly our potential new fans are.  It’s clear to all of us that the use and importance of social media just continues to grow exponentially every year, and the Fan Cave grew in part out of a desire to bridge that gap between fans watching baseball on TV and talking about it with their friends.  It’s always difficult to try and draw a direct correlation with something like this, but it’s a fact that in the same year we created the MLB Fan Cave, baseball had one of its best years by any objective measure, with attendance, revenue and TV viewership all up, culminating with the thrilling final day of the 2011 regular season as well as the epic seven-game World Series.  In fact, Game 7 of the World Series was the most-watched baseball game since the 2004 Red Sox ended the team’s 86-year World Series drought.  Every step of the way, the MLB Fan Cave has been there to spur the conversation among fans and give people fresh content to share with their friends.

There were 2 million comments, up 2.5 times more than last year. According to Bluefin, Sun Drop Soda received the most buzz out of all six sponsors at 32%. The soda brand’s activation included integrating with Billboard’s Most Exhilarating Performance. Not surprisingly, Justin Bieber took home the award for Top Social Artist. To the infographic:

The potential for Twitter to launch more partnerships with sports leagues is huge. We’ll be looking to see how they not only curate the tweets algorithmically and editorially — the Twitter Media team will be helping curate the hashtag — but how they visualize them and provide analytics. “This new, complementary live race experience product is an evolution of that relationship with Twitter, and we’re excited about continuing to provide our millions of fans with greater access to our athletes and further engagement with our drivers, teams, tracks and executives,” explains NASCAR’s Steve Phelps.

The social TV data companies should be paying very close attention to this as these kinds of partnerships might affect their businesses the most. Mashable pointed out that Twitter’s even hiring a new editorial role for their sports vertical.

Does this partnership have anything to do with NASCAR’s TV audience and reach? Why has Twitter decided to partner with NASCAR? We spoke with Twitter spokesperson Rachael Horwitz.

Lost Remote: How do you think this will make the broadcast of NASCAR races more social?

Rachael Horwitz: On June 10th, NASCAR fans will not only tune in to TNT to watch the Pocono 400, but they will also be able to get an insider’s view of the action as it unfolds on the track and on Twitter around the NASCAR hashtag. During the race, we’ll curate accounts from the NASCAR universe and surface the best Tweets and photos from the drivers, their families, commentators, celebrities and other fans when you search #NASCAR on Twitter.com.

LR: Why is Twitter partnering with NASCAR?

Horwitz: Partnering with NASCAR will allow us to reach the sport’s millions of fans on race weekends with relevant content on Twitter that provides a unique complementary experience to the broadcast on TNT.

LR: Did you consider that NASCAR races have powerful TV audiences when making this partnership?

Horwitz: Yes! The fact that the entire league comes together weekend to weekend, is an incredible opportunity for us to iterate and improve the experience with each race in front of the a large, passionate audience.