Networks Track Social Buzz for Fall Shows Before They Air

While a few weeks of ratings will soon seal the fates of this year’s fall lineup, one company is diving deep into social media to help networks gauge interest in this season’s crop of new shows ahead of time, and possibly help decide which ones are worth keeping around.

Analytics firm Fizziology is currently in pilot programs with several studios, monitoring the pre- and postpremiere social buzz of their fall slates. Among the early winners in the social sphere are Fox’s The Mindy Project, NBC’s The New Normal and ABC’s 666 Park Avenue. Yet social metrics remains an uncertain science for networks. “The business is going to change, but until we see a shift from networks, social remains a very young piece,” said Dan Neely, CEO of research firm Networked Insights. “For brands, however, these metrics are used with ratings to assess investment and as a predictive indicator of the public’s awareness.”