Bell, Twitter strike partnership deal in latest social TV move

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One day after Shaw Media announced a partnership to co-sell ads with Twitter, another Canadian broadcaster is also working with the company to examine the growing phenomenon of social TV.

Bell Media said Thursday it has struck a research partnership with Twitter, focusing on "analytics initiatives relating to social media and television."

The announcement comes as broadcasters are trying to learn more about how Canadian TV viewers behave on social sites such as Twitter and Facebook – and determine how to offer solutions to their advertising clients that incorporate the massive amounts of audience attention devoted to social media.

It will also look at the return on investment of so-called "social TV" efforts.

"We are committed to measuring, sharing and applying knowledge from passionate social conversations to help our advertisers' brand campaigns become even more effective," Bell Media president Kevin Crull said in a statement. "Our content drives engagement, and Twitter 'amplifies' the conversation."

Mr. Crull was referring to Twitter Amplify, a program that allows media companies to offer video clips embedded in tweets, such as instant replays in sports or behind-the-scenes footage from other shows. Global TV parent company Shaw Media announced its partnership on Wednesday. Bell Media, which owns the CTV network as well as specialty channels such as MuchMusic and TSN, will also use the program.

Both announcements came ahead of the broadcasters' upfronts, the yearly events where they present the next seasons' shows to advertisers and media buyers, and jockey for TV ad sales.

But as audience attention becomes more fragmented, and viewers are increasingly multitasking with activity on a "second screen" such as a tablet, laptop or smartphone, advertisers are demanding more cross-platform strategies to reach people more effectively.

"Twitter is TV's social soundtrack," Kirstine Stewart, who recently moved from the CBC to become country director of Twitter Canada, said in a statement. "Working closely with Bell Media, we will be able to accelerate the development of analytic tools mentioned and we look forward to sharing the findings with clients and industry."