Twitter Now Gets Cozy With Network Television

Recently I wrote about how the cable channel Fuse designed a new show around Twitter music trends. Now comes word that the social network is actively working with the major networks even more closely.

Fox's The X Factor has used Twitter for voting and American Idol used Twitter hashtags from the audience to gauge their sentiments during the show, but now the both networks are going beyond that relationship. In fact, Fox will be using Twitter to distribute clips of their various shows and events after the they have been aired starting in this summer.

This is a pretty good move on Fox's part, since most of the social narrative and online buzz revolves around Twitter at the moment. Facebook suddenly seems so last year, and as it imposes more restrictions on what a user can see thanks to their Edgerank algorithm, doesn't have the promotional cache that it once had.

But Fox isn't the only network getting in bed with Twitter, as the social network is currently having discussions with ESPN (they've already used it for expanded coverage of the BCS series), NBC and CBS as well.

All networks see a relationship not only a means to expand their distribution and show coverage, but as a potential means for advertising revenue as well. With measurable results available from Twitter, any network could build a new business angle that they didn't have before. It's also potentially good for Twitter since it expects to double it's revenue in the next few years to over a billion dollars, which is just what's needed in time for a potential upcoming IPO.

Sometimes it's difficult to see things change when we're right in the middle of it happening, but if you look closely, you'll see a social media changing of the guard going on right now. Facebook isn't going away anytime soon, but Twitter is now the rising star.

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