Gracenote, the content solutions business unit of Nielsen, has launched Gracenote Watch Prompts, a new dataset that equips global video platforms and services with interesting facts about TV programs and movies to influence consumer viewing decisions. Designed to be paired with viewer preference and consumption behavior data, the new offering enables customers to deliver more personalized viewer experiences resulting in increased audience tune-in and time spent.
According to Nielsen’s 2023 U.S. Streaming Content survey, 74% of consumers either don’t know at all or only have a vague idea about what they want to watch when starting a streaming session, meaning a large majority are making on-the-fly viewing decisions. Furthermore, fewer than three in 10 feel that recommendations are useful in helping them find compelling content. As video platforms and services seek to monetize viewers through engagement, effective content discovery and personalized promotion are more important than ever.
Gracenote Watch Prompts enhances basic program metadata and Video Descriptors with additional information on individual TV programs and movies to boost viewer consideration. Developed using a combination of Gracenote’s machine learning capabilities and human editorial expertise, this solution provides critical facts such as prominent award wins and praise from renowned TV and film critics to demonstrate content quality, talent spotlights that showcase popular actors and creators to cater to viewer preferences, and content comparisons that draw analogies based on thematically similar content to offer new frames of reference.
For example, the information page for the TV show “Succession” could highlight its 13 Emmy Award wins, including two in the prestigious “Outstanding Drama Series” category, to educate a potential viewer on the show’s critical acclaim and motivate sampling. Or the “Barbie” page could describe the offering as “Legally Blonde” meets “The Lego Movie,” providing a relatable analogy based on beloved films to pique interest.
Gracenote leverages a mix of machines and humans to bring Watch Prompts to customers. Advanced machine learning techniques help to automate creation of content snippets based on the company’s unmatched video data on millions of program titles. Human editors with language, market and content expertise review outputs to ensure accuracy and quality, creating a feedback loop that helps the algorithms continually improve over time.
“Streaming services are challenged to continually enhance the user experiences they offer to delight viewers, increase time spent and reduce churn,” said Trent Wheeler, Chief Product Officer at Gracenote. “Watch Prompts leverages the expertise of Gracenote’s human editors along with scalability enabled by machine learning to deliver an entirely new dataset that will help our customers evolve and meet these challenges.”
In a rapidly evolving streaming landscape, Gracenote Watch Prompts represents a significant advancement in content discovery, helping video platforms provide viewers with more relevant and engaging experiences. By combining AI-driven insights with human editorial expertise, Gracenote is equipping its customers with a powerful tool to drive audience tune-in, engagement, and ultimately, viewer loyalty. As streaming services continue to compete for attention in an overcrowded market, solutions like Watch Prompts will be instrumental in shaping the future of personalized viewing, ensuring that audiences not only find compelling content but also stay connected to the platforms that best understand their preferences and viewing habits.