????社交電視領域的其他競爭者還有雅虎公司（Yahoo）的IntoNow以及Miso。IntoNow推出了一項名為“CapIt”的新功能，填補了社交照片分享領域的空白。用戶可以利用它將電視節目的截圖發送給好友，還可以在圖片上進行評論。與此同時，Miso剛剛發布了一款名為Quips的新產品，這款移動應用跟CapIt存在競爭關系，它可以讓用戶分享電視節目中自己最喜愛的一幕，同時也可以添加文字說明。

????Zeebox是社交電視領域的另一個競爭者，它背后有康卡斯特公司（Comcast）的支持。這款應用誕生自英國，被用戶稱為“電視助手”。Zeebox已經跟美國廣播電視網建立了強大的合作關系，其中包括康卡斯特有線電視（Comcast Cable）、國家廣播環球公司（NBC Universal）、HBO以及Cinemax。Zeebox提供了數項可以讓第二屏觀看體驗更加愉快的特殊功能，其中包括實時收看的應用內提醒，豐富全面的節目信息，以及一項名為“Zeetags”的功能——它可以讓用戶瀏覽節目內容、相關話題以及人物角色，并將用戶的社交談話擴大到應用之外。該應用提供的信息明確具體，而且是針對用戶的興趣和觀賞口味量身定制的。

????這些社交電視領域的活動會給尼爾森帶來哪些影響呢？這家公司調查收視率的過時模式仍然依賴于美國的一組家庭，他們最初是使用日記本記錄自己所看電視節目的。如今他們大多使用電視節目追蹤裝置，但仍然只是傳統家庭的小樣本。在進行收視率“清查”（sweep）時，尼爾森仍在使用紙質記錄。我相信很多青少年和大學生都在為尼爾森填寫這些紙質日記。好吧，也許并沒有。

????雖然目前廣告商們會繼續使用尼爾森的數據作為公共標準，但他們在2013年會向前推進，使用互補性的渠道來評估廣告的互動情況以及自己所贊助媒體活動的效果。尼爾森在2010年時曾在社交媒體領域折戟，此后，該公司仍在極力恢復自己在這方面的信譽。一旦尼爾森跟Twitter的合作于今年秋季生效，它就能給尼爾森幫上忙，但依然落后于市場。

????今年晚些時候，蘋果電視（Apple TV）、英特爾電視（Intel TV）和其他綜合電視設備的推出，將可能進一步對社交電視領域的活動起到推波助瀾的作用。借助綜合平臺，用戶將能在觀看節目的同時在電視屏幕上進行社交活動。我對2013年的預測是：我們將看到各大廣播電視網更直接地參與社交電視，不管是憑借它們自己的應用，還是投資以及重新塑造目前的競爭者。

????以下是對值得我們關注的應用的盤點：

????Viggle：“看電視，得獎勵”。使用這款應用查詢電視節目，玩Viggle LIVE——這是其生活模擬游戲——和MyGuy橄欖球及籃球幻想游戲時，它會給你積分。然后，用戶可以拿這些積分購買禮品卡，或是在星巴克（Starbucks）、絲芙蘭（Sephora）和亞馬遜（Amazon）進行消費。另外，用戶還可以將這些積分作為慈善捐贈捐給美國紅十字會（the American Red Cross）等機構。

????GetGlue HD：用戶只要進行簽到就可以拿到積分、贏取數字貼紙以及獲得折扣券。GetGlue最近跟Viggle達成了合作，我們預測它的積分將被整合進Viggle積分體系，從而在網絡商家那里獲得優惠。

????Other competitors in the social TV space include Yahoo's (YHOO) IntoNow and Miso. IntoNow has introduced a new feature to compete in the social photo-sharing space, 'CapIt', which allows users to send their friends snapshots from a TV show with their captions superimposed on the photo. Miso meanwhile just launched a new product, Quips, a mobile app that competes with CapIt and allows users to share their favorite individual moments from TV shows with captions as well.

????Zeebox is another social TV player and has backing from Comcast. A UK-born app, known to users as the "TV Sidekick," Zeebox has forged strong network partnerships in the U.S. with Comcast Cable (CMCSA), NBCUniversal, HBO and Cinemax. Zeebox offers several perks that make second-screen viewing more enjoyable such as in-app alerts and reminders for live viewing, a robust offering of program information, 'Zeetags' – which allow you to explore show's content, related topics and characters as well as extend your social conversations outside the app. The information the app provides is specific and tailored to your interests and viewing tastes.

????How will all this social TV activity affect Nielsen? Their outdated mode of tracking viewership continues to rely upon a set of families across the U.S. who initially used logbooks to track what they viewed. Now most use TV tracking devices, but still represent a small sample of traditional households. During sweeps, Nielsen still uses paper diaries. I am sure there are lots of teen and college kids filling out paper diaries for them. Err, maybe not.

????While advertisers will continue to use Nielsen as a common standard for now, they will push forward in 2013 with complementary channels to assess their engagement and the activity of the media they sponsor. Since Nielsen's snafu in 2010 on social media, the company is still recovering its credibility in this area. Nielsen's Twitter partnership will help once it kicks in by the Fall TV season, but it is late to market.

????All this activity could be further amped up by the introduction of an Apple TV, Intel (INTC) TV and other integrated TV devices later this year. With integrated platforms, users will see social activity around a show right on the screen. My prediction for 2013: we will see the major networks get more directly involved in social TV either with their own apps or investing in and rebranding the current players.

????Here's a run down of the apps to watch:

????Viggle: "Watch TV, Get Rewards" This app give you points for checking into TV shows, playing Viggle LIVE -their live trivia game and playing along with their fantasy football/basketball game, MyGuy. You then redeem these points to buy everything from gift cards to Starbucks, Sephora and Amazon or you can turn your Viggle points into charitable donations to the American Red Cross among others.

????GetGlue HD: Once a user has checked-in, they can receive points, earn digital stickers and get discount coupons. With the new partnership with Viggle, we predict integration into Viggle points for discounts at network merchants.