Why Facebook wants you to post status updates while watching TV!

Facebook users, you will soon be able to 'check in' to your favourite TV shows on Facebook. Confused? Let us explain.

Facebook is coming up with new stylized icons to TV shows and sporting events that will let you share what you are watching with your friends. It will be similar to how you 'check-in' to restaurants. Say for example, you check in to the 2015 Emmy Awards or the premiere of Game of Thrones, you will receive a custom Emmy statue or throne on your page.

You will also be able to connect with broadcasters and the cast of your favourite shows directly. From sending audition videos to potentially join a cast, video questions for reply on-air, or shots for consideration in film contests, everything would be possible in a click!

The new idea cropped up after Facebook researchers found out that in every country, maximum users log on to their accounts while watching their favorite shows.

Hence, they planned to come up with new tools and resources that could guarantee a delightful experience to users.

But that's not all there is to it. The idea also is to attract TV broadcasters that can in turn get them plenty of advertisers.

That's why Facebook wants you to post status updates while watching TV. It will facilitate viewer response and content to the broadcasters which can be of utmost use to them.

Therefore, the social giant will enable broadcasters to use the primetime traffic on their website "to create great experiences for their viewers around the programming they love, drive real-time participation and engage their audiences 24/7."

One of the ways to do it, as Bob Morgan, partner engineering director at Facebook, points out in his blog post, is to engage fans for a show through the celeb cast.

"TV celebs can more easily connect with fans through Mentions, including the new Live for Facebook Mentions feature," he writes.

Notably, Mentions is meant only for verified public figures. Using it, they can share live video with their fans on Facebook. They can even take fans behind the scenes, host a Q&A, share announcements and do a lot more to grow and engage their fan base - all in real time.

"The new tools boil down to three particular areas - engaging fans, polling them for their input, and curating photos and videos that can then be shown on TV," writes Morgan.

Additionally, Facebook is also introducing the ability to take audience votes via hashtag, as well as a media polling tool that will be specific to TV show pages on the social networking site.