Systems and methods for performing an action based on viewing positions of other users

1. A method for performing actions based on viewing positions of other users, the method comprising:

retrieving viewing progress in a media asset of each of a plurality of users;

processing a first data structure associated with a first of the plurality of users to identify a first play position of the first user in the media asset;

processing a second data structure associated with a second of the plurality of users to identify a second play position of the second user in the media asset;

comparing the first play position with the second play position;

in response to determining that the second play position is earlier than the first play position, storing the second play position as a maximum viewing progress that is common to each of the plurality of users, wherein a play point corresponding to the maximum viewing progress is after a start point of the media asset and before an end point of the media asset;

adding the first and second users to a list of users associated with the maximum viewing progress;

in response to detecting that the second user has viewed the media asset to a play position beyond the maximum viewing progress, removing the second user from the list of users associated with the maximum viewing progress;

receiving a request from a third user to access the media asset;

retrieving data indicating current viewing progress in the media asset of the third user;

comparing the retrieved data indicating the current viewing progress to the stored maximum viewing progress to determine whether the current viewing progress of the third user matches or exceeds the maximum viewing progress that is common to each of the plurality of users; and

in response to determining that the current viewing progress of the third user matches or exceeds the identified maximum viewing progress, generating for display to the third user a message with an option to perform an action relative to the media asset.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the media asset at a scheduled transmission time of the media asset; and

monitoring the viewing progress of each of the plurality of users in the stored media asset to retrieve the viewing progress of each of the users.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the action includes a delete operation, further comprising deleting the stored media asset in response to receiving a user selection of the option.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the action includes a communicate operation, further comprising:

displaying a list that identifies each of the plurality of users in response to receiving a user selection of the option;

receiving a user selection of a given user from the plurality of users;

in response to receiving the user selection of the given user, presenting an interface to the third user for composing a communication directed to the given user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the action includes a post to a social network operation, further comprising:

in response to receiving a user selection of the option, presenting an interface to the third user for transmitting a communication to a social network associated with the third user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the viewing progress in the media asset of each of the plurality of users comprises accessing a social network associated with the third user to retrieve identifiers of the plurality of users who are associated with the third user.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first user accessed the media asset from a first provider and the second user accessed the media asset from a second provider.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

retrieving from a first database associated with the first provider a first entry, associated with the first user, that indicates viewing progress in the media asset of the first user; and

retrieving from a second database associated with the second provider a second entry, associated with the second user, that indicates viewing progress in the media asset of the second user.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first provider comprises an on-demand media server accessible to a set of users including the first user, and wherein the second provider comprises a user equipment device of the second user.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second database comprises a directory of programs recorded on the user equipment device.

11. A system for performing actions based on viewing positions of other users, the system comprising:

communication circuitry;

input/output (I/O) circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to:

retrieve viewing progress in a media asset of each of a plurality of users;

process a first data structure associated with a first of the plurality of users to identify a first play position of the first user in the media asset;

process a second data structure associated with a second of the plurality of users to identify a second play position of the second user in the media asset;

compare the first play position with the second play position;

in response to determining that the second play position is earlier than the first play position, store the second play position as a maximum viewing progress that is common to each of the plurality of users, wherein a play point corresponding to the maximum viewing progress is after a start point of the media asset and before an end point of the media asset;

add the first and second users to a list of users associated with the maximum viewing progress;

in response to detecting that the second user has viewed the media asset to a play position beyond the maximum viewing progress, remove the second user from the list of users associated with the maximum viewing progress;

receive, via the communication circuitry, a request from a third user to access the media asset;

retrieve data indicating current viewing progress in the media asset of the third user;

compare the retrieved data indicating the current viewing progress to the stored maximum viewing progress to determine whether the current viewing progress of the third user matches or exceeds the maximum viewing progress that is common to each of the plurality of users; and

in response to determining that the current viewing progress of the third user matches or exceeds the identified maximum viewing progress, generate for display, via the I/O circuitry, to the third user a message with an option to perform an action relative to the media asset.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

store the media asset at a scheduled transmission time of the media asset; and

monitor the viewing progress of each of the plurality of users in the stored media asset to retrieve the viewing progress of each of the users.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the action includes a delete operation, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to delete the stored media asset in response to receiving a user selection of the option.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the action includes a communicate operation, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

display a list that identifies each of the plurality of users in response to receiving a user selection of the option;

receive a user selection of a given user from the plurality of users;

in response to receiving the user selection of the given user, present an interface to the third user for composing a communication directed to the given user.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the action includes a post to a social network operation, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

in response to receiving a user selection of the option, present an interface to the third user for transmitting a communication to a social network associated with the third user.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to retrieve the viewing progress in the media asset of each of the plurality of users by accessing a social network associated with the third user to retrieve identifiers of the plurality of users who are associated with the third user.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first user accessed the media asset from a first provider and the second user accessed the media asset from a second provider.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

retrieve from a first database associated with the first provider a first entry, associated with the first user, that indicates viewing progress in the media asset of the first user; and

retrieve from a second database associated with the second provider a second entry, associated with the second user, that indicates viewing progress in the media asset of the second user.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first provider comprises an on-demand media server accessible to a set of users including the first user, and wherein the second provider comprises a user equipment device of the second user.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the second database comprises a directory of programs recorded on the user equipment device.