Systems and methods for flexibly using trending topics as parameters for recommending media assets that are related to a viewed media asset

1. A method for flexibly using trending topics as parameters for recommending media assets that are related to a viewed media asset, the method comprising:

determining that a media asset has been viewed, wherein the media asset is provided by a content provider;

identifying a plurality of attributes corresponding to the viewed media asset;

monitoring a plurality of social networking services to determine that a topic associated with the viewed media asset is trending;

comparing, each of the plurality of attributes of the viewed media asset with the trending topic to determine that a respective attribute of the plurality of attributes matches the trending topic;

determining that another respective attribute of the plurality of attributes matches the trending topic;

updating a set of weightings corresponding to the plurality of attributes by increasing a first weighting corresponding to the respective attribute by a first amount corresponding to a first set of viewers that have interacted with the respective attribute and increasing a second weighting corresponding to the other respective attribute by a second amount corresponding to a second set of viewers that have interacted with the other respective attribute, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount; and

adjusting a recommendation for a media asset different from the viewed media asset based on a combined first weighting of the respective attribute and the second weighting of the other respective attribute; and

generating for display the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a search request;

in response to receiving the search request, generating for display a plurality of media asset identifiers corresponding to results of a search performed based on the search request; and

receiving a selection of a media asset identifier corresponding to the viewed media asset from the plurality of media asset identifiers,

wherein adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset comprises conditionally adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset upon a condition in which the search request was used in order to access the viewed media asset.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising refraining from adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset when the condition is not met.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the search request comprises receiving a search request for the media asset identifier corresponding to the viewed media asset.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the search request comprises receiving a search request for media assets matching an attribute of the plurality of attributes corresponding to the viewed media asset.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining that the attribute of the plurality of attributes in the search request does not match a topic of a plurality of topics with which a threshold number of people have interacted within a period of time that is shorter than a threshold period of time; and

based on determining that the attribute of the plurality of attributes in the search request does not match a topic of the plurality of topics, refraining from adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating for display an indication that the media asset different from the viewed media asset is recommended based on a topic of a plurality of topics with which a threshold number of people have interacted within a period of time that is shorter than a threshold period of time;

receiving a command not to increase the weighting corresponding to the respective attribute;

updating the set of weightings corresponding to the plurality of attributes by decreasing the weighting corresponding to the respective attribute; and

adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset based on the updated set of weightings.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset further comprises adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset based on weightings of attributes retrieved from a profile.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a command to adjust an amount by which the weighting corresponding to the respective attribute is increased.

10. A system for flexibly using trending topics as parameters for recommending media assets that are related to a viewed media asset, the system comprising:

an input interface configured to receive input signals at user equipment; and

control circuitry configured to:

determine, based on processing the input signals, that a media asset has been viewed, wherein the media asset is provided by a content provider;

identify a plurality of attributes corresponding to the viewed media asset;

monitor a plurality of social networking services to determine that a topic associated with the viewed media asset is trending;

compare each of the plurality of attributes of the viewed media asset with the trending topic to determine that a respective attribute of the plurality of attributes matches the trending topic;

determining that another respective attribute of the plurality of attributes matches the trending topic;

update a set of weightings corresponding to the plurality of attributes by increasing a first weighting corresponding to the respective attribute by a first amount corresponding to a first set of viewers that have interacted with the respective attribute and increasing a second weighting corresponding to the other respective attribute by a second amount corresponding to a second set of viewers that have interacted with the other respective attribute, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount; and

adjust a recommendation for a media asset different from the viewed media asset based on a combined first weighting of the respective attribute and the second weighting of the other respective attribute; and

generate for display the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a search request;

in response to receiving the search request, generate for display a plurality of media asset identifiers corresponding to results of a search performed based on the search request; and

receive a selection of a media asset identifier corresponding to the viewed media asset from the plurality of media asset identifiers,

wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset, to conditionally adjust the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset upon a condition in which the search request was used in order to access the viewed media asset.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to refrain from adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset when the condition is not met.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when receiving the search request, to receive a search request for the media asset identifier corresponding to the viewed media asset.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when receiving the search request, to receive a search request for media assets matching an attribute of the plurality of attributes corresponding to the viewed media asset.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine that the attribute of the plurality of attributes in the search request does not match a topic of a plurality of topics with which a threshold number of people have interacted within a period of time that is shorter than a threshold period of time; and

based on determining that the attribute of the plurality of attributes in the search request does not match a topic of the plurality of topics, refrain from adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate for display an indication that the media asset different from the viewed media asset is recommended based on a topic of a plurality of topics with which a threshold number of people have interacted within a period of time that is shorter than a threshold period of time;

receive a command not to increase the weighting corresponding to the respective attribute;

update the set of weightings corresponding to the plurality of attributes by decreasing the weighting corresponding to the respective attribute; and

adjust the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset based on the updated set of weightings.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when adjusting the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset, to adjust the recommendation of the media asset different from the viewed media asset based on weightings of attributes retrieved from a profile.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a command to adjust an amount by which the weighting corresponding to the respective attribute is increased.