ABC is aiming to get a better understanding of its mobile application users for advertisers with a new trial program with Nielsen, pointing to the growing interest in mobile video and display advertising.

ABC is the first brand to use Nielsen?s Online Campaigns Ratings tool for mobile, which was previously available for desktop and tablet Web. The goal is to measure ABC?s audience in terms of demographic and frequency.

?From ABC?s perspective, extending Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings measurement to mobile platforms ? especially apps ? is important because it enables measurement across all screens,? said Adam Gerber, vice president of sales development and marketing at ABC Television Networks, New York.

?In addition to the in-home live viewing, viewers are increasingly consuming ABC content on the go and on-demand across mobile devices,? he said.

?Advertisers want to understand how audiences view content across screen, and as an industry, we have to be able to measure that viewing.?

Mobile viewing
ABC cites an increasing amount of digital video taking place in its apps as the reason behind its trial test with Nielsen.

In fact, stream starts in the ABC app increased 70 percent year-over-year in February, according to Mr. Gerber. Additionally, the app?s unique visitors were up 55 percent over last year.

This growth was driven by the addition of the app for Amazon?s Kindle and Microsoft devices.

The new initiative builds on an existent partnership between ABC and Nielsen.

Earlier this year, ABC began working with Nielsen?s Online Campaign Ratings service to give marketers more concrete metrics around the broadcaster?s ABC United offering, which lets advertisers make one buy across all screens.

The mobile trial will run through the summer and will help the broadcaster get a grasp on the reach of its online and mobile campaigns.

Nielsen will combine its Cross-Platform Homes panel with provider data to measure video and display ads within ABC?s iOS and Android apps.

?Currently, no measurement service is able to measure advertising audience reach in mobile apps,? said Cheryl Idell, executive vice president of client service at Nielsen, New York.

?Smartphones now represent the majority of mobile phones in the U.S., and 25 percent of U.S. homes have a tablet, according to recent Nielsen research,? she said.

?As more viewing shifts to mobile platforms, we need measurement that provides advertisers with the best possible audience intelligence, and content owners with ways to maintain and enhance their ad models.?

Mobile streaming
The news falls in line with the broadcaster?s recent Watch ABC app launch. ABC is the first network to make live content available to mobile users on an ongoing basis (see story).

Television viewership continues to dip with ratings during the 2012-2013 season falling 17 percent year-over-year for the 18 to 48-year-old demographic, due in part to an increase in mobile and digital viewing.

As broadcasters look for new ways to distribute and sell content, apps could be particularly important for broadcasters in terms of data, according to Brian Suthoff, vice president of strategy and business development, at Localytics, Boston.

?As broadcasters such as ABC see huge growth in videos watched with apps, their opportunity also starts to extend far beyond audience measurement,? Mr. Suthoff said.

?Apps give broadcasters the new opportunity to build relationships directly with their viewers, and use data-driven marketing to boost engagement, tailor the app experience and grow audience segments valuable to advertisers,? he said.

?The increasing number of consumers cutting the cord with their cable or satellite provider is both a challenge and an opportunity for broadcasters, and as traditional distribution models are disrupted, the winners are likely to be the broadcasters with more sophisticated platforms for in-app measurement and marketing.?

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York