NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AOL today announced a collaboration with Nielsen to measure the audience viewing AOL’s library of over 620,000 premium videos. The custom AOL Video Reach (AVR), powered by Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings, will express audience measurement in the language of TV, enabling comparisons between the audience of AOL’s high-quality original programming and curated premium partner content to TV viewership. AOL’s Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong and Nielsen’s President of Strategic Initiatives John Burbank made this announcement on stage at AOL’s Digital Content NewFront in New York City.
Measuring audiences instead of just streams is a significant innovation. While the online industry has traditionally been able to measure the number of video streams, it has been difficult to accurately measure audiences at a meaningfully granular level. Meanwhile, brands are looking to reflect consumers’ multiscreen, screen-agnostic approach to viewing programming and make online content an integral part of their video buys.
AVR will be a custom solution powered by Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings that provides demographic breakouts with reach and frequency for each of AOL On’s content channels. Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings will run on all ads served through AOL and be used to produce audience reach numbers. This will provide comprehensive and granular audience measurement online.
In April 2012 Nielsen announced AOL as the first premium publisher to leverage Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings to offer gross rating points (GRPs) for ad campaigns run across its properties. Adding AVR will demonstrate AOL’s audience composition across viewership of all of AOL’s video. The announcement follows AOL’s recent partnership with FreeWheel and Mediaocean that enables marketers to extend their existing television buying workflow to reach scalable audiences across premium digital video inventory.
“Video is a huge focus for AOL, and we have consistently worked with industry leaders like Nielsen to pioneer initiatives that will bridge the gap between TV and premium digital video,” said Tim Armstrong, Chairman and CEO. “By facilitating comparisons between AOL’s massive audiences across high-quality original programming and curated premium partner content to TV, we're showing marketers that the screen on which consumers watch is far less important than the quality of the content itself and the scale of the audience it reaches.”
“We’re committed to offering media buyers and planners the tools they need to reach audiences in the most efficient way possible. Increasingly, this means facilitating comparisons between TV and digital video so that they can make more informed buying decisions,” said Nielsen’s Burbank. “Our work with AOL expands upon the work we’ve done with Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings to create a framework for marketers to easily buy across both mediums. We are committed to continuing to evolve our measurement capabilities to deliver metrics that match the true multi-platform video eco-system.”
AOL is also participating in the pilot program, announced earlier today, for Nielsen Digital Program Ratings. Nielsen Digital Program Ratings will measure audiences for TV content viewed online, delivering overnight data, including unique audience and reach by age and gender.
The AOL On Network, the #1 premium curated video network on the web, is committed to bridging the gap between premium digital video and TV. Through its original production, curated programming, and video distribution across partners and screens, The AOL On Network is creating a seamless, high-end video experience for advertisers and consumers.
About AOL
AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a brand company, committed to continuously innovating, growing, and investing in brands and experiences that inform, entertain, and connect the world. The home of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help marketers connect with these audiences through effective and engaging digital advertising solutions.
About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
