AMERICANS AND BRITS SHOW HIGH INTEREST IN MOBILE OLYMPICS COVERAGE

Track and Field, Gymnastics Most Popular With Mobile Video Users

San Francisco, CA, August 7, 2008 –  New research from The Nielsen Company shows that a substantial number of mobile users across the globe will be following the Olympics on their cell phones this summer, making the Games a watershed moment for media fragmentation tied to mobile.

According to Nielsen Mobile, a service of The Nielsen Company, nearly 45% of US and 31% of UK mobile video users will be part of the mobile audience for the 2008 Olympic Games. 

The data show that track and field and gymnastics both rank among the most popular Olympic events mobile video users want to watch on their phones.

Top 3 Olympic Events (% Mobile Video Users) - US & UK
	US	UK
1	Gymnastics (61.7%)	Track & Field (89.9%)
2	Swimming/Diving (58.5%)	Boxing (59.1%)
3	Track & Field (54.4%)	Gymnastics (53.7%)

 Source: Nielsen Mobile, Q2 2008 Mobile Video Report

“Mobile media will change the way many consumers engage with this summer’s Olympic Games,” said Kanishka Agarwal, vice president of mobile media at Nielsen Mobile.  “Consumers are especially looking forward to the high-profile, short events such as Track and Field and Gymnastics on their phone.  Longer team sports, such as soccer and volleyball, are less conducive to mobile viewing, but mobile users will still follow the scores closely on their devices.”

The research also suggests that the mobile internet will play a critical role, as 23% of US and 17% of UK mobile internet users will be tracking the Games through their phone browsers, with event results and medal counts the most desired pieces of information.

 

Top 3 Olympic Categories (% Mobile Internet Users) - US & UK
	US	UK
1	Event Results (66.3%)	Event Results (73.5%)
2	Medal Counts (44.3%)	Read Articles (37.4%)
3	TV Schedule (43.7%)	Medal Counts (34.2%)

 Source: Nielsen Mobile, Q2 2008 Mobile Internet Report

“It will be difficult to miss a second of the Olympics this summer,” said Agarwal.  “With millions of mobile users expected to follow the Games on their phone this summer, it’s no surprise that companies like NBC have optimized their mobile websites and developed compelling mobile content specifically for consumers looking to get a quick Olympic fix.”

About Nielsen Mobile
Nielsen Mobile, a service of The Nielsen Company, is the world's largest independent provider of syndicated consumer research to the telecom and mobile media markets. Nielsen Mobile focuses exclusively on tracking the behavior, attitudes and experiences of mobile consumers; their reports also provide up to seven years of data on internet, video, gaming, audio and advertising trends for mobile phone users. Nielsen’s technology-driven research provides unique and holistic insight into how mobile customers use their devices and what they think about brands, devices and services. For more information, please visit www.nielsenmobile.com.

About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics), mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.

 

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Paul M. Okimoto

415-228-8947