NBC.COM'S MOBILE INITIATIVES POST EXPLOSIVE GROWTH
Mobile Full Episodes and Smart Phone Sites Led Record Traffic
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - January 28, 2009 - NBC.com today announced record-breaking traffic to its mobile sites in 2008. NBC.com's many innovative firsts - streaming full episodes on a broadcast network's mobile site and platforms tailored to smart phones such as Apple's iPhone - drove total page views to 31 million for 2008, up from one million for the year prior. The announcement was made by Vivi Zigler, President, NBC Universal Digital Entertainment.
"NBC.com's leadership in the mobile space paid off in '08," said Zigler. "We believe in giving users entertaining content that is easily accessible and these numbers validate that strategy."
A combination of new functionality and compelling content drove growth for the year. Among them - the introduction of ad supported full episodes - in particular proved popular, making up the majority of the more than 2.5 million mobile videos streamed in 2008; interactive SMS features for programs such as "Heroes" and the "Biggest Loser" made important inroads in the convergence between mobile, online, and on-air entertainment; adapting content to harness the unique capabilities of smart phones such as touch screens and accelerometers; making online social networking features available on mobile devices; and providing regular digital content such as photos, schedules, and episode recaps in accessible, straightforward show sites.
These features are proving popular with other groups as well - NBC.com's mobile features have won awards such as the Mobile Entertainment Webby for the "Heroes" mobile site.
2009 will bring even more mobile innovation from NBC.com. iPhone apps from "The Office" and "Heroes" launch soon, as will user blogs and advanced commenting. NBC.com recently bucked industry trends by developing in-house mobile publishing platforms that allow NBC.com to simultaneously publish across disparate media, including online and mobile, and eventually internet connected televisions.
Mobile traffic highlights from 2008 include:
--Mobile traffic reached 4.2 million page views in December '08, an increase of twelve times the amount delivered in December '07. In '08, traffic totaled 32.9 million page views.
--Mobile page views experienced a 60% increase from Q3 (9.5 million) to Q4 (15.1 million) in 2008.
--A total of 1.8 million mobile video streams were generated during the fall season (September - December '08), 1.3 million of those were full episodes and 520,000 short video streams.
--Page views via the iPhone reached 6.7 million and uniques registered 900,000 during the fall season (September - December '08).
--Top five shows by pageviews - "Heroes," "The Office," "SNL," "Deal or No Deal" and "30 Rock"
--Top five shows by full episode streams - "Heroes," "The Office," "SNL," "Knight Rider" and "Lipstick Jungle"
Data provided by Omniture.
NBC.com, the Emmy Award-winning broadcast network website, is a leading online and mobile destination for television and interactive entertainment. With both derivative and web-exclusive programming, NBC.com pioneered the "360" experience with "Heroes 360," which gave viewers a way to extend their entertainment experience beyond the broadcast, and the first weekly social networking experience attached to a primetime entertainment program with "Dunder Mifflin Infinity." The site offers full episode streaming of many NBC Entertainment shows as well as short clips, interactive games and social networking, including user-generated content. NBC.com continually develops new ways for consumers to experience entertainment content on both existing and emerging platforms. The site is the recipient of multiple Emmy and Webby awards for its content and applications. Please log on to www.nbc.com to learn more.
|