ABC reveals iPad app statistics, says it's 'pleased' with results
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 14th 2010 1:36PM
posted April 14th 2010 1:36PM
There's no question that ABC's free iPad app was one of the highest-profile apps to launch with the device, and ABC has now finally revealed some hard numbers to give an indication of just how successful it has been. According to The Wall Street Journal, ABC says the app has been downloaded 205,000 times in the ten days following the iPad's debut, and that is has been used to watch at least part of 605,000 TV shows. Perhaps the best news for ABC, however, is that the app has served up "several million" ad impressions, although the exact number is apparently still being calculated, with ABC only adding that it is "pleased with the results." Also, the most popular single show watched with the app? Why the episode of Modern Family where Phil Dumnphy gets an iPad, of course.
The ABC app is amazingly good. The only shortcoming is the slight delay of shows. I watch Lost on Wednesdays instead of the traditioal Tuesdays. NBC and CBS need to get Their act together.
The iPad has devoured the time that I spend on my iPhone and laptop. I love it. Apps like ESPN, iBooks, Sketchbook Pro are time sinks.
I am slowly replacing my iPhone apps with iPad apps and I am like a kid in a candy store.
@awalk
I can empathize with that... We've spent over US 250.00 on apps alone between the two iPads in the house!
As much as I despised wasting money on iPhone/iPod Touch apps, they seem well worth it on the iPad... Everything is just miles better on the iPad - IMO.
I don't know why the iPad has a browser when all the websites are releasing applications for the iphone OS since it doesn't support flash plug in. poor iTards they paid too much for so little, even worse than that, they can't even experience web now.
@jdm28690
Wrong. I paid what it was worth to me.
You don't need to be so worried that you're missing out. You still got your $199 netbook, kid.
Maybe one day when you graduate to Senior Dishwasher you'll have some disposable income
@jdm28690
That's funny. All my favorite sites - engadget, Joystiq, Netflix, Gizmodo, NYTimes, ESPN, CNN seem to load just fine without Flash. One exception being Hulu which I only use in the rare case I miss a show on my DVR.
So care to explain how I'm missing out on the web?
@jdm28690
I, too was concerned about the lack of Flash support, but in 10 days of iPad use, I've found but one web site that suffered as a result.
Not Bad...
@jdm28690 I feel bad for you. You are obviously jealous and don't know how to express it. Why else would you waste your time on a thread for a product you don't like.
@suicidebob
I don't own a netbook buddy but it seems my words made you regret wasting your money on something worth as crap and you resort to attack netbooks instead of reason like a man. I am not a MS fanboy, far from that, in fact i constantly bash their console for its inferiority.
@xolan99
You proved my point, too bad you have an exception.
@DaHarder
well that's already 1 site out of millions you can't view, thanks stevey for making you believe the full web experience myth.
@LargeFormat
Perhaps you should tell me why would i be jealous for you. i thought free speech is allowed here.
@jdm28690
I would rather have a pleasant experience with 100% of the sites I do visit v have the ability to visit 100% of sites and end up with a mediocre experience overall.
Anyone who has used the netflix app knows how much better it is than the web app. Same for pandora. If you haven't experienced the ipad you're in no position to know!
It's user experience that is driving sales not raw features. I'd rather not have a web cam than a crappy one.
@jdm28690 Bitter haters suck.
@jdm28690
Pretty sad, jdm, pretty sad.
troll on, I'm sure it will continue to get you attention.
Hey guys. I have the 64GB version, and I love it. I'm on my Honeymoon and took it to the beach, and it has been awesoem - better than I expected.
If you doubts about it, don't. But if you wanna ask me any questions, feel free.
God bless,
Jonathan
@Springdaddy
Only question; why are you playing with an iPad on your honeymoon & not your wife?
Am I at the correct site? Mostly positive iPad comments? Did I step through a worm hole and I am now at Bizzaro Engadget?
@mando72
Most of those noobs got pwnd a couple of weeks ago when the thing was released
@mando72
Also, you'll notice that the positive comments are from those who have one, the negatives only come from those that don't. Wonder why that is....
@mando72 When we all looked at this thing the moment it came out, we looked at it one-dimensionally. At this point, most of us are viewing the device from a different perspective now.
@N900
Hopefully those people will realise how stupid they were to make judgements when they had so little information. But I doubt it somehow.
So many experts. Where are they now??
@ALL my comment
I actually got one myself, first day. I love it. I am just surprised at the mostly positive comments here from a place that is mostly venomously anti apple.
@mando72
Now that people actually have iPads, and many of them love them, it's more difficult for anti-iPad people to troll. Before it was released it was a lot easier because you could spread FUD but once you actually use the thing, and like it, what can they say? You're wrong? That'd be really silly.
ABC app is great, hoping NBC and FOX make something similar eventually.
The Netflix app is fantastic!
I'm actually surprised at the numbers, one could conclude from them, that people is just downloading the app the check it out, but not using it.
Let's be clear, if the app was downloaded 205,000 times (we can assume, this means it was downloaded to 205,000 iPad, or a number extremely closed to it), and if people have watched, at least a part of the show, 605,000 times, therefore, people, since the iPad launch, have only watch less than 3 shows, actually, less than at least a part of 3 shows.
Which is a pitiful number if you ask me. Therefore, we can assume that, at most, the application has been truly used little less than 3 times per iPad.
@augustofretes
They didn't say it was 605 000 times, they said it has been used used to watch part of the 605 000 shows available.
@Kwame Nkrumah Oh, thanks, that's radically different XD.
However: " and that is has been used to watch at least part of 605,000 TV shows."
Can't it be read both ways? I do believe you, I'm just asking, , as you probably noticed from my English skills, this isn't my first language haha.
@Kwame Nkrumah
No what it means is that people have watch at least part, i.e. they started but didn't finish watching, of 605,000 shows... so the original poster's reply is correct.
@augustofretes
I think the numbers are probably quite indicative of how many iPads actually have got into actual user's hands in the first few days. Given this is both a free and hugely high profile app, you'd have expected early adopters to have picked this one up even just to try out their device's capabilities. Probably close to a 100% takeup of iPad users, and the numbers are only 205,000.
@augustofretes
The iPad has been out for 10 days. It does a lot more than just play TV shows so I dunno, I think 3 shows per iPad is pretty good. Especially considering you can do a lot of other things with it. Just how many hours of TV can you really watch in 10 days
@hlpeng My colleague at work has an ipad without this app.
@augustofretes pitiful number? 600,000 shows watched in 10 days? 205,000 downloads in 10 days? your in denial buddy. it dont matter if they watch the whole show or not, they still see ads. This is HUGE numbers. Once again, another ipad hater looking for excuses why this thing is doing so well. You just cant believe it huh? IT HAS to be people only testing the app. It just has to be, lool
@Emeek I'm not talking about the number of ads, nor about the quality of the ipad, not even about the quality of the app, which I must say, I used as an example of outstanding GUI design.
I'm just talking about usage, I'm pretty sure, for example, that decent games have been used more than, at most, little less than 3 times in 10 days, and for a longer period of time.
I'm talking about a relationship betweem user-usage, I'm not messing with the iPad being the best product ever, or a crappy piece of shit, I'm saying a fact here: People (in prom) hasn't use their ABC application more than (x
Too bad we dont get ABC's big love here in Canada (content is restricted to US)
@geo1378
"enjoying my beautiful hd screen ipad"
since when 1024x768 4:3 is HD ? LOL come on that's absurd coming from an Apple fanboy let alone from a kinder garden kid. it reminded me of my 6 year old Hyundai monitor
@jdm28690 Man you are so obnoxious. Go away and be disliked somewhere else, will you?
@jdm28690
Hondas suck ass, just sayin'
I don't like Apple very much (not a hater, I respect them) and have no need or want of an iPad. With that said I still very much want to see that Modern Family (infomercial) episode about the iPad. Like the show a lot, and it sounds like a funny story line, I can understand it being the most watched show on the ABC app.
seeing as there no ABC/netflick in UK i wonder what video content apple has in store for us?
I like how this is news. ABC is pleased with its results. It's like engadget editors is trying to justify the iPad they love despite its glaring its faults.
@nbollinger its faults? LOL, it sounds to me like your trying to find reasons why this thing is so successful. Everyone just has to be an idiot huh? Your the smart one and everyone at engadget are just fanboys idiots right? Sounds like your trying to justify it being so successful. lol. not the other way around. It seems you just cant believe people love this thing can you? Anyone who loves it is just stupid and dumb. lol.
@nbollinger
because the half million units sold in a week (before the release of the 3g version, mind you) doesn't justify anything...
(in Ballmer's voice in nbollinger's head)
"Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you"
"iPad without flash is gonna be a big fat fail"
Prediction: Fail
@Groggle by which I mean... that prediction was a fail. A million in 77 days? that'll be a month, maybe. I'm loving reading on it, and my eyeballs have yet to start smoking from the eyestrain...
@Groggle Haha. Watch out though! Those fanatic e-ink zealots will tell you you're wrong and your experience means absolutely nothing against their theories, etc.
I wish I had one. Can I borrow yours? :P
I've preordered the 64 gig 3g one and I'm looking forward to watching free video on it. It looks like ABC did the smart thing and went w/ ad supported instead of trying to screw people into paying for video they wouldn't buy. I'll be using this app and my original slingbox with the lower quality video and making do with it and whatever other free video apps there are. No way I will pay for magazine or video subscription services. I'll be paying for data, and that will get me video one way or another when I'm not at home. All the other companies who want to get advertisers should take note before they lose their opportunity. Your chance will pass and once the iPad utilizing population realizes how greedy you are trying to be, you will lose any chance at a loyal customer base forever.
For those of you wanting a camera, there are a couple of apps out there that allow you to use your iphone as a camera. I'm not sure how this works, since the 3g iPads haven't shipped yet, but it's supposed to work as a wireless camera for the iPad
It also just so happens that Modern Family is one of the most popular shows on TV, by far the best thing on ABC, and the iPad episode is the most recent episode.
But y'know, feel free to make it look like iPad users want to do nothing but watch shows about other people using iPads.
I also thought I'd wait to get the 2nd gen iPad. All I can say is - don't wait! Get one now and resell it a bit before the 2nd gen comes out. You know Apple hardware retains a lot of value, and having the experience now is worth a little financial loss when it comes to reselling it later. If you do wait, just wait until some refurbs show up on the Apple online store and save yourself a little cash.
The ABC app is great - better than Netflix, in terms of quality. If it wasn't for sports, I would cancel my cable in a second. I really look forward to seeing what the other networks come out with.
The iPad does have shortcomings... lack of camera - I would NEVER use it, but I do understand a lot of people use Skype and want a camera for that. All I can say is - the camera will come. We all know it will. But not having a camera now doesn't make the iPad experience a bad one now. Not having USB ports or media card ports - I would love USB ports and they will probably also show up at some point. No Flash - honestly, I've barely missed it. Again, if you wait, I would bet most sites will redesign in HTML5 to work with the iPad. It was hearing that some sites had already done that before launch that, on some ways, convinced me to go ahead and get an iPad now.
Overall, the things that are missing from the iPad, while important, are probably missing for two reasons. #1 - they want to add them later to future version to make you want to buy the next one - no surprise there. Compare the 1st gen iPod to the iPod touch. HUGE differences. Mostly, #2 - I think these things are missing because Apple would not implement anything into the iPad that they can't fully supoprt or guarantee. They want to get what they have working before they add these things, and I think most people would prefer it that way. I'd rather be missing a feature than have it bugging up my system.