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Shocker! MobiTV customers prefer larger, easy to see displays

Joseph L. Flatley
Updated ·4 min read


MobiTV wants you to know that its ESPN Mobil TV offering had 100 percent uptime during the recent World Cup. Also, it's parsed some of the subscriber data that it accumulated during the tournament, and the analysis is in: subscribers with 5-inch displays watched an average of 118.2 minutes of soccer, while those with 2-inch displays watched almost half that (about 61.1 minutes on average). That's right: people with displays that are large enough to actually see what's goin' on will watch more TV than those with displays roughly the size of a postage stamp. Also presented here is viewing time-per-platform (Android wins at 125.7 average minutes / viewer, while WinMo takes up the rear at 62.7 minutes), and adoption markets (LA has the largest number of subscribers, followed by New York, Chicago, and San Francisco). It looks like all this is putting poor Norman to sleep here, but if you're interested in the specifics (and you want to learn the difference between a "sophisticated" tweenager and a regular ol' tweenager) check the PR after the break.

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MobiTV, Inc. Confirms Size Does Matter

World's Leading Platform for Delivering Managed Video Reveals Impact of Screen Size on Viewing Session Length and Other Mobile TV Trends

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- During the global phenomenon that was FIFA 2010 World Cup, MobiTV, Inc.'s technology platform delivered more than 100 million minutes of coverage from ESPN Mobile TV with 100 percent uptime. This volume of coverage delivered to the world's largest managed mobile media subscriber base affords MobiTV a deeper look into a number of viewing trends and behaviors from mobile video users in the U.S.

Size Matters

When it comes to screen size, MobiTV learned the bigger the better, charting the following average minutes viewed per screen size during World Cup coverage:

* 5 inch screen - 118.2 average minutes viewed
* 4 inch screen - 102.2 average minutes viewed
* 3 inch screen - 67.4 average minutes viewed
* 2 inch screen - 61.1 average minutes viewed

Persona and Platform

MobiTV also captured platform preference for various social personas. Viewers were identified by the most likely reason they purchased a device. For example, the 'Business Person' uses their mobile device to check e-mails and manage their schedule, while the 'Gadget Geek' is more interested in multimedia.

Typical Viewer / Platform / Minutes per Viewer

Gadget Geek / Android / 125.7
Sophisticated Tweenager / BREW / 84.0
TREO Loyalist / PALM / 84.0
Status Seeker / iPhone / 77.8
Business Person / RIM / 65.4
Tweenager / WinMo / 62.7

Gadget Geeks and Sophisticated Tweenagers had the highest minutes per viewer, yet Status Seekers viewed more games and on more days.

Mobile Adoption Markets

California and New York states lead World Cup viewing on mobile with 12.9 percent of viewing coming from the Los Angeles area and 10.1 percent attributed to New York City-based soccer fans. Chicago and San Francisco rounded out the top four DMAs:

* Los Angeles - 12.9 percent
* New York - 10.1 percent
* Chicago - 6.0 percent
* San Francisco - 4.4 percent

Top days and times for viewing World Cup action confirm the mobile medium as a supplement to at-home viewing. Weekday games played at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time had the highest average minutes per game, and weekdays accounting for more than 72 percent of total viewing.

"As the mobile device evolves into a multimedia powerhouse, and as the screen sizes increase in both size and resolution, consumers will demand more relevant and live content," said Charlie Nooney, CEO, MobiTV, Inc. "Although mobile TV does not replace our traditional TV viewing habits it does provide a viable alternative. Similar to the need to be connected to email, friends and family, being connected to the latest news and events will drive consumers to mobile television."

About MobiTV, Inc.

MobiTV, Inc. is the leading provider of technology solutions that deliver media over wireless and broadband networks. MobiTV, Inc.'s flexible platform powers an end-to-end managed service for content ingestion, encoding and optimized delivery of media for major mobile operators including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, as well as marquee partners like CBS, ESPN, MTV Networks, NBC, Warner Music and more.

The strength of the MobiTV, Inc. technology platform is showcased through the company's own product called MobiTV, a feature-rich, personalized and intuitive mobile experience.

MobiTV, Inc. powers the experiences of live television, premium and primetime programming, video-on-demand, as well as digital and satellite music services across hundreds of mobile handsets on all major device platforms including RIM, BREW, Java, Android, iPhone, WebOS, WinMo, Palm and more.

Founded in 1999, MobiTV, Inc. is a privately-held company with headquarters in Emeryville, California.

For more information about MobiTV, Inc.'s hosted content delivery technology and solutions, please visit www.mobitv.com/technology

For more information about commercially-available applications powered by MobiTV, please visit www.mobitv.com/products/apps/

MobiTV and the MobiTV logo are trademarks, service marks, and/or registered trademarks of MobiTV, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. All other trademarks, service marks, and product names used herein are the property of their respective owners.