We’re number one! We’re number one!
And by “we”, I’m referring AOL, which owns TechCrunch. comScore is releasing its Video Metrix report for September, and while AOL only ranked third among video content properties in the US (behind Google and Facebook), it took the top spot for (the first time) in number of video ads viewed.
comScore reports that AOL saw 3.7 billion video ad impressions in September, compared to 3.2 billion for Google (a number that includes YouTube) and 2.8 billion for the BrightRoll platform. AOL also saw the highest duration of ads viewed, at 1.7 billion minutes, and it reached 49.6 percent of the total US population.
In a blog post that was provided to TechCrunch ahead of the report’s publication, AOL’s Ran Harnevo and Adap.tv’s Amir Ashkenazi (pictured above with AOL CEO Tim Armstrong) note that this is the first public data on the combined companies since AOL completed its acquisition of video ad company Adap.tv a month ago. The post also says that 3.7 billion is the highest number of video ad impressions for a single property ever recorded by comScore (something that comScore confirmed.)
Harnevo and Ashkenazi added:
From investing in video advertising to syndicating short-form premium content to launching original programs with well-known talent, we have built a complete solution that brings together both content and technology, arming every edge of the ecosystem with what is needed for the next generation of video.
The comScore report says that 188.7 million Americans watched 46 billion online content videos and 22.9 billion video ads in September.
Oh, and if you want a little more context about Adap.tv, I interviewed Ashkenazi for TechCrunch TV shortly after the acquisition was announced. (The post also includes Adap.tv’s response to anonymous suggestions that it includes lots of bogus ad impressions.)
