SAN FRANCISCO—Mobile content measurement firm Telephia clarified a recent study that raised eyebrows among mobile video experts in the United Kingdom.
The company last week released a report that said one-third of all U.K. mobile TV watchers tune into BBC1, and nearly one-fourth watch other wireless TV from the BBC. But only one U.K. handset can receive BBC1—Virgin Mobile’s Lobster, which hit stores just a month ago—and no wireless channels exist for the other BBC offerings.
Several other content providers cited in the study also appear to have yet to launch mobile video services.
Telephia this week clarified the data—claiming the survey asked users to recall any type of video viewed on mobile phones, including content from off-deck sites, streaming applications and video clip downloads—and apologized “for any confusion this may have caused.” The company stood by its figures, however.
“Within this broader context, all of the video brands discussed in the release are indeed available to U.K. mobile users in some format,” Telephia said.
The controversial initial report underscores the increasingly heated battle to provide timely, accurate data of mobile content consumption in the United States and Europe. Telephia is in a fierce battle with M:Metrics, a Seattle-based firm that has gained substantial traction in the market; several newcomers are joining the playing field as well.
