comScore and Arbitron to launch groundbreaking cross-platform media measurement initiative with ESPN as charter client and collaborator

COLUMBIA, Md. and RESTON, Va., Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) and comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR) announced today an agreement to develop the first-ever five-platform measurement initiative that would provide an unparalleled view of changing consumption of video, audio and display content across radio, television, PCs, smartphones and tablets.

This initiative would provide persons-level insights by integrating the complementary resources of both companies—the census and panel-based PC, mobile and TV set-top box measurement capabilities of comScore along with enhanced, single-source, multiplatform measurement capabilities of the Arbitron Portable People Meter™ (PPM^®) technology. 

ESPN, which has been an industry leader in the adoption and development of cross-platform audience research through its ESPN XP initiative, will collaborate on the design of this initiative as its charter client. The unprecedented size and scope of the project is being driven by the multiplatform measurement requirements of ESPN, which delivers video, audio and display content via television (both in-home and out-of-home), online and mobile video, PC web, mobile web, apps, tablets, digital audio and terrestrial radio.

This initiative lays the foundation for a national-scale, continuously operating, syndicated cross-platform measurement solution for the media and marketing industries. The goal is to produce common metrics across all platforms at the scale and granularity required by both content providers and advertisers, and to demonstrate the audience reach and duplication of each media platform.

Current plans are to develop a service offering that would be available to all media companies, advertisers and advertising agencies that wish to understand and measure the audience size, composition and impact of media content and marketing efforts as listened to and viewed across multiple platforms.

"The real value to this project from a media buying perspective is that the way consumers are using media will now be reflected in the way advertisers can invest in media," said Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN Global Customer Marketing and Sales. "Making the measurement more complete makes the advertising more effective, which is a win for all parties involved."

Added Joan FitzGerald, comScore VP of TV & Cross-Media Solutions, "ESPN represents an ideal collaborator as we develop this product given its established brand presence across media channels. Together with Arbitron, we look forward to shedding new light on how audiences behave in a multiplatform environment to help propel the industry forward as we seek to understand how media content and advertising across multiple platforms builds audiences."

Manish Bhatia, Executive Vice President, New Product Innovation, Arbitron Inc., said, "ESPN initiated this effort and helped bring Arbitron and comScore together with the goal of advancing cross-platform research from a special project to a standing industry-wide practice. This solution blends the depth of insights that comes from census-based data with the unduplicated persons-level information across platforms that comes from a single-source panel–it's an ideal marriage of the available data sources."

According to Artie Bulgrin, Senior Vice President, Research and Analytics, ESPN, Inc., "As a member of CIMM, we were impressed by the multiplatform tests conducted by Arbitron and comScore this past year. Their unique, complementary capabilities form a strong foundation to build a sustainable multiplatform measurement model with scale–a model that can serve the needs of ESPN today and the industry going forward. Our role is to get things started."

ESPN, comScore and Arbitron are planning a series of events on October 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd at the upcoming Advertising Week in New York to introduce the details of the initiative to the industry.

About ESPN

ESPN, Inc., is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets. The company consists of eight 24-hour domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN 3D and the regionally focused Longhorn Network) and five HD simulcast services (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes). Other businesses include ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (48 networks, syndication, radio, websites, mobile, apps), ESPN Audio (broadcast, satellite, online and apps, a growing category led by ScoreCenter), ESPN.com (plus a variety of sport-, college-, and market-specific sites), ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises and espnW. Multi-screen offerings include WatchESPN (access to several ESPN networks online and via an app) and ESPN3 (live multi-screen network available online, on the go and via Xbox LIVE). Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics. For more information, please visit http://www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media and marketing research firm serving the media–radio, television, cable and out-of-home, the mobile industry, as well as advertising agencies and advertisers around the world. Arbitron's businesses include: measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media, and product patterns of U.S. consumers; providing mobile audience measurement and analytics in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia; and developing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data.

The Company has developed the Portable People Meter ™ (PPM^®) and the PPM 360™, new technologies for media and marketing research.

For more information, please visit: http://www.arbitron.com

Portable People Meter™, PPM^® and PPM 360™ are marks of Arbitron Inc.

Regarding Arbitron Forward-Looking Statements in This Release
Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including the statements regarding expectations for 2012 and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future, may be "forward-looking" statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies such as the joint cross-platform measurement service with comScore, the growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, our ability to expand our business in new markets, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations and changes in applicable laws and regulations, our ability to achieve projected efficiencies, cost reductions, sales growth and earnings, and international economic, political, legal and business factors. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including Arbitron's 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Cautionary Note Regarding comScore Forward-Looking Statements in the Release
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, but not limited to, expectations regarding the impact and benefits to comScore from the joint cross-platform measurement service with Arbitron. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to: the features and characteristics of the products, the rate of development of the digital marketing intelligence, Internet advertising and e-Commerce markets; the growth of the Internet as a medium for commerce, content, advertising and communications; and the acceptance of new products and methodologies by the industry, including existing and prospective clients.

For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, please refer to comScore's most recent respective Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and from time to time other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available on the SEC's Web site (http://www.sec.gov).

Stockholders of comScore are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. comScore does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or new information after the date of this press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

SOURCE Arbitron Inc.

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