Nielsen Mobile, the mobile ratings arm of Nielsen Entertainment, is adding consumer data from Verizon Wireless to its forthcoming RingScan measurement service. The Verizon data will include weekly
ring tones, ringback tones and music download sales data. Nielsen Mobile currently reports polyphonic ringtone sales in the U.S. for
Billboard Magazine's weekly ringtone chart. RingScan will
include ratings for various ringtone formats including master tones, voice tones and ring backs. A Nielsen spokesperson said the new service is expected to launch soon, but wouldn't specify a date.
Verizon Wireless, which has nearly 55 million voice and data customers, welcomed the opportunity to share its user data. "As we continue to grow our multimedia services and the customer base using
those services, we believe Nielsen is in a unique position to spotlight hot trends, sticky content and adoption data," said Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson. The Nielsen spokesperson said the
music download information from Verizon would not be included in RingScan, but in a separate upcoming service.
