iOS dominates Q3 mobile ads with high eCPMs; Opera Software Report

Opera Software published its third-quarter State of Mobile Advertising report, which shares key data and trends in mobile advertising worldwide. The Opera advertising platform, based on Opera’s subsidiaries AdMarvel, Mobile Theory and 4th Screen Advertising, serves more than 10,000 mobile sites and apps, with 40+ billion ad impressions per month and on-track to deliver more than $400 million in revenue to mobile publishers in 2012.

Highlights from the Q3 report

• This quarter, iOS led the pack again with a $1.64 eCPM with iPad and iPhone garnering $4.42 and $1.48 eCPMs respectively. Android slipped down in the rankings with $0.88, well below RIM at $1.06.

• Sports became the no. 1 category for mobile ad revenue, and mobile sites and apps in the Music, Video & Media category also grew this quarter, with both capturing 30% of overall revenue, making them the highest earners. However, Business, Finance & Investing properties consistently generate more revenue per impression than any other category.

• In the category of mobile advertising revenue in Q3, this round goes to the apps. Apps took the top spot by generating 73% of revenue within the Opera ad platform. The remaining 27% comes from the mobile web. Traffic measurement showed 8 in 10 visits on the Opera ad platform came from mobile apps, compared to 2 in 10 via the mobile web.

• Compared to the rest of the world, mobile users in the United Kingdom trend towards interaction with content in Arts & Entertainment and Health, Fitness & Self Help. They are also four times more likely to use a BlackBerry.

In this report, Opera also shares best practices in mobile creative, using visual examples from two leading global automotive brands.

To read the full report, Click here