AOL out in front among ad networks

by Andrew McCormick, Media Week 16-Apr-08, 12:20

LONDON - AOL's Platform A advertising division served ads to more than 170 mllion US internet users last month, making it the most prolific ad network in the US, according to figures from research company comScore.

While Platform A's main component, Advertising.com, accounts for the bulk of this reach, AOL's recent acquisitions of Quigo and Tacoda, have boosted Platform A's lead over its nearest rivals Yahoo and Google.

Yahoo Network reached 170 million unique users, or 85.3% of the US internet population, according to comScore, while Google Ad Network served ads to 152 million unique users, or 80.9% of US internet users.

In the UK, AOL's repositioning from broadband provider to ad-funded portal, looks an increasingly smart move, as The Carphone Warehouse, the owner of AOL Broadband since 2006, reported fewer new broadband subscribers than forecast.

Meanwhile, a separate US study, also by comScore, found that clicks on Google's paid search results grew 2.7% in March, compared to the same month in 2007.

This growth does not, however, match analysts' forecasts, leading to speculation that Google will not meet expectations when it reports first quarter financial results on Thursday (17 April).