AOL is launching Android and iOS apps to help users find and watch video content on their smartphones, the company announced today during the Advertising Week in New York.
The apps are operating under the company’s video umbrella, the AOL On Network, which launched in April 2012. One of the top ten video platforms according to Comscore, it currently boasts over 61 million unique visitors and 1 billion video streams per month.
While those figures are impressive, AOL is still working on expanding the global reach of its video content. Last August, it unveiled an updated TV app, which is now available across multiple connected TV platforms. In addition, it also announced a few days ago that 20,000 original videos from its different brands would now be distributed on YouTube.
As for its apps, they will let mobile users browse through 420,000 videos across a broad range of topics. Besides AOL’s own content, they also include videos from partners such as Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, E! and Travel Channel. It is worth noting that the iOS version is AirPlay-enabled for TV viewing. Here’s what it looks like:
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As you can see, the UI highlights popular content with “OMG”, “NEW” and “LOL” stamps à la Buzzfeed. What these screenshots don’t tell is that the app features automatic horizontal scrolling. Overall, it is well designed for mobile platforms, and quite pleasant to use if you don’t mind pre-roll ads.
According to AOL On Network’s SVP, Ran Harnevo, the purpose of these apps is to become an online video destination:
“There have always been plenty of places to find video online, but there has yet to be a one-stop shop that provides the right videos to consumers at exactly the right moment,” he said. “With AOL On’s native app launch, a curated selection of the content you need to see will now be waiting for you on every device.”
The fact that this announcement was made during Advertising Week is not an accident; consumers aside, AOL’s multi-platform approach is also targeted at brands, which will now be able to purchase media space across AOL properties on all devices with a single buy.
➤ AOL On for iPhone
➤ AOL On for Android
Image credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
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