Apps and VOD are going to be the main focus of Viacom’s digital efforts this year, said Philippe Dauman, CEO, Viacom (NYSE: VIA) at the beginning of the company’s earnings call this morning. Meanwhile, as the ratings success of Jersey Shore gave MTV its highest ratings ever, the company is also looking to the more family-friendly fare of its Nickelodeon shows to provide strong ad sales this year. “The Kids Upfront is under way and Viacom has already sold more volume than it sold last year,” Dauman said.
On the apps front, Dauman touted the recent release of BET’s 106 & Park iPhone app, which is part of the trend of entertainment check-in offerings that is designed to keep viewers glued to the TV and their mobile devices.
Dauman also said that the VOD arrangement it has with Verizon FiOS for MTV will soon be expanded to include Comedy Central.
While there has been some concerns about a possible slowing of the ad recovery that began at the end of 2009, the company insisted that advertising, which was up 11 percent in the quarter, will continue to make progress, particularly in international.
During the Q&A, analysts questioned the strength of the European ad market for Viacom, which one questioner characterized as soft. Changes to programming in Germany, Poland and southern Europe have led to higher ratings, Dauman said, arguing that those numbers will translate into higher ad dollars.
Moving from international to digital, executives didn’t have too much to say. Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) and Hulu dollars aren’t significant, so Viacom said it wouldn’t break it out. But over the next two quarters, expect more “color,” if not any actual numbers on how those agreements are working out.
MTV Networks Chief Research Officer Colleen Feahy Rush will be appearing at our next conference, paidContent Mobile, May 18 in New York City. You can find out more about the agenda and register here.

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