Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing media content delivery audit and verification services

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing media content delivery audit and verification services are disclosed. In one example, a monitoring system analyzes messages associated with communications in a wireless communications network. The monitoring system identifies, from the messages, messages that are associated with the request for or delivery of media content to a wireless communications device via the network. Copies of the messages relating to media content delivery are generated, correlated, and analyzed in order to provide a network operator with information that may be used to verify media content delivery transactions and associated revenues.

1 . A method for generating ratings indicative of media content delivery to wireless subscribers, the method comprising:
 from at least one location in a wireless communications network that is not associated with a media content provider:   (a) identifying messages as being associated with delivery of media content to a plurality of wireless subscribers via the wireless communications network; and   (b) generating, based on the messages, at least one measure indicative of an absolute or relative number of media content deliveries being made to the wireless subscribers.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein generating at least one measure includes generating measures identifying an attribute of the media content deliveries and absolute or relative numbers of deliveries corresponding to each attribute. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the media content attribute comprises a content type associated with the delivered media content. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the media content attribute comprises a content title associated with the delivered media content. 
   
   
       5 . A system for generating ratings based on media content being delivered to a plurality of different wireless subscribers, the system comprising:
 (a) a message monitoring function for analyzing messages associated with communications in a wireless communications network and for identifying, from the messages, messages associated with delivery of media content to a plurality of wireless communications devices; and   (b) a correlation function for receiving messages from the monitoring function and for generating, based on the messages, at least one measure indicative of an absolute or relative number of media content deliveries being made to the wireless communications devices wherein the correlation function is adapted to generate the at least one measure from a location in the wireless communications network that is not associated with a media content provider.   
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the correlation function is adapted to identify media content titles corresponding to the deliveries and to generate absolute or relative numbers of deliveries for each title. 
   
   
       7 . A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
 from at least one location in a wireless communications network that is not associated with a media content provider:   (a) identifying messages as being associated with delivery of media content to a plurality of wireless subscribers via the wireless communications network; and   (b) generating, based on the messages, at least one measure indicative of an absolute or relative number of media content deliveries being made to the wireless subscribers.