More People Watching Online Video, and More Watching it on Handheld Devices

While it’s no surprise, more people are watching video online. But the numbers are pretty astonishing, and because video is the biggest bandwidth hog, it means there’s an increasing need for both wireline and wireless broadband.

According to the most recent figures compiled by digital consultant comScore, “182 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content in September for an average of 19.5 hours per viewer. The total U.S. Internet audience engaged in 39.8 billion video views.”

Using similar data, the Ooyala Blog noted:

“Device type matters. And it looks like tablets are shaping viewer behavior in new ways. Tablet users averaged nearly 30 percent more viewing time per play than those who watched on desktops, for instance, and they completed videos at double the desktop rate.” And, it’s Apple owners who are leading the tablet charge, with iPads accounting for 97 percent of all tablet video plays.

But its’ not just tablets; people are also watching video on mobiles. In Ooyala’s words, “viewer engagement was generally higher on mobile devices than on desktops — even for long term videos”.

Although millions still watch television on the big screen via cable, fiber or broadcast, online video is a growing market.

comScore Releases September 2011 U.S. Online Video Rankings (Oct. 21, 2011)

VideoMind Video Index: Analytics Meets Big Data  (Nov. 10, 2011)