Up 56% since last year, and it’s not all user-generated content they’re watching.
The results of a national online Magid Media Futures survey conducted this past March have just been released, and documents a huge growth in the number of online Americans watching video . Daily online viewing rose by 56% over the last year. In 2006, 9% of Americans ages 12 to 64 reported watching online video daily. Today, in 2007, this number has risen to 14%.
Weekly viewing of online video has also risen over the last year. Now, a majority of online Americans ages 12 to 64 are using online video once a week or more. In 2006 this number was 44%, and now it is 52%, meaning an increase of 18% overall.
Even more remarkable is the amount of online video use among young adult males ages 18 to 24. Some 35% report watching online video at least once a day, and 80% report watching at least once a week. Amongst all age groups, males are more regular viewers of online video. Among females ages 18 to 24, weekly use of online video is 53 percent (versus the 80% for males). The population that has the lowest rate of weekly online video usage is older women. Among females ages 55 to 64 years old, just 39% report watching online video weekly.
“Clearly the use of online video demonstrates that the Internet has become a mass platform for distributing video content to a wide cross section of Americans,” said Mike Vorhaus, senior vice president and managing director for Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc., the media-oriented consulting and research firm that conducted this research.
The types of video being watched by online Americans include a wide variety of content. News stories are reported as the type of video watched most frequently, with over a third of online Americans ages 12 to 64 watch online video news stories regularly. Video content described as jokes/bloopers, weather, and movie previews are tied for second most regularly viewed video content. Closely following these are music videos and user generated content.
Of course, some demographic groups are quite different from other age and gender groups. For instance, news videos are more appealing to older groups, those ages 45 to 64, while jokes/blooper videos are strongest among teens.
“The breadth of content viewed by consumers regularly online is amazing. This is not just short clips on YouTube. Consumers are watching news stories, movie previews, clips from TV shows, and, in some cases, even full-length TV shows and movies,” Vorhaus said. “The breadth of content online today is growing and consumers are using it,” Vorhaus concluded.
The study also reports that Internet-connected homes in the US are moving forward technologically as the expansion of wi-fi networks into the home increases dramatically. Two years ago, in 2005, only 16% of Internet homes had wi-fi networks. In 2007, over 41% of Internet homes have wi-fi networks, which is a growth of 156% in two years. “Right now it may mostly be computers and printers on home networks. We imagine TV sets will readily be part of home networks in the years ahead,” Vorhaus commented.
As the number of broadband connections among American internet users further increases, so to will the number of people watching video content online. What this means is that TV broadcasters like Viacom, Time Warner, and Fox will have to retool the way they measure viewers and also how the content they produce reaches the American audience. Many users will choose to watch video online instead of using traditional TV viewing methods due to the fact that it’s convenient, easy, and in many ways is more affordable and offers a better selection of content and viewing options.
digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/tech_news/Online_video_usage_among_Americans_up_56_since_last_year’;
Looking for more stuff to watch or download?
TV LInks lets you watch movies on-demand for FREE
Tips on how to not get busted for file-sharing
3 Quick Ways to Watch Movies for FREE!
3 Quick ways to watch TV shows for FREE
BitTorrent torrent sites & search engines
Azureus – A Beginner’s Guide to BitTorrent Downloading
uTorrent – A Beginner’s guide to BitTorrent downloading
Watch The Simpsons, The Office, Jackass, South Park, Lost, X-Men, and More, On-Demand For Free
Related
- MTV Networks ‘Gets It’ – to Increase Online Syndication of Video Content
- Nearly One-Half Of Americans Aware Of Online Movie Downloading
- STUDY: US Online Video Streaming Up 64% Since Last Year
- Users want video downloads on the TV
- Nielsen To Offer Copyright Protection System For Online Video Content
I think this guy might have the right idea he notes that change is needed if not long overdue.