70% of US web users watch online content
November 4, 2011
Online media company Burst Media has released the results of a survey covering online video content and advertising. Conducted in early October, the survey of 1,025 online US adults revealed that 71.6 per cent of web users overall watch online content in a typical week – and 39.0 per cent of all viewers spend between one and five hours per week with online video. Men aged 18-34 are the heaviest consumers of online video content, with 19.7 per cent saying they consume 10 or more hours of video on the web per week.
Professionally-produced online video programming is gaining traction with viewers. Two-fifths (39.1 per cent) say they typically watch full-length television shows, movies and/or sporting events on the Internet. One-quarter (25.5 per cent) of online viewers watch news, sports and entertainment highlights of regular television programming online. One-half (49.7 per cent) of viewers say they also watch user-generated content.
Comedy is the most popular form of online video content among all viewers (38.8 per cent), followed by news (33.3 per cent) and music (31.2 per cent).
Compared to standard display media on the web, viewers are more likely to interact and engage with online video. A relatively high number of all online viewers (18.2 per cent) say they have taken an action based on what they saw within an online video advertisement – an action such as visiting the advertiser’s website or making a purchase.
Interestingly, 4-in-5 (80.8 per cent) online video viewers say they also use the Internet while they are watching television. One-half (49.0 per cent) say they either always or often surf the web while watching, and only 14.3 per cent say they never go online while watching television.
“Web publishers seeking to attract larger audiences and increase dwell time could benefit from incorporating video content into their sites, whether it’s produced in-house or brought to the site via online video syndication services,” said Burst Media Marketing Director Mark Kaefer. “Moreover, for online video advertising is an effective way for brand marketers to align their messaging with content that draws highly-engaged, targeted audiences at scale.”