Long-form video most popular regardless of screen size
June 14, 2017
Ooyala has released its Q1 2017 Global Video Index, revealing, for the first time, long-form content represents the majority of time spent watching video on every screen. This quarter’s report also tracks variances in video consumption between the East and West coasts of the US, the continued growth of mobile, as well as emerging trends in online video advertising.
Long-Form Leads On Every Screen
While short-form video has the greatest chance of being watched in its entirety, for the first time, long-form content—greater than 20 minutes in length—now represents the majority of time spent watching video across all screen sizes, at 63 per cent.
Much of that is due to the increasing amount of premium content that services are now making available to all devices. As longer content becomes more prevalent, short-form is losing its dominance, particularly as larger mobile screens are now more common.
By device, the study finds long-form content now represents:
- 98 per cent of all time spent watching video on connected TVs, up from 83 per cent the year before;
- 81 per cent on tablets, also up notably from 51 per cent the year before;
- 65 per cent on computers, nearly doubling from a year before (35 per cent);
- 55 per cent on smartphones, a 26 per cent increase from Q1 2016.
Global Video Consumption: Mobile Paves the Way
Mobile viewing continues to be a major driver of OTT growth, reaching a new high of nearly 57 percent of all video plays in Q1 2017 with smartphones accounting for 47 percent of total plays and tablets the other 10 percent. Although mobile plays were dominant in every region, Ooyala found an 11 percent variance in consumption between North American viewers and more active viewers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region; while Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and Latin America (LATAM) saw more than 10 per cent year-over-year growth in mobile consumption.
Regionally, the study finds:
- In EMEA, mobile plays represent 54 per cent of all video plays, up from just 42 per cent a year ago;
- In North America, mobile represents slightly more than half of all video plays, up from 48 per cent a year ago;
- In APAC, 61 per cent of all video plays are on mobile, up from 46 per cent a year ago;
- In LATAM, mobile plays topped 56 per cent—up from 46 per cent a year earlier, with tablets representing 5 per cent, the least of any region.
“Adoption of mobile devices isn’t slowing down, and consumers are as comfortable watching long-form content on smartphones and tablets as they are short clips,” said Ooyala Principal Analyst and Strategic Media Consultant, Jim O’Neill. “It’s no longer enough simply to deliver content to a mobile device. Ensuring the highest quality video, in addition to easy discovery and navigation, has become a must-have for any compelling viewing experience. Video providers should be prepared to make all of their content available for mobile consumption, and business strategies must embrace all screen sizes.”
The East vs West Divide: Time of Day & Device Use In the US
Ooyala found variances in when and how video is consumed on the East and West coasts of the United States over the course of a week. In general, viewers on the West Coast tend to start their activity earlier on all devices for morning news and stock market updates happening on the East Coast, regardless of the device. The report shows:
- Personal computers: Ramp up in the morning as early as 5 a.m. local time on both coasts, peaking mid-day on the weekdays, but trailing off quickly as the work day ends. PCs are the only device that see greater consumption on weekdays than on the weekends in the mornings.
- Smartphones: Both coasts see peak activity between 9-10 a.m. and again around 9 p.m. with little variance in-between peak times due to the personal, go-to nature of smartphones every day of the week.
- Tablets: See the greatest consumption on weekend mornings. Around 6 p.m., for both coasts, consumption trails off on the weekends, but rises to the highest consumption on weekday nights, and more so on the East versus the West.
More Q1 2017 Global Video Index Highlights:
- APAC saw the largest growth in mobile video consumption of any region, jumping 15 per cent since last year;
- Broadcasters increased their reliance on tablets for mid-roll ads, delivering 54 per cent of total mid-roll ads on those devices. Mobile devices represent nearly 66 per cent, unseating PCs (26.5 per cent), a big drop from when PCs held the lion’s share (39 per cent) in Q4 2016.