The total number of consumers watching video streaming through a browser in the US has doubled over the past year, going from 32% to 63%, according to a new survey of US online households by ABI Research.
ABI Research said that this is due to the growth in the amount of rich content available in ad-supported format on portals and through social networks, as well as increasing demand for online video.
“Consumers are changing their online habits quickly,” said Michael Wolf, research director. “Broadband speeds have continued to increase at the same time that Hollywood has decided online distribution is a legitimate monetisation opportunity that will increase total return on their video assets, and expand audiences.”
“At the same time, easy to use content creation tools are being put into the hands of consumers and this has effectively created new forms of communication and entertainment,” Wolf added.
The research found that all forms of content are contributing to the rise of broadband video consumption, including that of long-form TV shows.
Much of the longer-form content in the form of TV shows or films online, is being watched by younger viewers.
ABI Research said that nearly half of those under 25, and 53% of those aged between 25-29, indicated they watch long-form content once a month or more.
However, older viewers are much more likely to have experimented once with online shows – around three quarters of people over 65 who watch video online responded that they have never watched TV shows or movies online, according to results of the survey.
“Today’s younger consumers are developing habits that will mean drastic changes for the video entertainment market,” said Wolf.
“Many consume a large percentage or even a majority of their video entertainment through online distribution today, and we believe that this trend will continue to accelerate as more efforts are made to put this content on various non-PC screens,” he added.
A comScore report published earlier this month found that more than 27.4 million UK internet users (78% of the total UK internet audience) viewed 3.2 billion videos online in June this year (see More Than 27.4m UK Internet Users Watched 3.2bn Videos Online In June).
Meanwhile, a JupiterResearch report published in August, found that 28% of Europeans now regularly watch online video, more than double the rate in 2006, making online video the most popular online activity (see More Europeans Watching Online Video).
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