comScore’s Video Metrix service for December 2007 has revealed that US internet users watched more than 10 billion videos online during the month, representing the single heaviest month for online video consumption since comScore initiated its tracking service.
Top-ranked video property Google Sites saw substantial growth and extended its video market share gains, now accounting for nearly one out of every three videos viewed online.
“December represented a considerably strong month for online video viewing,” said Erin Hunter, comScore executive vice president of media and entertainment.
“With the writer’s strike keeping new TV episodes from reaching the airwaves, viewers have been seeking alternatives for fresh content. It appears that online video is stepping in to help fill that void.”
Google Sites once again ranked as the top US video property in December with 3.3 billion videos viewed (32.6% share of videos), gaining 1.3 share points versus the previous month.
YouTube.com accounted for more than 97% of all videos viewed at the property. Fox Interactive Media ranked second with 358 million (3.5%), followed by Yahoo! Sites with 340 million (3.4%) and Viacom Digital with 238 million (2.3%).
In total, nearly 141 million Americans viewed online video in December. Google Sites also captured the largest online video audience with 79 million unique viewers, followed by Fox Interactive Media with 43.9 million and Yahoo! Sites with 38.2 million.
| Top US Online Video Properties* by Videos Viewed, December 2007, Total US – Home/Work/University Locations |
| Property |
Videos (000) |
Share (%) of Videos |
| Total Internet |
10,156,199 |
100 |
| Google Sites |
3,314,962 |
32.6 |
| Fox Interactive Media |
358,353 |
3.5 |
| Yahoo! Sites |
340,409 |
3.4 |
| Viacom Digital |
237,689 |
2.3 |
| Microsoft Sites |
180,443 |
1.8 |
| Time Warner Network |
174,079 |
1.7 |
| Disney Online |
123,009 |
1.2 |
| ESPN |
84,839 |
0.8 |
| Apple Inc. |
50,316 |
0.5 |
| ABC.COM |
47,259 |
0.5 |
| *Rankings based on video content sites: excludes video server networks. Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video |
A recent report from Screen Digest forecast that revenues for free to view web services will rise by only £1 million from 2007 to 2008, but are expected to increase to £98 million by 2012 as commercial services pick up market share (see Revenue For Free To View Web TV Services To Rise To £98m by 2012).
The report predicts that over 1.5 billion television shows and specialist programmes will be downloaded or streamed in the UK this year, and indicates that the BBC’s iPlayer will be a driving force of this increase.
Meanwhile, nearly 80 million Americans (43% of the online population) have watched one of their favourite TV shows on the internet, up from 25% 12 months ago, according to new research from Solutions Research Group (SRG).
A full 20% of the American online population said that they watch TV on the web on a weekly basis, ahead of the 14% who say that they use cable video-on-demand (VoD) offerings (see 20% Of Americans Watch TV Online On Weekly Basis).
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