The rapid shift towards smart devices and bigger screens will bring a significant change in the way users consume online video content. By the beginning of 2016, more than half of online video viewing is estimated to be on mobile devices, therefore, it’s a high time when online video publishers must adopt mobile-first strategy to ensure a sizable number of views and viewers. By the end of Q2, 2014, share of mobile video plays has reached to nearly 27%, according to Ooyala, which measures the anonymized viewing habits in 239 countries and territories around the world. Ooyala has come out with its Global Video Index Q2 2014 report suggesting that albeit the growth in mobile video isn’t new but the rate of increase is something that is catching attention. Service providers are adopting new technologies and looking out for new solutions to cater to the ever-increasing demands of high quality video among the mobile video viewers. Its report found out that desktop, mobile and tablet users spent more time watching 10–30 minute videos than any other form, followed by 30–60 minute videos. However the large screen devices, such as connected TV, were seen to be preferred for video content of longer time, making both screen size and video content vital factors.
In mobile devices, tablet has emerged as the most favorite among mobile video viewers. Even for the longer video content, which more than 60 minutes in duration, tablet users spent 20% of their time, while for the content less than 60 minutes, they spent more than 20% of their time. However, in case of mobile devices, users pent 23% of their time with content less than 30 minutes but less than 17% time for content more than 30 minutes in duration. These findings clearly depict that short duration videos are able to bring more mobile views.
Video content is being seen as more than a medium of revenue generation
With the ability to reach users throughout the day with more engaging content, videos had always had an edge over other mediums in E-commerce industry. Due to increased usage of smartphones and tablets, mobile service providers have been compelled to revise their profit strategies. Video content is now being seen from the viewpoint of more than a mere revenue generation source. It is being incorporated as a core part of company strategies. As per the Ooyala reports, share of mobile video viewing has more than doubled in last 12 months, becoming 25% of all online viewing. The popularity of mobile video content can be seen from the fact that mobile’s share of online video has increased from 5% in Q2, 2012 to 27% in June 2014, implying more than 400% increase in over 8 quarters
With the lines blurring among various devices in today’s multi-device landscape, factors for this reported increase in mobile video user vary. One of the prime reasons is the convergence of one to many broadcast to one to one web delivery of content. For past many years mobile video growth has been continuously analyzed with reports unanimously pointing out to its growing usage.
Video storm was perfectly expected
Sprint Corporation (NYSE:S) with its GoTV service was an early pioneer in this field. Branded video services like Verizon Wireless, Inc. (NYSE:VZ), Sprint TV, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) Mobile Video continued to cater to the taste of mobile users for a long time, but technology is something which cannot afford to be stagnant. With an increase in the rate of innovation there has been an advancement in mobile broadband networks. High quality video content is proliferating across the mobile web. Companies are realizing the potential of video to reach out to their users. Video content has provided us seamless canvas with businesses using the medium to gain more idea of people’s interest. This database has given businesses very strong reasons to work upon faster network, more bandwidth and number of smarter devices. It has been this effort which has paved out a way for this tremendous growth. Even the statistics are strongly in the consumers’ favour. As a result, the mobile video share has increased 127% year-over-year and 400% in past two years.
Screen size and content length will remain prime reasons for this continued growth
Carriers have realized the potential of visual content to tap the consumer market. Digging into their arsenal of tool and solution, it will be challenging for service providers to sustain the delivery of high quality video offerings to keep pace with the increased demand. In addition, it is the proportion of time devoted to tablets and smartphones for video viewing that is being analyzed for better services. Mobile viewers spent 45% of their time by watching videos of 6 minute or less in duration. However, for longer content, of more than 10 minutes, Connected TV takes 81% of the time and tablet takes 70% of total time spent on online video viewing.
The report also showcases another interesting factor about mobile video views; Mobile users are more fascinated towards videos less than 3 minutes in duration. Nearly 70% of videos played on mobile phones in Q2 2014 are less than 3 minutes in duration, on tablets the figure is abated slightly to 62%. That means though mobile and tablet users play more videos less than 3 minutes in duration, but when it comes to engagement and time, videos with 10 minutes or more in duration are more effective.
Competition will tend to become stiffer with an increase in the number of smartphone devices and internet users
With internet user growth of 7.9% the number of mobile video views is expected to increase at a staggering rate. Globally, IP video traffic will be 79 percent of all consumer Internet traffic in 2018, up from 66 percent in 2013, as per the latest forecast of the Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI). It is this rate that has made mobile service providers to offer better services with their profit margins depending highly on these videos. The advertisements have over time become a vital factor in increase of business profits. If the users continue to increase at this rate, market researchers expect a tough competition with more and more brands turning towards this field to reach out to their users.
With increase in number of smartphones, the consumers tend to increase the statistics on the higher side. Optimization of revenue has always been on the minds of global giants and with like of Apple and Android devices bring in new and innovative technology, including the varied screen sizes, enhanced security measures, consumers will undoubtedly rely on the smart devices for enhanced mobile video experiences.
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