Survey: 'Online video on the increase'

Almost half of young adults now split their video and TV viewing time equally between the computer and the television screen, a new survey has revealed.

According to a YouGov online poll commissioned by RealNetworks, 46% of 18 to 25-year-olds surveyed said that they spend the same amount of time viewing online videos as they do watching traditional TV.

A third of respondents (32%) indicated that they now use the computer as their preferred platform for consuming on-demand video and TV-like content.

Among respondents aged between 36 and 45, traditional TV is still the preferred medium for consuming programming.

However, 20% of older respondents said that they often use computers and half of that group regularly access online video platforms.

The YouGov research also revealed a clear demand for watching online video via mobile devices, with 70% of respondents indicating an appetite for the service.

However, only 10% of those surveyed said that they actually watched more than ten minutes of mobile video each week.

In terms of reasons behind the low usage, 31% said that they perceived downloading mobile video to be expensive and 13% were put off by the complexity and length of time it requires.

Speaking about the survey results, RealNetworks EMEA managing director Marili Hooft-Bolle said: "The research data confirms a trend that the industry has seen for some time now but the speed of change is surprising, even for those of us directly involved in online video.

“It’s still early days for online video but as each year passes the quality and breadth of online video content increases dramatically and the tools to access, manage, share and consume the content grow ever more sophisticated."

Hooft-Bolle said that the survey trends represent "fundamental changes in the way we consume video", as viewers increasingly ditch linear TV schedules for an on-demand experience.

"The 'one-to-many' broadcast mode of the traditional television platform is a model that serves some well but it's clear that the one-to-one, on-demand online environment is taking over," he said.

"Added to that, we now have video-capable mobile devices and pent up demand amongst their users. Online video is already a compelling experience and with the right tools, mobile video can also be easy and affordable."

For the research, YouGov surveyed 2,124 adults from April 23 to April 26, including 889 people who were aged between 18 and 45.