Online Viewing Dominated by Short-Form Content

PALO ALTO, July 25: In a
recent survey by Frank N. Magid Associates and Metacafe, 50 percent of
respondents indicated that they watch online video every week, while the most
popular form of Internet-based content was short-form programming.

The report notes that the top-five
most popular categories of videos watched online were comedy, music videos,
videos shot and uploaded by consumers, news stories and movie
previews—all short-form programming.

“Online video has quickly
become not only a mainstream cultural phenomena but also a powerful marketing
vehicle for brands that want to reach consumers who no longer watch as much
television—and even fewer TV commercials,” said Mike Vorhaus, the
managing director of Frank N. Magid Associates. “There’s clearly a big consumer
appetite for snack-sized content, and we expect the trend towards more
advertising dollars moving online—specifically to sites specializing in
short-form video entertainment—to continue and accelerate in the coming
months and years.”

“Short-form video is an
emerging entertainment genre—distinct from online TV—that
consistently proves popular with people of widely varying backgrounds and
tastes, as demonstrated yet again by the Magid survey,” added Erick Hachenburg,
the CEO of Metacafe. “Online TV, or traditional networks distributing their
shows on the Internet, is really just the same long-form programs, with the
same audience, supported by the same advertisements—only the delivery
platform is different. We’re excited about the new and growing opportunity
short-form video entertainment presents, and we’re committed to growing our
leadership in this sector.”

Assessing the habits of
2,000 people between the ages of 12 to 64, the survey also found that 11
percent of respondents watch online video every day. Of those who watch online
content, 28 percent said it had led to them watching less TV.

The market is led by
comedy/jokes/blooper content, with 37 percent citing this genre as a favorite,
followed by music videos (36 percent), user-generated content (33 percent),
news stories (31 percent) and movie previews (28 percent).

—By Mansha Daswani