AOL revealed findings from a new global research study that has some interesting insights into consumers’ screens of choice when accessing digital video on-the-go, as well as the rise of virtual reality and live video choices. The research covered several worldwide markets including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Smartphones are gaining significant ground as consumers’ favorite screen for mobile video access, rivaling desktop viewership consistently year-over-year, the AOL report says. “On average, 57 percent of consumers globally watch videos on a mobile phone every day, while 58 percent of consumers watch videos on their laptop/desktop every day,” the company reports in a blog. “With 89 percent of U.S. and 77 percent of global consumers saying they can’t live without their smartphone or always have it within arm’s reach, we are very close to the tipping point where mobile will soon be the number one video screen.”
When it comes to VR and live video options, interest varies in different countries. The AOL research suggests that in the United States, 31 percent of U.S. consumers expect to watch more videos in VR in the next 12 months, while 21 percent do in Southeast Asia, and only 9 percent of Canadian and U.K. consumers feel the same. An average of 65 percent of consumers watch live video on their smartphones, according to the study, and Southeast Asia saw the highest result, with 76 percent of consumers reportedly doing so.
One of the study’s conclusions is that growth in mobile video means that advertisers are shifting more and more money away from TV budgets. “And mobile video spend is catching up to desktop video,” AOL reports. “In fact, when we looked at TV budgets shifting to digital video, we found that 63 percent is going to mobile video and 70 percent is going to desktop video.”
