Online Video Viewing Trends Report ~ When, Where, Who, What, and How Much?

2014 was dubbed the "Year One of Online Video" within industry circles, marked by online video creators gaining media attention and becoming widely discussed, as well as major commercial broadcasters actively expanding their online program distribution. Furthermore, advancements in devices and communication environments seem to have made online videos more commonplace than ever before. Consequently, a survey targeting men and women aged 15 to 79 nationwide regarding "how they became aware of online videos" yielded data revealing the general viewing environment for online videos.

*Note: This survey analysis focuses on the "Internet Active Population" who regularly register with research company panels via computer.

　

Online videos are watched more than you might think.

Watching online videos is now commonplace, regardless of age or gender?

Given that 86.0% of respondents in this survey watch online videos at least once a month, it's clear online video viewing has become common across a wide range of age groups. Notably, 47.4% of teenage males are "heavy viewers"—meaning they watch almost daily. It's also very interesting that roughly one in five seniors aged 60 and above reported watching "almost every day."

<Online Video Viewing Frequency>

Both teens and twenties watch over an hour per day!

Among online video viewers (those who watched at least once a month; same applies unless otherwise noted), teens reported spending an average of over 75 minutes per day watching online videos, while those in their 20s spent an average of over 60 minutes. Although viewing time decreases with age, online videos are no longer a special occurrence.

<Online Video Viewing Volume>

At home, alone, relaxing, on the computer.

Eighty percent use computers. But young people still prefer smartphones.

Despite the survey's unique nature of being conducted via computer, nearly 80% of respondents overall answered "computer" to the question "Which device do you use to watch online videos?" (multiple answers allowed). That said, a significant number of younger people, both men and women, watch on smartphones. Notably, smartphone viewing surpassed computer viewing among women in their teens and twenties (blue circle in the chart below).

Most people watch at home, alone, and while relaxing.

The results overwhelmingly show online videos are watched at home, alone. Furthermore, many watch while relaxing, such as before bed. While not shown in the chart, some women also reported watching leisurely while in the bath. However, younger women often watch together with friends or family (red circle below), suggesting online videos are also used as a communication tool.

<Online Video Viewing Habits>

How did you find out about that online video? What are you watching?

"Searching myself," "online articles," and "related videos" are the entry points.

About half of people "search for it themselves." Next is "online articles." Then there are "related videos" that appear while watching online videos. These results suggest the importance of other media in conveying keywords that can trigger searches. If you want to encourage viewing of a specific video, designing pathways to online articles or related videos featuring that video is effective. Especially when targeting younger audiences, utilizing social media is also considered effective.

The most commonly viewed types are "user-generated videos," "music videos," and "TV programs."

Men overwhelmingly watch user-generated videos more, while women tend to watch music promotional videos relatively more. TV programs, which show little age difference, are watched online by roughly one in four people.

<Awareness Pathways and Viewing Genres for Online Videos>

Young people are the most active in watching, sharing word-of-mouth, and posting.

Young women are the ones most likely to want to leave a review after watching a video.

Women are more likely than men to want to tell others after watching online videos (red circle in figure below). Comparing responses from those who answered questions about interesting online videos they watched, women aged teens to 60s were more likely to say they "made it a conversation topic" (blue circle in figure below). The notably high scores among younger women are particularly noteworthy.

<Post-Viewing Actions, Recommendation Intent, and Posting Experiences for Online Videos>

Furthermore, young people have experience "filming, editing, and posting"!?

Ultimately, most people had never filmed, edited, or posted online videos. However, when grouping teens by gender and considering those who had done at least one of these activities, roughly one in three had experience filming, editing, or posting, suggesting they are active creators (green circle in the figure above).

Young people watch until the end!

Overall, over 40% of teens seem to watch online videos all the way through. As age increases, people tend to lose interest and stop watching midway, leading to more skimming.

<Online Video Viewing Retention>

Alright! Everyone, let's watch videos!

What you need for online videos.

→A fast, smooth internet connection
　Not just fast speeds, but no restrictions either

→Large screen & high-resolution headphones, etc.
　Great visuals and sound

→Increase alone time for peaceful viewing

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【 Survey Overview 】
・Research Firm: Video Research Ltd.
・Survey Method: Internet Survey
(Survey conducted via internet panel company, requesting respondents to visit a specific site and answer) ・Survey Period: Friday, September 19, 2014 to Sunday, September 21, 2014
・Survey Area: Nationwide
・Sample Size: 4,900 valid responses from men and women aged 15 to 79