Chart of the week: Digital video views on mobile hit an all-time high in Q2 of the year, as more people watch video content on smartphones
Q2 of this year saw the percentage of digital videos viewed on a mobile device go over 62% for the first time. According to Ooyala’s latest quarterly Global video Index, this is only the second time ever that mobile has accounted for more than 60% of digital video views (it topped 60.3% in Q4 2017).
Compared to the same period last year, mobile video views increased by 9.8%. It also rose by more than five times Q1’s Q/Q growth, showing that the trend for mobile video viewing is likely to continue.
The growth of mobile video views
According to the report, this is the ninth consecutive quarter that mobile video starts – across both smartphones and tablets – have gone over 50% of global digital video views. Smartphones accounted for the biggest increase, with a 13.2% year on year change, meaning smartphone video views hit 52% of the total share, going over 50% for the first time ever. This represents the biggest year on year positive change in five quarters.
In comparison, tablets only held 10.1% of digital video shares in Q2. While this is a small percentage compared to smartphones, it is the fifth consecutive quarter that tablet percentage views saw a double-digit share. However, tablet views suffered a year on year decline of 5%, which is the first large decline since Q3 2015.
However, those watching videos on tablets were actually more engaged, with viewing time, on average, being about 67% of the video length. This level of engagement was much higher than those watching videos on smartphones, which see users watch only 44% of the video. In fact, tablet engagement was even higher than that of desktop, which came in at 66%.
The growth in mobile viewing shows that more video creators are offering digital delivery of their content. This has led to more people watching over-the-top video content, resulting in more of these services becoming available worldwide – with 220 available in North America alone.
5G and increased video views
As well as changes in the types of content available on mobile devices, it is likely that the broader introduction of 5G networks will see video viewing habits change again. The better connection and reduced latency in the technology will see content creators alter the way that entertainment is delivered, creating more opportunities.
In fact, Intel’s 5G Economics of Entertainment Report suggests that media and entertainment businesses will be attempting to win a share of a wireless revenue opportunity worth almost £3 trillion between 2019 and 2028.
As the rollout of 5G continues, networks will offer low latency and allow people to stream or download videos quickly, without stalling or stopping their viewing habits at all. This is why the report suggests that 5G will likely see content consumption increase across mobile, home broadband and TV.
As companies adapt, the report forecasts that 5G will become a hugely “competitive asset”. Therefore, those creating and distributing content will need to look at how the technology changes, as well as changes in viewing habits, will affect content processing. The opportunities to create video content that will get in front of more people will increase alongside mobile video consumption.
However, 5G and increased digital video viewing don’t just offer opportunities. They could also see those who do not adapt their strategies or content failing, struggling to get good ROI from the content they’re creating or even becoming obsolete as they are outstripped by competitors.
Final thoughts
Now is the perfect time for content creators and distributors to test what seems to work best in order to be ready for mobile video viewing to continue to increase. As demand grows, there are plenty of opportunities to test different video marketing strategies in order to see what resonates with your target audiences.
On top of this, testing content to create a premium offering for your targeted devices could help further increase viewing, as your strategy better adapts to the growth in mobile viewing and changing attention spans.
Source: Ooyala
Recommended resource: Video and YouTube marketing guide