Facebook outpacing Twitter for video sharing


Facebook is outpacing Twitter as an enabler of video sharing by ten to one, according to a survey by online video specialist Ooyala.

Analysing the habits of its 100 million strong global viewer base, Ooyala found that Facebook was outperforming Twitter in all forms of video sharing, including simply copying and pasting URLs.

Ooyala found that video plays on tablets, mobile devices and connected TVs in the fourth quarter of 2011 was nearly double that in the third quarter. iPhone and Android video plays grew rapidly. Growth in the iPhone’s share of total video plays outpaced that of Android for much of the quarter, a trend that is partly explained by the release of the iPhone 4S in October, according to Ooyala.

Video plays on Google TV grew by 91% quarter-on-quarter. Tablet viewers were 45% more likely to complete at least 75% of videos played than desktop viewers.

Viewers watching on connected TV devices and game consoles  in the fourth quarter were the most engaged of all, completing videos at a rate of 47%. Tablet viewers, who completed videos 38% of the time, were a close second.

The share of non-desktop plays more than doubled in the fourth quarter. Long-form videos accounted for 57% of the hours watched on a connected  TV device or game console; short videos accounted for 19%. Viewers using a connected TV device or gaming system watched 288% longer per play on average than desktop viewers.