Ooyala: mobile now accounts for 57% of all video plays

Mobile viewing accounted for nearly 57% of all video plays worldwide in Q1 2017 marking an all-time high for video use on smartphones and tablets, according to new research.

The Ooyala Q1 2017 Global Video Index said that mobile video plays reached 56.47% in Q1 – with smartphone plays accounting for 46.9% and tablet plays for 9.57%.

The research said that mobile “continues to be a major driver of OTT growth” and said that it had recorded a rise of mobile video plays in every quarter since the Video Index was launched in 2011.

The Q1 Index also said that for the first time, long-form content – greater than 20 minutes in length – now represents the majority of time spent watching video across all screen sizes, at 63%.

Ooyala largely attributed this to an increase in premium content that is available across all screen-types, and said that as longer content becomes more prevalent, short-form is losing its dominance.

“Adoption of mobile devices isn’t slowing down, and consumers are as comfortable watching long-form content on smartphones and tablets as they are short clips,” said Ooyala principal analyst and strategic media consultant, Jim O’Neill.

“It’s no longer enough simply to deliver content to a mobile device. Ensuring the highest quality video, in addition to easy discovery and navigation, has become a must-have for any compelling viewing experience. Video providers should be prepared to make all of their content available for mobile consumption, and business strategies must embrace all screen sizes.”

By device, the study found that long-form content now represents: 98% of all time spent watching video on connected TVs, up from 83% in Q1 2016; 81% on tablets, up from 51% the year before; 55% on smartphones, up from 29%; and 65% on PC, up from 35%.

Meanwhile, the proportion of video views on mobile devices differed by region. Asia Pacific, which has the world’s highest smartphone penetration rates among web users, saw “explosive mobile growth” with 61% of all video plays on mobile, up from 46% a year ago.

Mobile plays topped 56% in Latin America, up from 46% a year earlier, while in Europe the Middle East and Africa mobile plays were at 54%, up from just 42% a year ago.

In North America, where connected TV penetration in broadband homes now exceeds 69%, mobile remained important to consumers, reaching just over 50% of all video plays in the quarter, up from 48% a year ago.