International. Mobile video views outpaced by 60% globally for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2017, garnering a 60.3% share across all video startups, according to the recently released Ooyala Global Video Index Report for the fourth quarter of 2017.
Geographically, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) had the highest level of engagement at 63.5%. North America lagged behind most of the rest of the world at 57.6% even though mobile video jumped 11% from the fourth quarter of 2016.
A global change in the device, content of choice
Across all devices measured, including smartphones, tablets, connected TVs, and PCs, watch time for medium- and long-form content increased to more than 50% of all content, continuing a trend first reported by Ooyala in 2017.
One of the biggest display changes occurred on computers, where time spent watching long-form content dropped to just 37% in the fourth quarter, its lowest point since the first quarter of 2016, when it was 35%. On the other hand, the time spent watching short-form content on PC went up to 50%, most of any device. Elsewhere, short-form content was essentially flat year-over-year on smartphones (44%), tablets (26%) and connected TVs (0.7%).
In related findings:
● Visits from smartphones were more than three times those from tablets
However, tablets' share of all video views at 12.8% represented a 68% increase from the fourth quarter of 2016
Mobile plays could soon reach, and potentially surpass, a 70% market share, driven by more premium sports assets moving online.
"The main screen is definitely changing. All devices are not the same for video viewing," said Jim O'Neill, principal analyst at Ooyala. "Consumers are just as comfortable watching a sporting event, TV show or movie on a smartphone as they are on a connected TV, but not on their PC or tablet."
The Rising Tide of Online Content
The explosion of digital content is helping to boost TV viewing. On average, OTT services doubled their hours of content offerings in the past 12 months, and long-form content increased by 159%. Medium format content offerings increased by 87% and short-form content increased by 112%.
"Content is experiencing a flood unlike anything the industry has seen before... and there is no end in sight. It's the lifeblood of an excellent provider and the key to keeping users interested and coming back for more, especially if you maintain regular contact with your customers, letting them know in advance that new content is on the way," O' Neill added.
However, O'Neill cautioned that content providers and distributors will need to maintain constant technological improvement with a focus on Quality of Experience. "Near-instant commissioning, consistent video stream quality, and uninterrupted delivery, without any buffering, will be critical to the end-user experience," he said. "Failing on any of those quality of experience factors and customers will look for other options, and they may even represent part of OTT subscriber turnover."
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