• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, June 17, 2015

According to a new survey by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), “Mobile Video Usage: A Global Perspective,” 30% of total respondents said they watch videos that are 5-minutes or longer on their phones daily or more frequently. Even longer programming, such as movies and full-length television show episodes, are also viewed by audiences on mobile devices

The survey of consumers from 24 countries around the world who watch smartphone video finds that whether short, long, or in-between, substantial numbers of video viewers report their video consumption on smartphones has increased year-on-year in all of the study’s participating nations. The most prominent upticks being seen in the U.S. (50%), Canada (42%), New Zealand (42%), South Africa (42%), and the U.K. (40%).

This trend is also impacting traditional television viewing across the board, with consumers in China and Singapore reporting the highest incidence of watching less TV due to streaming more on mobile.

When mobile video viewers do watch traditional television though, says the report, 22% are regularly doing so while watching video simultaneously on their phone. This video dual-screening tendency is evident across all markets measured, with the exception of Japan.

Anna Bager, Senior Vice President Mobile and Video, IAB, says “… people are not only watching short snippets of programming, but committing to longer form content on their phones… (though) finding that viewers around the world are now video dual screening while watching TV… an emerging challenge for marketers… “

“How do you grab a viewer’s attention when it’s divided between two simultaneous video feeds?” asks Bager

Across the 24 countries in the survey, there are several common ways that mobile video viewers discover digital video to view on their phones, including:

• YouTube (62%)
• Social media platforms (33%)
• Search results (20%)
• Advertising (14%)

When looking for mobile video to watch, advertising has even more influence in the U.S. and Canada.

Apps are indisputably the main method for viewing mobile video in each of the markets studied, says the report. 48% of respondents overall said that they “only” or “mostly” leverage mobile apps to stream video on their phones. By contrast, across the survey sample, only 18% said they “only” or “mostly” use mobile websites to view video.

28% of viewers across the participating countries said that they often see ads on mobile video that they’ve already seen on TV. But, marketers might be missing out with this approach since 80% or more of consumers in most markets expressed interest in any kind of tailored ad versus “I prefer no tailoring of ads at all.”

Joe Laszlo, Senior Director, IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, says “… audiences around the world are overwhelmingly open to mobile video advertisements that relate to their context and viewing patterns… “

In addition to advertising, the study shows that there is potential for mobile video monetization through subscription and pay-on-demand models. In several markets viewers already demonstrate a willingness to pay for video content that is streamed to phones:

• China (33%)
• U.K. (25%)
• Canada (23%)
• U.S. (23%)
• Australia (21%)

There are barriers to overcome for further success in pay-for models – and much need to grow mobile video advertising revenue, concludes the report. 78% of respondents overall stated that they would rather have free mobile video supported by ads.

To download the complete IAB “Mobile Video Usage: A Global Perspective” report, please visit here.