Time Spent Streaming Video On The Rise

According to a Nov. 16th, 2011 report from Nielsen, the time spent watching video from home and work computers has more than doubled over the last three years. Obviously the growing amount of long-form video content available online (thanks to sites like Netflix and Hulu) and "the influx of connected and mobile devices that are giving people access to streaming video on the big screen and on the go" are both significant parts of this fundamental shift in consumption of video.

The rapid evolution of the technology (smarter smart phones and tablets) and the services provided (more channels providing more content) seem to be driving big changes in consumer behavior (like those predicted by Prof. Henry Jenkins in his influential 2006 book Covergence Culture). But who exactly is watching all this video online?

The Nielsen report found (not surprisingly?) that "[d]uring August 2011, viewers aged 18-34 accounted for nearly 40 percent of total streaming time." What should be of special interest to microbudget filmmakers (especially those tackling subjects and ideas that are not currently being aired on traditional media channels) is that even viewers over the age of 50 – the largest segment of the online video population – "spent over 9 billion minutes watching, 22 percent of total streaming time from home and work computers."

Convergence Culture - Apparently It's Not Just For Kids Anymore.

Thanks to Lance Weiler for the link.