2016 to see mobile become main platform for online video

Zenith’s Online Video Forecasts 2016 - its second annual edition – predicts that consumers around the world will spend an average of 19.7 minutes a day viewing online videos on their mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) compared with 16 minutes on fixed devices (desktop computers and smart TV sets). This is a 39% leap from last year’s figure of 14.2 minutes. Fixed video consumption is predicted to be static this year, as a result of higher viewing on smart TVs being counterbalanced by the viewing lost from desktops to smartphones and tablets. 

The forecast contains historical data and forecasts of online video consumption and advertising, as well as commentaries on the development of individual markets by local experts. This year’s forecast covers 57 markets. 

The rapid growth in mobile video is being attributed to the increasing popularity of mobile devices (in particular low-cost devices in lower-income countries), the development of better mobile displays, and the spread of high speed data connections.

Mobile video consumption is forecast to grow 33% in 2017 and 27% in 2018 (and will then account for 64% of all online video consumption). 

“The spread of mobile devices and high-speed connections means consumers will have online video content at their fingertips throughout the day.” said Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at Zenith. “This creates new opportunities for advertisers to communicate with consumers, using online video ads to combine the brand-building power of audiovisual advertising with pin-point targeting and personalisation.”