• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, October 2, 2006

In a finding that appears to contradict prior assumptions about mobile video, about 22 percent of mobile video viewing occurs in the home, according to a new study by research company Telephia.

Telephia also found that 22 percent of mobile viewing occurs during commutes, 16 percent while shopping, and 14 percent at work.

The study, which also examined which times of day people were likely to watch mobile video, found that 31 percent of viewing took place between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. While much of that viewing is done by commuters, some viewing in that time slot occurs in the home, said Kanishka Agarwal, vice president of new products for Telephia. For instance, he said, when most of the family is watching one program but one family member wants to view something else, he might go to his room and watch it on a mobile device.

The study also found that a large chunk of mobile viewing--30 percent--takes place during the hours of noon to 4 p.m., when people want to watch something while at work.

Mobile viewing plummets to 9 percent during the traditional prime-time broadcast hours of 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., then increases again to about 11 percent from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Telephia also reported that mobile TV viewing skews older than mobile use overall. According to Telephia, 50 percent of mobile video consumers are 25-36, versus just 24 percent of the total population using mobile devices.

Telephia also examined the popularity of various mobile content providers. ABC News led with an estimated 40 percent of consumers with mobile TV subscriptions tuning in--followed by the Weather Channel with 32 percent, Fox Sports with 31 percent, and ESPN with 29 percent.