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Study: 36% Regularly Watch Video-On-Demand

YouTube is not only the world’s biggest video site, it’s also the first stop for most online video viewers. OK, that’s sort of obvious, right? But the fact that most online video viewers watch YouTube video says something important about the type of video consumers like: They like a broad range. Sure, TV programs are popular, but many online video viewers turn to YouTube first.

About 68% of online video viewers watch YouTube video, while 51% check out video from TV broadcasts, and 49% are Netflix video viewers, according to a just-released survey from Adroit Digital, a video advertising company. Women are more avid Netflix consumers than men  -- 56% to 43% of Netflix video users are women.

Consumer habits are changing quickly too, with 36% of viewers watching more than half of their video viewing on-demand rather than via live TV. In addition, about 13% of all video viewers watch more than 75% of their programming on-demand. Some are watching more than two hours a day; 28% of viewers watch 15 or more hours of streaming video through a game console or Internet TV each week.

Many of these consumers are quick to skip ads. The study found that 56% skip online video ads most of the time. Advertisers may be best off focusing on 15-second spots then, since 46% of viewers said this was the ideal length for a video ad.

Given this polyamorous view of video that many key video consumers have, it’s worth noting that interest in cord-cutting is high. However, consumers say they want all their video needs met by an online provider before they make the leap; 63% of video viewers would cancel cable if an online provider could “satisfy their broadcast TV viewing needs.” In such a scenario, a provider would be better off targeting men first. About 67% of men would cut the cord compared to 57% of women. Overall, the younger crowd is most eager; 66% of 18-to-24 year olds said they’d go cable-free if options elsewhere were satisfying.

However, time will tell if those figures pan out. Consumers often say they’ll do something, but whether it becomes a reality remains to be seen. Nonetheless, the perception of video and TV is changing. About 59% of respondents believe the role of the set is “an overgrown monitor for self-selected content viewing.”

Adroit Digital surveyed more than 2,000 consumers 18 or older who watched online video on more than one source.

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