Survey: Web Video Beats TV Among Respondents Ages 18-24

by Gavin O'Malley , January 16, 2009

Coveted 18- to-24-year-old consumers now spend more time watching Web-distributed video than broadcast television, according to a new survey released by online video ad network LiveRail.

"We polled several hundred under-25-year-olds, and an overwhelming majority are now watching as much or more video content online as on regular TV," said Mark Trefgarne, CEO of LiveRail. "We were genuinely surprised by the results."

Rather than short-form consumer-generated media, Trefgarne attributes this trend largely to an increase in the availability of quality long-form content from sites like Hulu and TV.com.

LiveRail's survey included over 400 respondents in the 18-24 category and was conducted online via popular social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.

Of these respondents, 53% stated that in an average month they spent "more time watching online video than TV." About 19% of respondents said they watched "about the same," while 28% said they watched "more TV than online video."

According to comScore, frequent viewers are now consuming an average of 273.1 minutes of online video content per month--up from 195 minutes a year ago.

What's more, viewers on LiveRail-enabled sites are spending an average of 51% more time watching video content than at the start of the year.

The average click-through rates for video overlays were 1.2% in the quarter, according to LiveRail. Closeout rates for overlays were 69.0%. Animated overlay click-through rates were 4.2% in the quarter. Completion rates for overlay-initiated video ads were 90%.

In the fourth quarter of last year, average CPMs appeared to be up. Average CPMs for overlay ad campaigns were $7.40. The current market size for overlays, meanwhile, was approximately $138 million, according to LiveRail.

online, tv, video

5 comments about "Survey: Web Video Beats TV Among Respondents Ages 18-24".

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Michael Moriarity, January 16, 2009 at 8:52 a.m.
Gathering responses exclusively online via social networking sites might have skewed the results just a bit. Don't you think?
Reply

Bill West from Comcast Spotlight, January 16, 2009 at 9:39 a.m.

MM- Agreed, but to whatever degree you believe the split really is, its a 2 screen world now.

Joe Fredericks, January 16, 2009 at 11:48 a.m.

Like it or not agency people, it's an increasingly digital world - and will not stop -even though many of you won't admit it.

BW - It's actually three screens - mobile. How many of use Facebook on mobile? plenty.

John Grono from GAP Research, January 16, 2009 at 5:18 p.m.

Isn't that odd. When I did a poll of people aged 18-24 who don't have on-line access (mind you it was a small sample and was hard to recruit) I found that NONE of them were watching Web Video and that traditional TV had a 100% share.

I'm afraid that even calling the report a "survey" or "research" is giving it far more credence that it warrants. Shame on MediaPost for running what is basically a cooked-up piece of PR hype.

John Grono
GAP Research
Sydney Australia

Jesus m. Medina-rodrigueze from MoonLeopard Productions, January 20, 2009 at 8 p.m.

You know people 18-24 who don't have online access? even at school or the library? Where are they? in the Australian bush? and how small a sample where they? More than 3? and if they only had tv, was it cable or antenna? Do they know what a cellphone is? and if so, do they know what that device can do? including tv broadcasts? Lastly, where they human or were you somewhere in the African sahvanna? No internet access, pleaaaase!!