Watching video on television, online and mobile devices continues to increase and has reached new levels, according to Nielsen.
In its fourth quarter “A2/M2 Three Screen Report,” Nielsen found that the average American watches 151 hours of TV per month, an all-time high. Americans who watch video over the Internet consume another 3 hours of online video per month and those who use mobile video watch nearly 4 hours per month on mobile phones and other devices.
The report found that digital video recorded (DVR) and other timeshifted television is watched at twice the rate as online video at 7 hours, 11 minutes per month. A potential indicator of how audiences could timeshift in the future, young adults (age 18-24) watch video online and on a DVR at the same rate of about 5 hours per month.
“The American fascination with television and other video content is not easing up, as consumers keep turning to TV, Internet and Mobile at record levels,” said Susan Whiting, vice chair of The Nielsen Company.
“Viewers appear to be choosing the best screen available for their video consumption, weighing a variety of factors, including convenience, quality and access. It is clear that TV remains the main vehicle for viewing video, although online and mobile platforms are an increasingly important complement to live home-based television.”
Men continue to watch more mobile video than women, and women continue to watch video on the Internet and television more than men.
Weekdays outpace weekends for online video viewing with 65 percent of online video viewed between 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, compared to 51 percent of online video watched between 6am-8pm on weekends.
Nielsen 4Q08 figures show that mobile video has grown, up to 11 million Americans, an increase of 9 percent over the previous quarter. Much of the growth is due to increased mobile content and the rise of the mobile Web as a viewing option.
