Hours of Video Viewed on a Mobile Phone Increased by 55% from 2015 to 2017

Parks Associates today released a new whitepaper ahead of IBC, “Video’s Critical Path: Success at Web Speed,” that reports by the end of 2017, U.S. broadband households were spending nearly three hours per week watching video on a mobile phone, an increase of nearly 55% from 2015. This shift comes as households are watching less live broadcast video on their televisions, which dropped from over 60% of video consumption in early 2012 to 44% at the end of 2017. The whitepaper, sponsored by MediaKind, addresses these shifting trends and the impact of OTT video on the pay-TV ecosystem and the new opportunities available for pay-TV providers in this environment.

“In the video services market, change has come quickly, affecting all aspects of the ecosystem,” said Brett Sappington, Senior Director of Research, Parks Associates. “Beyond the increased consumption to on-demand viewing, consumer expectations for service features and experience continue to evolve. The journey consumers take in service selection and purchasing is also changing. At the same time, consolidation and the rise of new services produce a challenging competitive environment.”

The result of these changes is a new approach to video services to address the new market dynamic in video services that encompasses all parts of the organization, from marketing through service delivery. The rise of direct-to-consumer services from content producers, new monetization models, and online pay-TV services is evidence of this change.

“Consumers are expecting and realizing new ways of experiencing the content of their choice thanks to the convergence of media, social, and mobility,” said Arun Bhikshesvaran, CMO, MediaKind. “We are excited about the possibilities to bring advanced media technology to our customers, enable new and dynamic workflows, and ultimately deliver immersive experiences to consumers.”

“The good news: new opportunities produced by market change ultimately benefit all parts of the ecosystem,” Sappington said. “Importantly, the consumer is the ultimate winner, enjoying new services, enhanced features, greater personalization, and a superior user experience.”

Additional Parks Associates data finds:

• Over 200 OTT services are available in the U.S. market.
• Each European market averages 80-100 OTT video competitors, in addition to offerings from traditional pay-TV providers or mobile carriers.