Watching Videos On Smartphones Is Becoming Totally Mainstream - And Content Distributors Are A Big Reason Why

Mobile video continues its massive surge as users rapidly adopt tablets and smartphones as mainstream devices for video viewing. Tablets and smartphones now account for 15% of all online video hours watched.

Content is still king. But the shift to mobile is also causing programming to shift and adapt to new viewing habits.

In a recent report, BI Intelligence looks at how each of the major video content players has pushed mobile viewing. We break down the extent to which the mobile video boom has changed what people watch, and how. Being able to track the shift to mobile video and predict the type of content that thrives on tablet and phone screens is the key to any long-term media or advertising strategy.

Each service - from Netflix, to YouTube, to Hulu - is taking a unique approach to both content and monetization.

• On smartphones, viewers flock to YouTube, Web serials, comedy and music. On tablets, viewers enjoy TV shows optimized for cross-device binge-viewing.
• Netflix pursued an iPad-first strategy to become a mobile video pioneer. Today, the ability to watch Netflix across devices facilitates binge-watching. A reported 23% of all Netflix subscribers say they have watched on smartphones, and 15% have done so on iPads.
• YouTube channels command surprisingly large mobile audiences. Machinima, one of the most-watched YouTube channels in the world, sees almost 50% of its video views come from mobile.

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• VEVO, another YouTube channel, is a music video platform and a joint venture between Google and two of the top global recording companies, Sony and Universal Music Group. Already, one half of VEVO's audience accesses on mobile.
• Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, and Vimeo are racing to differentiate themselves as purveyors of premium video. Hulu's subscription service showcases up-to-date TV episodes, Amazon Instant Video offers free video streams to Amazon Prime customers, and Vimeo is a community for filmmakers.

In full, the report:

• Discusses all the basic data on mobile video usage and audiences, both in the U.S. and globally
• Breaks down how video-viewing differs on tablets and smartphones
• Analyzes the content categories that do well on mobile screens, including music and comedy videos, as well as TV and Web serials
• Shows how tablet and smartphone video habits reinforce binge watching, late night consumption, and other online video habits that boost engagement
• Reveals the top YouTube networks and the ecosystem of creators and vendors that's growing up around them

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