Appetites for a Wider Selection of TV Episodes and Movies Online Grow

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More viewers are turning to the Internet to supplement their traditional entertainment viewing habits. In the past year, YouTube has widened its lead as a one-stop site for online video viewing. Search and content providers, as well as online community sites have gained some ground on the video viewing front while TV network sites are holding their own.

“Have you ever watched videos online from any of the following places?”

While the incidence of online video viewership has increased overall in the past year (81% versus 74%), YouTube is by far enjoying the greatest increase. Approximately two-thirds (65%) of U.S. online adults say they have watched a video at YouTube, compared to 42 percent at the same time last year – with strongest gains among those over age 25. Over two in five (42%) YouTube viewers say they visit the site frequently, up from 33 percent last year. Mirroring last year’s results, just over two in five U.S. adults have watched videos on a TV network site (43% vs. 41%). While online video viewing declines with age for most sites measured, including YouTube, the incidence of online viewing on TV network and news sites remains consistent across age groups ranging from 18 to 64.

These are just some of the results of a recent Harris Poll of 2,455 U.S. adults (ages 18 and older), of whom 1,983 are online video viewers, including 1,587 YouTube viewers, conducted online by Harris Interactive^® between November 7 and 13, 2007.

While interest in online video viewing is becoming more commonplace across older age groups, it is virtually ubiquitous among the under 30 set. “Viewing videos online seems to inspire a sense of adventure, particularly among younger viewers,” says Joan Barten Kline, Vice President of the Harris Interactive Media & Entertainment Practice. “They seem to take particular pride in their “finds” online and share them with friends.” More than one-third of viewers overall and half of those 18 to 24 agree that “there is something they really enjoy about discovering a cool video online” and that “they discuss the videos they see online with their friends.”

Online Demand for More TV Episodes and Feature-length Films

When online video viewers were asked about the types of videos they would watch more of online if they were available, TV episodes and full-length movies top the list. More than a quarter indicate that they would be likely to watch “a lot more” TV episodes (30%) and/or full-length movies (28%) if more were available online. Far fewer express the same level of enthusiasm for watching “a lot more” amateur or user-generated videos (8%), news (14%) or sports videos (13%) if more of them were available online.

Impact of Copyright Restrictions

While YouTube continues as the #1 source for viewing online videos, it has faced its own challenges as it tries to monetize its offering. One of these challenges includes the restrictions on content YouTube can provide due to copyright restrictions. When YouTube users were asked if “they have noticed that it has been harder to find the videos they are looking for on YouTube lately,” 16 percent agreed with the statement – indicating some awareness that availability has changed in the recent past. Still, half (49%) agree that “the best thing about YouTube is that you can find almost every video you might be looking for there.”

TABLE 1 ONLINE VIDEO VIEWERSHIP 2007 "Have you ever watched videos online from any of the following places?”
Base: U.S. adults
		Total		Age
				18 to 24		25 to 29		30 to 39		40 to 49		50 to 64		65+
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
Yes (NET)		81		92		92		84		81		71		57
YouTube		65		85		79		70		63		48		33
Television network (e.g. ABC.com)		43		43		49		46		44		42		30
News site (e.g. CNN.com)		35		35		38		41		35		32		24
Yahoo		31		40		36		36		29		23		17
Google		28		49		33		29		23		19		20
MySpace		27		51		42		29		19		13		9
iTunes		11		16		17		13		9		5		5
Facebook*		8		34		12		5		1		2		1
Somewhere else		18		21		19		18		18		16		13
No, I have never watched a video online		19		8		8		16		19		29		43
Note: Multiple-response question
* Facebook added in 2007

TABLE 2 ONLINE VIDEO VIEWERSHIP 2006 "Have you ever watched videos online from any of the following places?”
Base: U.S. adults
		Total		Age
				18 to 24		25 to 29		30 to 39		40 to 49		50 to 64		65+
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
Yes (NET)		74		85		87		76		78		62		56
YouTube		42		73		55		44		45		23		13
Television network (e.g. ABC.com)		41		35		51		39		47		39		31
News site (e.g. CNN.com)		35		27		40		36		42		32		32
Yahoo		25		30		33		26		29		18		13
Google		24		38		30		22		24		19		14
MySpace		19		45		33		19		16		7		3
iTunes		7		16		9		8		5		3		1
Somewhere else		19		19		15		24		19		17		16
No, I have never watched a video online		26		15		13		24		22		38		44
Note: Multiple-response question

TABLE 3 TIME SPENT ON YOUTUBE “About how much time do you spend on YouTube?”
Base: U.S. adults having ever watched a video on YouTube
		2006		2007
		%		%
Uses YouTube Frequently (NET)		33		42
More than 2 hours a week		2		2
1-2 hours per week		7		10
I’m there frequently, but less than 1 hour per week		24		30
I’ve only visited YouTube once or a few times		67		58

TABLE 4 ATTITUDES TOWARDS ONLINE VIDEOS AND YOUTUBE "How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following?”
Base: U.S. adults
			AGREE (NET)	Strongly Agree	Somewhat Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	DISAGREE (NET)	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree
The best thing about YouTube is that you can find almost every video you might be looking for there		%	49	14	35	38	13	7	7
The best thing about YouTube is all the user-generated / amateur video that you find there		%	38	9	29	44	18	7	11
There is something I really enjoy about discovering a cool video online		%	36	8	29	33	30	12	18
I discuss videos I see online with friends		%	35	7	28	21	43	15	28
I’ve noticed it’s been harder to find the videos I’m looking for on YouTube lately		%	16	4	12	53	31	13	18
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 5 ATTITUDES TOWARDS ONLINE VIDEOS AND YOUTUBE – BY AGE "How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following?” Percent saying Strongly/Somewhat Agree
Base: U.S. adults
		Total		Age
				18 to 24		25 to 29		30 to 39		40 to 49		50 to 64		65+
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
The best thing about YouTube is that you can find almost every video you might be looking for there		49		65		59		44		41		35		38
The best thing about YouTube is all the user-generated/amateur video that you find there		38		50		29		45		36		33		19
There is something I really enjoy about discovering a cool video online		36		53		46		40		30		21		20
I discuss videos I see online with friends		35		50		45		40		29		23		12
I’ve noticed it’s been harder to find the videos I’m looking for on YouTube lately		16		25		24		14		11		10		10

TABLE 6 WATCHING MORE TYPES OF VIDEOS ONLINE “Listed below are several types of videos. Please indicate how much more of that video type you would watch online if more of it was available on the Internet?”
Base: U.S. adults watched video online
		I would watch a lot more of video		I would watch a little more of video		I wouldn’t Watch any more of video		I do not watch this type of video online
		%		%		%		%
TV Episodes		30		27		21		22
Full-length movies		28		21		22		29
Movie trailers		16		28		33		22
News videos		14		35		34		17
Sports videos		13		21		32		35
Amateur or user- generated videos		8		26		44		22

TABLE 7 WATCHING MORE TYPES OF VIDEOS ONLINE – by age “Listed below are several types of videos. Please indicate how much more of that video type you would watch online if more of it was available on the Internet?”
Percent saying would watch a lot more of video
Base: U.S. adults watched video online
		Total		Age
				18 to 24		25 to 29		30 to 39		40 to 49		50 to 64		65+
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
TV Episodes		30		48		36		32		23		20		8
Full-length movies		28		44		32		29		20		21		15
Movie trailers		16		25		19		17		11		15		7
News videos		14		15		15		16		12		16		10
Sports videos		13		18		16		12		11		8		5
Amateur or user- generated videos		8		10		13		9		7		4		3

Methodology

The Harris Poll^® was conducted online within the United States between November 7 and 13, 2007 among 2,455 adults (aged 18 and over), of whom 1,983 are online video viewers including 1,587 YouTube viewers. Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the online population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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About the Harris Interactive Media and Entertainment Practice

The Media and Entertainment Practice is staffed by knowledgeable experts in the field. This supports the practice’s vision of becoming a consultative partner with each of its clients. Using a holistic approach, the team is able to offer strategic insights and assist its clients to better understand the fast-paced, ever-evolving media and entertainment business climate – a climate where technology shifts and advances create potential audience fragmentation and new opportunities. The team specializes in collaborating with its clients to provide research that has actionable results related to market trends, customer satisfaction, brand identity, advertising awareness/effectiveness, as well as consumer behaviors, habits and attitudes toward media and entertainment usage and consumption.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and one of the fastest-growing market research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.

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Harris Interactive Inc. 12/07