The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is leading the world in terms of video plays over mobile devices, new research has found.
The latest Global Video Index report by online video technology firm Ooyala found that APAC was responsible for 64.4% of video plays in Q3.
This is the second quarter in a row that APAC has come up ahead, with the region recording 58% of plays globally in Q2.
Overall, the report noted that this the sixth consecutive quarter where mobile devices accounted for more than 50% of all online video starts, up by 11.9% compared to Q3 2016.
Moreover, the use of mobile devices to view long-form video continues to grow dramatically. Time spent watching long-form videos grew nearly 77% on smartphones and nearly 70% for tablets in Q3 2017 versus Q3 2016, while medium-form video consumption continued to decline.
It is for this reason that Ooyala is forecasting that more than 60% of all video plays will be on mobile devices within the first half of 2018.
“Mobile is increasingly becoming the default platform for the consumption of online video. We are seeing the same trend for sports content as well. Asia Pacific is home to many sports fanatics, who want their content anytime, anywhere. The availability of live sports programs over mobile is important and needs to be addressed in this market,” said Steve Davis, the vice president and general manager of Ooyala Asia Pacific and Japan.
“Specifically, Asia’s younger audience is primarily watching sports content on mobile devices. Content providers and operators need to evaluate if they want to approach this group differently from the Gen X-ers or Baby Boomers, and think about how they can monetize the experience for the next generation of sports fans,” he said.
First published in CMO Innovation