Business Wire IndiaConsumers worldwide are continuing to watch more videos online than before, increasing the global average to six hours and 45 minutes each week, a 58 percent rise from the 2016 figure. This is according to the latest “State of Online Video 2018” report from Limelight Networks (Nasdaq: LLNW), a leading provider of edge cloud services.
A similar trend is seen in India, with Indian viewers now watching video content for an average of eight hours 28 minutes each week, significantly exceeding the global average. This is a result of ever-increasing digitization, availability of more digital video viewing platforms, and cheaper data tariffs.
Additionally, the study revealed the proclivity of Indian viewers to watch content online versus traditional television broadcast, which only garnered an average of eight hours and eight minutes of viewing each week. Through online channels, Indian viewers largely watch movies, followed by news, TV shows and sports, amongst others.
However, rebuffering remains the primary viewing frustration for consumers globally. This is also the case in India, with 46 percent of respondents citing this as their top frustration. Additionally, two-thirds (66 percent) of viewers admitted that they will stop watching a video after two rebuffers.
Apart from rebuffering, performance issues with online viewing, such as live event delays, continue to turn viewers off, pushing them to rely on traditional broadcast viewing. When asked if they would be more likely to watch live sporting events online if there were no delays from the television broadcast, 79 percent of Indian consumers said they would be more likely to watch online.
Additional insights from the report include:
- Differing preferences in streaming devices: While computers emerged as the most preferred video viewing device amongst western nations such as France, Germany, Italy, and the U.K., consumers from eastern nations including India, Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea preferred doing it via their smartphones.
- Indian consumers supplement traditional television with online video content. Nearly every online video consumer in India has a cable TV connection, with the nation clocking the highest global cable TV subscription rate at 94 percent. The study found that every four in 10 Indian respondents (42 percent) subscribe to two or more subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) services. The average number of SVOD subscriptions, however, was at 1.4 in India.
- Indian consumers will cancel their content subscription services due to price increases. About half (45 percent) of Indian consumers say price increases would be the primary reason for cancelling an SVOD service. 29 percent will cancel their cable subscription for the same reason. Other key reasons for cancellation include quality of video playback, device support, and content discoverability.
- Millennials lead the global shift to online video. Respondents aged 18-35 currently watch more online video than broadcast. Young millennials (aged 18-25) watch an average of 9 hours and 13 minutes of online video weekly compared to six hours, 11 minutes of traditional TV. 15 percent of young millennials spend more than 20 hours a week watching online video.
- Online viewing ranges widely by country. Viewers in the Philippines watch the most online video at eight hours, 46 minutes each week, followed closely by India and the United States at nearly eight and a half hours of viewing each week. Germany has the lowest online video viewership rate at five hours, two minutes.
Jaheer Abbas, Senior Director, Southeast Asia and India, Limelight Networks said, “Online media has provided unmatched flexibility and options to Indian consumers, who can now enjoy access to a myriad of media content from movies to sports, infotainment and TV series ‘round-the-clock’ and ‘on-the-go’. Additionally, with decreasing data tariffs, we foresee that online video viewing will continue increasing in popularity in India.”
“In order for market players to succeed within this increasingly competitive digital media industry, they need to ensure seamless content delivery for each and every customer in order to retain and attract customers with their services,” he added.
The State of Online Video report is based on responses from 5,000 consumers in France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States age 18 and older who watch one hour or more of online video content each week. The full report is available here.
About Limelight
Limelight Networks Inc., (NASDAQ: LLNW), a leading provider of digital content delivery, video, cloud security, and edge computing services, empowers customers to provide exceptional digital experiences. Limelight’s edge services platform includes a unique combination of global private infrastructure, intelligent software, and expert support services that enable current and future workflows. For more information, visit www.limelight.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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