The state of online video 2020

Limelight’s State of Online Video 2020 research report highlights the latest findings in an ongoing series of consumer surveys about online viewing habits and opinions. This report is based on 5,000 responses from consumers in France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, ages 18 and older, who watch one hour or more of online video content each week.

Highlights of findings include:

-Online video continues to rapidly grow in popularity at the expense of traditional broadcast viewing. On average, viewers spend nearly eight hours (seven hours, 55 minutes) per week watching various types of content, up 16% over last year’s average of 6.8 hours.

-Nearly half of people globally (47%) added streaming services over the past six months. When asked the reason for adding a subscription, 40% of respondents cited spending more time at home as the largest reason.

-Video rebuffering (when the video pauses during playback so it can reload) remains the most frustrating aspect of online viewing according to 44% of people. Viewers expect high quality online experiences, especially younger viewers who report the highest expectations.

-Latency matters. 64% report being more likely to watch live events online if the stream is not delayed from the broadcast.