According to QuickPlay Media, a leading provider of mobile TV and video solutions for cell phone carriers in the U.S. and Canada, video streaming to mobile devices became significantly more popular in the last quarter of 2008. Across QuickPlay’s network, the number of streams viewed in the fourth quarter of 2008 more than doubled from the previous quarter, while video downloads increased by almost fifty percent.
More Total Streams, But Fewer Streams Per User
At the same time, however, the total number of video streams per users dropped from 19.4 to 17.4, which is slightly puzzling. QuickPlay attributes this to the growth in adoption of live mobile TV, which generates fewer streams, but longer views.
QuickPlay provides video services to a large number of mobile carriers in the U.S. and Canada, including AT&T, Alltel, Bell Mobility, Aliant, Rogers Wireless, Telus, and Sprint.
News, Music Videos, and Trailers
In terms of content, the most popular genres for live TV streaming were news, music videos, and weather. For regular video streaming, music videos and movie trailers were the most popular genres. The most popular categories for mobile downloading were music, sports, and comedy.
Will this Momentum Continue in 2009?
One of the reasons for this increase might be the rising interest in smartphones, which make accessing video content a lot easier. At the same time, though, it remains to be seen if consumers will continue to be willing to pay for extra mobile video services in the current economic climate.
By the Numbers
Here are the exact numbers from QuickPlay:
Video Streams
- Total live TV and video streams viewed grew 118% from Q3 to Q4 2008, compared with a 27% increase from Q2 to Q3
- Total streams per user dropped slightly to 17.4 in Q4 from 19.3 in Q3
- Average stream duration in Q4 2008 was slightly longer at two minutes and 48 seconds when compared to two minutes and 47 seconds in Q3
Video Downloads
- Average download per user experienced its best quarter of 2008 with an average of 6 per user vs. 4.1 per user in Q3
- Total video downloads showed an increase of 73% from Q3 to Q4 vs. 87% from Q2 to Q3
Image credit: Flickr user Ville.fi
