According to a new report by Nielsen Online (pdf), most online videos in the U.S. are watched at work between 9am and 5pm during the work week. 65% of all online viewers use this time to watch their favorite online videos, while only 51% watch online videos during this time on the weekend. Not surprisingly, weekend nights between 11pm and 6am attract the fewest viewers.
Nielsen also released its online video ratings for October, which showed YouTube leading the pack with a total of 5 billion streams and 82 million unique users. Hulu recorded the biggest gains since September and now ranks as the third-biggest online video site.
Interestingly, Nielsen also saw a 3% decline in overall viewers from September to October, even as the number of total streams increased slightly by 1% and the number of streams per viewer increased by 4%. Viewers in October watched close to 172 minutes of video online, a 10% increase from September.
Nielsen’s numbers for October are generally in line with the comScore numbers we reported last week. Nielsen also saw a slight decline in total streams on YouTube from September to October as the online video market has become more diverse.
Overall, these numbers are in line with other numbers we have seen lately, though the decline of overall viewers is somewhat puzzling. It is also worth noting that in March, CBS reported that its online viewership peaks at 7pm on the East Coast and again at 7pm on the West Coast.
