Hot on the heals of Google's acquisition of YouTube, comScore Video Metrix released data showing the top 10 video properties on the Web. Coming in top with over 20% of all video streams in August 2006 was Fox Interactive (including MySpace), followed by Yahoo!, at 11.8%, and YouTube, at 9.9%. In August, Google was well down the list in the seventh position with only 1.5% of video streams, which reveals why Google's move to acquire YouTube was very savvy.
A whopping 63.6% of all US Internet users in August 2006 streamed some video online, equating to 110 million people, according to comScore. Interestingly, as far as unique streamers to video properties go, Yahoo! tops the field at nearly 39.9 million unique streamers, compared to 39.5 million for Fox Interactive and 35.5 million for YouTube. Clearly, MySpace users stream more frequently than Yahoo! users.
As online video usage grows, so does the opportunity for online video advertising. The Yankee Group estimates that online video advertising will grow 200% in 2006 and nearly 117% in 2007 before growth levels off.
By 2010, online video advertising spending will total $2.35 billion, according to eMarketer, up from $385 million in 2006.
"Recent news indicates that those estimates from June of this year may already be outdated," said David Hallerman, an eMarketer senior analyst. "Whether it's advertising or it's content, the Internet audience increasingly wants video."
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