Three-fourths of US Internet users ages 12-24 have streamed digital content online, according to a new study by Ipsos Insight.
Video streamers are an attractive demographic overall, trending younger, with higher incomes and education levels than the general Internet population.
Brian Cruikshank of Ipsos noted that the match of video streaming popularity with marketer attention could drive even more content online.
"Perhaps more impressive than simply how many young adults are currently tapping the Internet for their video entertainment," said Mr. Cruikshank, "is that given how important it is for many marketers today to reach this group, we could be witnessing a tipping point in the evolution of digital video offerings online."
Ipsos revealed that teens and young adults have an average of 20% of their video libraries stored on hard drives or burned to DVDs — meaning there's a lot of content left to migrate.
Shorter-form content tends to be more popular for streaming than full-length concerts or movies. Over three-fourths of streamers have streamed movie trailers or TV previews, while only 15% have seen a streamed movie online. That will change as Netflix rolls out its "Instant Viewing" streaming to all members, and other streaming movie services grow more popular.
eMarketer estimates that US online video viewership will reach 183 million by 2011, up from 114.3 million in 2006.
eMarketer Senior Analyst David Hallerman notes that video is video to many users.
"Much of the research on the online video audience tends to conflate or confuse the distinct activities of downloading and streaming video," says Mr. Hallerman. "When surveyed, many people appear not to differentiate downloading from streaming — it is all the same for these consumers."
Take a new look at online video. Read the eMarketer Internet Video Audience report.