SYDNEY: Brightcove Inc., the world’s leading video technology platform, published the Brightcove Q2 2020 Global Video Index Entertainment and Media Edition, which found that OTT streaming of entertainment content continued to dominate, even as governments began loosening stay-at-home restrictions.
The data suggests that consumers’ media consumption habits may be permanently shifting away from linear TV, cementing streaming as the go-to choice for entertainment viewing.
Brightcove’s Q2 2020 Global Video Index analyzes hundreds of billions of recent data points from Brightcove’s customers globally to provide insights into how viewers are watching video content. The Q2 data shows that consumption of news and entertainment content nearly doubled (40%) from Q1 (23%) – a significant finding considering Q2 typically sees slower growth in video viewing compared to Q1. Looking at the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, the number of views overall is up more than 30%.
“A recent PwC report found that 69% of video users in Australia under 45 years of age say mobile is their top choice for watching streaming video. Our data also supports that fact showing that smartphones – and now and connected TVs – are driving consumers to stream more content than ever,” said Jim O’Neill, Principal Analyst and Author of Brightcove’s Global Video Index.
“There’s been a shift in entertainment video consumption, and streaming will now continue to grow and serve as the entertainment medium of choice during the pandemic and beyond.”
Where consumers choose to view their content is also shifting. Connected TVs (CTVs) saw the most growth in Q2 (160% year-over-year), indicating a resurgence in larger screens as the viewing medium of choice for entertainment.
Other notable findings from the Q2 2020 Brightcove Global Video Index that are specific to Australia and New Zealand include:
- Consumption peaked right before states began reopening. Video views were up year-over-year with April seeing the biggest increase in consumption (93%).
- Every type of device saw a surge in use. CTVs (134%), smartphones (74%), tablets (51%), and computers (108%) all saw gains in views in Q2.
- CTV viewing had the strongest gains. CTV views jumped 134% in April, and for long-form video, CTVs held a significant edge on all other content.
- Mobile remains a vital part of the region’s landscape. For years, ANZ has been primarily iOS-based for video delivery. Q2 was the first full quarter that Apple trailed Android with just 49% of video views in Q2.
“2020 has become video’s evolutionary moment, and streaming entertainment video content is one area where we will continue to see growth,” said Jeff Ray, Brightcove CEO. “The crisis has impacted people at an emotional and financial level, making the need for human connection through video content more crucial than ever. We’re seeing this play out with the rise of streaming services subscriptions, indicating that the future of entertainment consumption lies in connected and mobile devices – linear television could soon be of the past.”
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