Summary: New report shows that 84 per cent of mobile video users have gone on to increase their mobile video consumption after watching an Olympic event on the move
The majority of UK mobile phone users who have watched a live sporting event on their phone subsequently increased the amount of videos they viewed on the move, a new study has revealed.
QuickPlay Media has published the results of a survey which revealed that more than half (52 per cent) of mobile video users watched at least one Olympic event on either a smartphone or tablet computer over the summer.
The poll of UK mobile subscribers aged between 18 and 44 also showed that, of those who have opted to view a major sporting event on a mobile device, 84 per cent have since gone on to increase their mobile video consumption after having a positive experience first time around.
In fact, a third of this group said that they are now watching significantly more mobile videos than they were before watching their first live sporting event.
Overall, the number of people who are watching video on a smartphone or tablet computer has risen by 12 per cent over the past 12 months to 63 per cent.
This growth has largely been driven by the proliferation of devices, in particular tablets, which are able to play video. This trend is poised to continue over the coming years, with market research firm IDC recently forecasting that 117.1 million tablets will be shipped this year, up from 68.7 million in 2011.
Wayne Purboo, chief executive of QuickPlay Media, claimed that live TV is becoming a “primary driver” of demand for multiscreen services.
“The 2012 Olympics shattered records for mobile video viewing, and this is driving longer term consumer demand across a plethora of mobile devices,” he said.
“To capitalise on this demand service providers are looking for cost effective solutions that enable them to rapidly scale multiscreen services while maintaining security and quality of the consumer viewing experience. As a result we are seeing more and more companies looking to managed services as a solution to scale at speed.”
Other findings from the report show that half of respondents selected live TV, which included live programmes, sports and events, as the type of mobile video content that they most frequently watched. Two fifths preferred to view video on demand services.
More than half (55 per cent) of mobile video users view mobile videos once a week or more, with 16 per cent of this group watching videos every day. Last year, just 12 per cent of regular viewers watched mobile videos once a day.
Despite being able to watch videos on the move, consumers still watch the majority of mobile video at home, with 37 per cent revealing it is their main location for viewing. A quarter said that they watch mobile video in between activities and a fifth do so while commuting.
Productivity across UK workplaces probably dipped during the Olympics as the number of consumers watching mobile video at work doubled to 18 per cent during the summer showpiece event, compared to an average of nine per cent in other weeks.
