Nearly 6 in 10 (58 percent) of online video plays were seen on mobile devices in the third quarter of 2017, according to mobile video viewing statistics included in the Ooyala Q3 global video index.

Mobile Video Viewing Statistics

The new figure marks the sixth consecutive quarter in which mobile devices accounted for more than half of all online video starts, with Q3 mobile-video starts growing 11.9 percent compared to the same period a year ago, according to the study.

The report also revealed that the use of mobile devices to view long-form video continues to grow dramatically, with long-form time watched up nearly 77 percent on smartphones and nearly 70 percent on tablets in the third quarter of 2017 compared to the third quarter of 2016.

Additionally, more consumers are gravitating to mobile devices for viewing sporting events, the study found.

The survey also revealed that nearly 58 percent of sports viewers are using mobile devices to watch content, with 46 percent of sports viewers using smartphones. Mobile devices dominated online sports viewing, capturing nearly 58% of users. Smartphones drew the largest segment, more than 46%, while tablet users attracted more than 11%.

In other survey findings:

• 18-to-49-year-old males tend to be the largest adopters of online video via smartphones;
• Mobile devices accounted for nearly two-thirds of all viewers of geo-blocked sporting events; smartphones remained the device of choice, attracting more than 51 percent of users.

“Not surprisingly, mobile continues to be the major driver of online video, popular across all age groups and all content types, and sports are leading the way,” said Ooyala principal analyst Jim O’Neill, in a press release announcing the findings. “Importantly, we know now that it’s just bunk to suggest the Internet can’t support live streaming of major sports events. One need look no further than the NFL — I stream at least two games a week without issue — for an example of just how ready sports leagues are to seed the Internet, hoping to harvest viewers from around the world and especially in China and its vast store of video consumers. Content providers, operators and brands all need to focus on how best to leverage the increasing adoption of all things mobile or risk being an also-ran in the race for content dominance.”