YouTube, now owned by Google, still dominates the US Online Web Video market. I am basing these figures on the US simply because, we here in Australia, don’t have access to all video content (for example Hulu’s TV Shows)
Figures show that the US audience have been very keen to take up on Hulu’s Web TV site, but it has had a slow growth in comparison to other sites. Overall the US market share for online videos, grew 13% in December 2008.
comScore have provided the results in the below image, and it has grouped up Google & YouTube together (Google Sites) – and this joint venture has in total served up 5.9 billion videos in the US (assume most of that is from YouTube).
Hulu, jointly owned by News Corp and NBC, ranks in at 7th and has served up 241 million videos. In comparison to previous stats, comScore states that Hulu has had a 6% growth in videos being served – however it’s market share slipped from 1.8% to now 1.7%. However, it’s unique visitors grew 24.6 million (+ 9.4%)
So, numbers aside, what does this all mean? Well, Hulu’s viewers are still watching the longest videos compared to any site in the below results. I believe, they even have a better revenue source in selling it’s premium videos, compared to what Google is doing with YouTube.
I wish I could see revenue growth for these sites during the two comparison periods. I think Hulu has nudged Google as little, and that probably explains why YouTube has started new initiative to add on more premium content by signing up with Hollywood Talent Agency – William Morris Agency. I believe Hulu has a lot more to show.
Some of us have to wait for that torrent file to download a newly aired episode which would otherwise air on Australian TV weeks after.
But now Google might have a quicker solution to that 15kbps download on BitTorrent that we’re looking at. The answer is YouTube. Sure, you all have used it before, and it’s great for those few minute clips. But Google is now testing full-length programs on YouTube.
Why? The idea aims to bring in more users to the YouTube website. More so, it can also display more ads and hence more revenue possibilities.
Google is testing the system by placing 15 second ads before and after viewing each episode, as well as putting a message in between viewing. However, other options are also being tested, to be more appealing to both viewers and advertisers.
Google and YouTube did attempt to have the ads run before videos that are currently on YouTube. But who’s going to wait 15 seconds before watching a quick 2 min clip? Since that was not a sure way to gain viewer, perhaps we will be willing to make that sacrifice to watch a 30 or 60 min episode.
However, do not uninstall BitTorrent just yet – this feature will only be available in the US to start off with and through partnership with CBS, they will start with series of Dexter, Beverly Hills 90210, Star Trek, Californication and MacGyver.
Question now is, when will this come to Australia? And if it does, how good will it be? Would we all need to upgrade our connections to the “oh-so-super” 30mbps broadband from Telstra? Or wait for the video to load as we cook dinner?
Furthermore, how does this impact our local TV channels? Channel Ten, for example, airs the Californication episode about a week or two after the US does. If I can watch it online a day after it’s aired and not have as many ads as Ten does, then heck – I’d do it in a heartbeat.
