Game Consoles Most Popular Way for Viewers to Access Online Video
While tech sites (such as this one) give a lot of attention to set-top boxes, game consoles are still the most common way for viewers to stream online video to the living room. According to the latest version of Limelight's State of Online Video Report, over 43 percent of those surveyed used either a Microsoft Xbox or Sony PS4 to stream video, with the Xbox the more popular option. Over 41 percent used a best-selling set-top box or stick (a Roku device, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, or Amazon Fire TV stick), and over 30 percent used a connected TV. Over 28 percent of those surveyed didn't use any of the given options.
Compared with responses given in Limelight's April 2015 survey, the percentage of people using set-top devices rose significantly and the percentage using consoles rose by a few points. The percentage of people using connected TVs, however, declined slightly, showing that add-on devices are a more attractive option to most online viewers.
The report takes a long look at millennials (young adults) and finds that they're leading the move to online video-viewing. Limelight found a strong jump in the number of millennials who watch more than 10 hours of online video each week (19.3 percent, compared to 15.7 percent in April). Additionally, only 28.0 percent of millennials don't subscribe to an over-the-top (OTT) service, compared to 48.1 percent of older adults.
Survey data comes from a third-party company which questioned adults in the U.S., Canada, U.K, and Australia. For more stats on online video viewing, download the full report for free (no registration required).
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