To print: Click here or Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

This story was printed from silicon.com, located at http://www.silicon.com/

Story URL: http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,39024667,39169501,00.htm

YouTube top choice for web watchers
TV viewers turning to the net…

By Reuters

Published: Thursday 20 December 2007

More television viewers are turning to the internet to watch videos, films, and TV episodes, according to a survey.

In the past year, YouTube has widened its lead as the top destination for online videos, while search engines and television networks have gained ground.

Approximately 65 per cent of the 2,455 US adults surveyed by Harris Interactive said they have watched a video on YouTube, compared to 42 per cent during the same time last year.

A YouTube spokeswoman, said in a statement: "Viewing videos online seems to inspire a sense of adventure, particularly among younger viewers."

More than a third of viewers overall and half of those 18 to 24 said there is something they really enjoy about discovering a good video online.

More than 42 per cent of YouTube viewers said they visit the site frequently, up from 33 per cent last year.

Apart from YouTube, which most people favoured because they felt it had almost every video they could find, 43 per cent said they have watched a video on a TV-network website, followed by 35 per cent on news sites and less than 30 per cent on search engines such as Yahoo! and Google.

Social networks such as MySpace and Facebook, as well as Apple's iTunes site also had a lower share of online viewers.

Online viewers said they would watch more TV episodes and full-length movies if they were available. There was less interest in viewing more amateur or user-generated videos, news and sports, according to the survey.