During the third quarter of 2023, online videos recorded an audience reach of around 92 percent among internet users worldwide. In recent years, video has become one of the most popular online formats, spanning from educational content to product reviews. Music videos recorded the highest category reach, with almost half of internet users worldwide reporting to watch music videos online each week.
Social video engagement
In recent years, YouTube and TikTok have become two of the most important social media platforms for global users, as video content commands high levels of engagement. In 2022, users worldwide spent approximately 23.1 hours using the YouTube mobile app per month. Additionally, the leading hashtags used by content creators on TikTok have amassed billions of views: as of January 2023, the TikTok hashtag “fyp” or “for you page” had reached 35 billion post views.
Watching content: what device do users prefer?
As of June 2022, smartphones and televisions were the most used devices for global viewers to watch video-on-demand (VOD), with 36 percent and 34 percent of respondents reporting using these devices, respectively. Age group and generation are factors impacting viewership habits and device preferences, as younger users appear to prefer using their smartphones to consume content. According to a December 2022 survey, U.S. users aged 18- 34 years were more likely to watch video content on smartphones than any other devices. By comparison, connected TVs were particularly popular for the online video audience aged 35 and older.
