Zee Melt 2017: YouTube remains king of online video consumption: Culture Machine-Kantar IMRB study

On day one of Kyoorius Zee Melt, Culture Machine and Kantar IMRB rolled out an in-depth study on video and OTT consumption. Sameer Pitalwalla, CEO and Co-Founder Culture Machine and Hemant Mehta, Managing Director, Media, Digital and Retail, Kantar IMRB and Chief Strategy Officer, Kantar South Asia shared some insights about their study.

The study is an attempt to understand the dynamics of the mobile video consumption space in India. Kantar IMRB and Culture Machine presented an environment scan on consumption of video and over-the-top (OTT) platforms.

The advent of 4G services and subsequent reduction in mobile data costs have acted as significant catalysts for mobile video consumption. The video streaming landscape in India is being radically transformed, but information with regard to viewership remains hard to come by.

Key findings from the study:

• YouTube remains the king of online video consumption with 1.5 times the reach of second-ranked Facebook. But this dominance has come under threat as Facebook is proving to be not just a platform that drives views but also delivers engagement for content. Frequency of accessing Facebook in a month is almost 2.5 times greater than YouTube.
• On an average, consumers spend three hours/week on consuming mobile video. 90 per cent of this is spent on YouTube and Facebook.
• Entertainment/comedy is the most popular genre on both platforms. Vernacular/regional content is the most engaging content across categories on YouTube.
• Short-form video (less than 10 minutes) remains the most popular format among mobile users, but it’s also gaining traction among PC users as well.
• Non-metro consumers accounted for 65 per cent of video views on smartphone.
• Women are 30 per cent more likely to be avid consumers of mobile video compared to their male counterparts.
• Music and entertainment are the most dominant categories (about 90 per cent). Education and news are the fastest growing categories.
• India has over 20 million avid video consumers. They spend over 22 hours a month consuming video.
• Close to half of the viewers are above the age of 25.

• Over 40 per cent of viewers belong to Sec C/D/E homes.
• Mobility factor and ability to consume content on-the–go emerges as the clear driver for growth for OTT consumption.
• 80 per cent of OTT consumers would consider paying a premium to access exclusive content.
• 1-in-3 mobile smartphone video viewers is accessing an OTT video platform.
• Women and those aged between 15-24 are most likely to be avid users for OTT services.
• Week nights are the most popular time slots for OTT consumption.

The study leaves marketers with two questions – Is there a prime time for your mobile video audience? How do you balance video duration with engagement?

The study boasts of a sample size of 1,500 respondents, both male and female, over the age group of 15 years across top eight metros – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad who consume at least one OTT mobile video platform. The report also takes into account top 500 creators on YouTube and their performance on Facebook. In addition to the consumer survey, insights have been drawn from additional institutionalised tools and trackers such as Culture Machine’s Intelligence Machine and Kantar IMRB’s Mobi Track, Icube and to augment the study.

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