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Two-Thirds of Americans Own Video-Enabled Mobile Devices

More than two-thirds of Americans use mobile devices that are video-enabled: 66% of Americans who have broadband access at home have iPods, cell phones or laptops with video capabilities.

Since 2006, ownership of video iPods has grown by a factor of nearly five, and cell phones with video service have nearly doubled in ownership, according to new Knowledge Networks research.

Net ownership of these two devices and/or laptops has increased almost 50%, from 45% in 2006 to 66% this year - contributing to a doubling (21% to 43%) in net use of these mobile technologies to view video during the same time frame. 

But how these devices are used for video watching is at times dramatically different. For example, the proportion of those who view video on these devices exclusively at home ranges from 31% to 60%. 

Nearly one-quarter (23%) of those surveyed in 2009 say they own a video iPod, compared to just 5% in 2006, making this device a new media channel of interest.

Ownership of a cell phone with video service grew from 6% to 10% during the same timeframe; and laptop ownership has also risen, from 43% in 2006 to 57% this year. In 2009, 15% of those surveyed “ever” use video iPods to watch video, representing 67% of the video-iPod owners; similarly, 5% of the sample ever uses video cell phones to watch video, equaling 48% of owners. The proportion of laptop owners who “ever use” their laptop for video has doubled - from 18% in 2006 to 35% in 2009. 

In addition, video viewing on laptops is much more likely to happen at home: 60% of people who view laptop video say they watch on that device exclusively at home, compared to 38% for iPod viewers and 31% for cell phones viewers.

The average time spent using each device for video is quite different. A typical laptop viewing session is 33 minutes long, versus 23 minutes for a video iPod and 15 minutes for a cell phone with video service. 

“Our research suggests an increasingly important opportunity for content providers and advertisers,” said David Tice, vp and group account director at Knowledge Networks and director of The Home Technology Monitor. “We see sometimes dramatically different patterns in how people use these devices to watch video [...] but a majority of all viewers are willing to watch ads in exchange for free video. This kind of learning is essential to making the most of the mobile video environment.”

A new Gartner report suggests that global spending on mobile advertising will leap 74% this year, to $913.5 million; mobile ad spending will surpass $13 billion by 2013, Gartner predicts.

The Asia-Pacific region, North America and Europe will lead growth, the report indicates.