About 24.7 million US mobile subscribers age 13 and up watched video on a mobile phone in Q4 2010, according to new data from The Nielsen Company. That represents roughly 40% year-over-year growth from about 17.6 million in Q4 2009 and about 8% growth from 22.9 million in Q3 2010.
Monthly Time Spent Grows 20% YOY
In addition to substantial year-over-year growth in mobile video users during Q4 2010, Nielsen also recorded significant growth in average time spent per user per month. The average of four hours and 20 minutes of mobile video viewing per month per mobile subscriber is up about 20% from three hours and 37 minutes a year earlier and flat compared to the previous quarter.
Teens Spend Most Time Viewing Mobile Video
Teen mobile subscribers age 13-17 spent the most average monthly time viewing mobile video, seven hours and 13 minutes, in Q4 2010. This was followed by an average of six hours and 30 minutes among 18-to-24-year-olds. The average monthly time consistently dropped as mobile subscribers got older, reaching a low of two hours and 10 minutes among those 65 and older.
25-to-34-Yr-Olds Largest Audience Share
Teen mobile subscribers may have spent the most time watching mobile video in Q4 2010, but they were only the fourth-largest audience segment (11%). The 25-to-34-year-old demographic represented the largest Q4 mobile video audience share (325), followed by 35-to-49-year-olds (27%) and 18-to-24-year-olds (17%).
Mobile subscribers 65 and older only represented 2% of the total mobile video audience. Males (55%) comprised a larger share than females.
comScore: Close to Half of Subscribers Use Mobile Media
In December 2010, nearly 47% of mobile subscribers in the US were mobile media users (browsed the mobile web, accessed applications, downloaded content or accessed the mobile Internet via SMS), up about 17% from the previous year, according to a recent report from comScore. Data from “The 2010 Mobile Year in Review” indicates the growth in mobile media usage is largely attributable to the growth in smartphone adoption, 3G/4G device ownership and the increasing ubiquity of unlimited data plans, all of which facilitate the consumption of mobile media.
