While the incidence of online video viewership has increased overall in the past year (81% versus 74%), YouTube is by far enjoying the greatest increase. Approximately two-thirds (65%) of U.S. online adults say they have watched a video at YouTube, compared to 42 percent at the same time last year – with strongest gains among those over age 25. Over two in five (42%) YouTube viewers say they visit the site frequently, up from 33 percent last year. Mirroring last year ’s results, just over two in five U.S. adults have watched videos on a TV network site (43% vs. 41%). While online video viewing declines with age for most sites measured, including YouTube, the incidence of online viewing on TV network and news sites remains consistent across age groups ranging from 18 to 64.

These are just some of the results of a recent Harris Poll of 2,455 U.S. adults (ages 18 and older), of whom 1,983 are online video viewers, including 1,587 YouTube viewers, conducted online by Harris Interactive ^® between November 7 and 13, 2007.

While interest in online video viewing is becoming more commonplace across older age groups, it is virtually ubiquitous among the under 30 set. “Viewing videos online seems to inspire a sense of adventure, particularly among younger viewers, ” says Joan Barten Kline, Vice President of the Harris Interactive Media & Entertainment Practice. “They seem to take particular pride in their “finds ” online and share them with friends. ” More than one-third of viewers overall and half of those 18 to 24 agree that “there is something they really enjoy about discovering a cool video online ” and that “they discuss the videos they see online with their friends. ”

Online Demand for More TV Episodes and Feature-length Films

When online video viewers were asked about the types of videos they would watch more of online if they were available, TV episodes and full-length movies top the list. More than a quarter indicate that they would be likely to watch “a lot more ” TV episodes (30%) and/or full-length movies (28%) if more were available online. Far fewer express the same level of enthusiasm for watching “a lot more ” amateur or user-generated videos (8%), news (14%) or sports videos (13%) if more of them were available online.

Impact of Copyright Restrictions

While YouTube continues as the #1 source for viewing online videos, it has faced its own challenges as it tries to monetize its offering. One of these challenges includes the restrictions on content YouTube can provide due to copyright restrictions. When YouTube users were asked if “they have noticed that it has been harder to find the videos they are looking for on YouTube lately, ” 16 percent agreed with the statement – indicating some awareness that availability has changed in the recent past. Still, half (49%) agree that “the best thing about YouTube is that you can find almost every video you might be looking for there. ”

Methodology

The Harris Poll ^® was conducted online within the United States between November 7 and 13, 2007 among 2,455 adults (aged 18 and over), of whom 1,983 are online video viewers including 1,587 YouTube viewers. Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the online population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents ’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error ” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.