Mobile Video Usage Up 40%

The number of U.S. mobile subscribers watching video on their mobile devices rose more than 40 percent year-over-year in both the third and fourth quarters of 2010, ending the year at nearly 25 million people, according to Nielsen. These mobile video users watched an average of four hours and 20 minutes of mobile video per month in both the third and fourth quarter of 2010–a 33 percent and 20 percent year-over-year increase in each quarter respectively.

The growing popularity of mobile video is due, in part, to the rapid adoption of mediafriendly mobile devices, including smartphones. Whereas in the fourth quarter of 2009 only 23 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers had smartphones, by the end of 2010 smartphone penetration had reached 31 percent. Over time, it also has become easier to find, view and share mobile video, either via mobile apps or the mobile web.