Streamed video now accounts for an average four hours and three minutes of every day, with the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on lives across the globe.
Research by Limelight Networks across the US and countries in Europe and Asia shows streaming is at the forefront of the 'new normal', forcing people to change how they work, learn, access information, connect with one another and their entertainment options.
The report, 'How Video is Changing the World', exposes the new ways online video supports daily activities during and after the pandemic.
With people spending more time in their homes, online video is enabling new forms of interactive entertainment to pass the time. With traditional sports leagues on hold, nearly one third (31 per cent) of global consumers have had their first esports experience during the pandemic. With other live events cancelled, almost half (44 per cent) of global consumers attended their first virtual concert. Exercising is also going virtual as athletic facilities remain closed. In fact, 31 per cent have participated in an online fitness class and another 24 per cent plan to in the next six months.
Additional insights from the report include:
Online video fills the void of in-person social interactions. Globally, nine in ten (89 per cent) people now use video chat to feel more connected, up from 61 per cent prior to COVID-19.
Consumers are using online video to access critical information. Most people (70 per cent) have used online video to stay informed by watching live stream speeches and press conferences during the pandemic - 44 per cent live streamed on news sites and 26 per cent live streamed on social media. Even 'baby boomers' (63 per cent) tune into live streamed news and information online.
Remote work and professional development rely on online video. As the pandemic has forced consumers to work remotely, 79 per cent of people agreed that online video equipped them to maintain daily activities. One third (33 per cent) of global consumers were working from home for the first time and say online video helped them stay connected to colleagues (24 per cent) and work more efficiently (36 per cent). More than half (58 per cent) had or planned to use online video for professional development or to learn a new skill.
Most people (83 per cent) believed video-based learning will continue in the post-COVID world.
"The pandemic has pushed the bounds of online video," says Limelight's senior director of product and solution marketing Mike Milligan. "Applications such as remote collaboration, e-learning and telehealth, have been widely available for some time now, but today they're essential to continuing life in quarantine.
"Many people turned to online video to connect with others and maintain daily activities during the pandemic, but it won't stop once quarantine is over."
He says the report emphasises that online video will remain an important part of our lives in the new normal.
'How Video is Changing the World' is based on responses from 5000 consumers aged 18 and older in France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Scandinavia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States who watched one hour or more of online video each day. The full report is available here.