NEW YORK CITY – Web video watchers – at least those who watch Blip.tv, a site that features original Web content – are watching more online video and less television compared with six months ago.

Blip.tv commissioned a survey of 1,500 recent viewers by research firm Dynamic Logic to determine how, when and where blip.tv audiences watch online video. This is the largest research initiative to date focusing on original Web video.

Dynamic Logic found that while blip.tv viewers aren’t cutting the cord entirely, they are “cord shaving” – watching 9 percent less cable television and more video on PCs (up 26 percent), mobile devices (up 19 percent) and game consoles (up 18 percent). They’re doing a lot of this online viewing during the prime-time hours of 8-11 p.m.

Advertising More Accepted in Original Web Series
Thirty-five percent of blip.tv viewers chose banner ads as the preferred form of advertising, followed by prerolls at 15 percent. Viewers of original web series responded more positively to advertising than viewers of television content online. The research showed that 43 percent of blip.tv’s audiences had a positive reaction to advertising in front of original web series content. However, when asked the same question about advertisements in front of television content streamed online, users were less receptive, with only 30 percent reacting positively.

“We commissioned this study, the largest research project to date on viewers of original series, to gain a deeper understanding of how and when people are engaging with online content,” says Dina Kaplan, cofounder of blip.tv. “It’s clear from the research that Web series fans are beginning to watch less television, while at the same time increasing the amount of content consumed on the Web. It’s also significant that our viewers are more accepting of advertisements on Web series, perhaps because fans are grateful to the advertiser for making the show possible. That’s a very different mindset, for a viewer, than seeing an ad on a show that was originally created for television.”

Demographics
The Dynamic Logic study shows the average viewer of a Blip.tv Web series was 33 years old. Sixty percent were college educated, and viewers were almost evenly divided between men (51 percent) and women (49 percent).

“As the sophistication and availability of online and mobile video increases, consumers will pursue the content they want, regardless of the medium,” says Lindsay Leon-Atkins, director of custom solutions for Dynamic Logic. “In this study, we found that digital video is now a factor during prime-time hours; this audience should not be ignored by marketers.”

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