A new study from AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) has found that UK consumers lag the rest of the world in terms of virtual reality (VR) viewership. According to DTVE, AOL's latest "State of the Industry Video Report" found that 20% of UK consumers watched virtual reality videos at least once a week, compared with 28% of global consumers.
It also found that 68% of UK consumers never watch VR, compared with 58% of consumers around the world.
Still, it does appear that video viewership in general is growing steadily, with 71% of consumers watching digital video on a variety of devices every day. A majority of UK consumers -- 54% -- said they watched more digital video today compared to the previous year.
Again, this compares unfavorably with the rest of the world: 68% of all consumers worldwide said they watch more digital video.
However, British consumers are more likely to watch shorter videos -- those that are less than one minute long. Globally, 60% of consumers watch videos under a minute while 64% of UK consumers do the same.
The study also surveyed the digital advertising industry and found that 360-degree video generated significant interest among both buyers and sellers. Fifty-five percent in the UK said that immersive formats like 360-video will provide "one of the best revenue streams over the next twelve months."
The AOL study was conducted by research agency InsightsNow and surveyed 1,600 buyers and sellers, and 1,300 consumers from across seven markets, including the UK.
— Aditya Kishore, Practice Leader, Video Transformation, Telco Transformation