The top 5 categories of videos watched online are all short-form — comedy, music videos, videos shot and uploaded by consumers, news stories and movie previews — according to a Frank N. Magid Associates survey conducted for Metacafe (via MarketingCharts).

Moreover, 28 percent of those who watch online videos report watching less TV as a result, according to the national online survey of 2,000 people age 12-64. Among the other findings of the Metacafe survey:

  • 50 percent of all respondents watch online video weekly.
  • 11 percent of all respondents watch online video daily.
  • 19 percent of those who watch online videos report regularly sharing a link to a video with someone else.
  • The top-five most commonly viewed types of online video content, based on respondents reporting that they watch regularly, are as follows:

o Comedy/jokes/bloopers (37 percent)
o Music videos (36 percent)
o Videos shot and uploaded by consumers (33 percent)
o News stories (31 percent)
o Movie previews (28 percent)

According to Erick Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe, “Short-form video is an emerging entertainment genre – distinct from online TV…”

“Online video has quickly become not only a mainstream cultural phenomena but also a powerful marketing vehicle for brands that want to reach consumers who no longer watch as much television – and even fewer TV commercials,” said Mike Vorhaus, managing director of Frank N. Magid Associates.