Three Ways Singaporeans Watch Videos Differently

Today, it is an increasingly common sight for Singaporeans to be glued to their digital devices while on-the-go. The prevalence and popularity of online video content are undeniable, with the proliferation of online video subscription services, such as Netflix, that provide consumers with far more options and variety of video content than ever.

Recently, Limelight Networks released its State of Online Video 2018 report, based on market research conducted on 5,000 consumers in eleven countries including Singapore, Philippines, and the United States, who watch at least one hour of online video content each week. It confirmed that viewers are watching more online content than ever – spending six hours, 45 minutes per week on average watching online video, an increase of one hour in the last year.

Here are three key findings from the report relating to the growing consumption and expectations that Singaporeans have towards online video content:

Singaporeans spend more time each week watching online video than traditional broadcast television

While the majority of global consumers watch more video from conventional broadcast sources than they do online, with global viewers watching over eight hours of broadcast television each week, Singaporeans are an exception. They spend more time each week watching online video than traditional broadcast television – an average of over eight hours on online video, and only six hours on conventional TV. 

Singaporeans are indeed evolving in their preferences, even when it comes to the consumption of entertainment. Knowing that the digisphere is where consumers are at, it is time for businesses to set their sights on engaging consumers with dynamic video content there, and to optimize content such that they engage effectively with their target audiences.  

Smartphones are the preferred streaming device for online video

Globally, computers are the primary device viewers use to watch online video, followed by smartphones, smart TVs and connected devices and tablets respectively. However, in Singapore, smartphones are preferred. This too is especially true of younger viewers, who have a clear preference for smartphones, while older ones choose computers.

Mobile accessibility is thus more important than ever before – especially since mobile viewers increasingly expect the same level of quality and experience from traditional broadcast television. Not only do businesses need to ensure that the content is formatted correctly and delivered quickly, but the variable nature of the mobile environment needs to be accounted for as users on mobile networks may have more variable bandwidth. This level of experience requires encoding content in the highest possible bitrates and delivery capacity to support user base at a consistently high.

Consumers have higher expectations and lower patience for online video rebuffering

Video rebuffering, where the video pauses during playback so it can reload, remains the most frustrating aspect of online viewing for global viewers. Almost half of the respondents noted it as their primary issue with watching online video. 

It is the same case for Singapore, where 46 percent of viewers cite this as their biggest frustration, followed by poor video quality (31.8 percent). Viewers are increasingly less forgiving of rebuffering, with the average number of times a viewer would let a video rebuffer before they stop watching falling from 2.7 times in 2016 to 2.2 times based on findings this year.  

Businesses delivering video content now need to provide high quality online viewing, and content experiences, with low rebuffer rates across multiple digital devices to provide the experience consumers, expect without the frustrations that cause them to abandon content.

Excelling in online video content

Businesses need to invest in a reliable infrastructure to ensure sustained consumer interest in the viewing experience. Working with a Content Delivery Network (CDN) can be the first step, to help them optimize content delivery in real-time, through continuous analysis and monitoring of a viewer’s connection.

Jaheer Abbas, Senior Director, SEA & India at Limelight Networks contributed this article.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CDOTrends.