European and US internet users turning to smart devices for video

European and US internet audiences are increasingly watching online video on smartphones and smart TVs, according to Ampere Anaysis’ latest consumer barometer.

According to Ampere, Europe saw a seven-percentage point jump in those watching content on smart TVs in the year to March 2019, and an eight point increase in those watching on smartphones.

While growth was stronger in Europe, the US still has a higher proportion overall watching content on smart devices, with the difference being greater still for those watching daily.

Some 44% of US internet users watch content on smart TVs daily, against 30% of Europeans.

Some 30% of US users watch content daily on smartphones, against 23% of Europeans.

Use of smartphones to view content is higher among younger users both in the US and Europe, with almost nine out of 10 18-24 year-olds watching online video daily on their smartphones. Among other age groups US users were more likely to view content on their smartphones than Europeans.

US users were also more likely to use a smart device to view content outside the home than Europeans, with 16% of US users and 9% of Europeans ‘strongly agreeing’ that they do this. Overall, 48% of US users agree they use smart devices to view content outside the home regularly, compared with 36% of Europeans.

Ampere found that daily online video watching on any devices is growing, but the gap between US and European users is growing again after a period in 2017-18 when it narrowed.

Some 67% of US internet users now say they watch online video daily on at least one device, compared with 52% of Europeans.