comscore has reported that 6.5 million Americans tuned into mobile video in August. Among the top operators in the US, AT&T claimed the most mobile video viewers, with 4.4 per cent of subscribers accessing either programmed or on-demand mobile video. Sprint's figure was 4.2 per cent, followed by T-Mobile and Verizon with 2.4 per cent each.
According to the study, on-demand video was the most popular format, with 3.6 million viewers. With 1.3 million viewers, amateur videos, such as those on YouTube, represent the most popular type of content, followed by music videos and comedy videos. Music videos are the top choice for programmed mobile broadcast video users, followed closely by full television shows or films and movie trailers.
comscore senior analyst Mark Donovan said, "While the most popular forms of mobile TV and video are genres such as music videos and movie trailers which offer short video snacks, the data also show a nascent audience for long-form mobile content such as TV shows.
"At under three per cent penetration, the mobile video audience in the US remains small, but it is composed largely of males between 18 and 34 years old, which could make it attractive to advertisers seeking to reach multi-tasking early-adopters who don't have time for appointment television."
comScore also announced the results of its August Benchmark Study. Mobile social networking posted the highest growth, at 8.8 per cent, while photo and video messaging had the highest rate of penetration, at 26.3 per cent.