Demand for professionally produced and distributed online video continued unabated in 2008, with cumulative volume advancing 24.3% to 41.6 billion views, according to an annual report published by AccuStream iMedia Research. The report, Pro Online Video Views 1998 – 2012 compiles, sorts, correlates and provides analytical perspective to extensive data chronicling a decade of double and triple-digit year-over-year growth. What began as a jerky, postage stamp-sized picture window has transformed into a full-screen broadband publishing medium.

Examining historical views from 1998 - 2008, content category share shifts, growth of broadband accesses, the importance of syndication and branded channel offerings inside affiliate sites, plus search and indexing apps that bring premium video closer to audiences, professional online video is forecast to maintain double-digit increases through 2012, with broadband audiences now clicking into 95+% of total views.

Over the past ten years, audiences have accessed 142.7 billion pieces of professionally produced, brand-hosted and distributed video. A category-by-category analysis of cumulative views shows music with 25.5%, news 22.6%, entertainment/kids at 20.2%.

Significant category share shifts are revealed, however. Entertainment/kids captured 10% in 2001, and 30.4% in 2008, as brands like Warner Bros. (Cartoon Network), Viacom (GameTrailers.com, Noggin.com, Nick.com, NickJr.com) and Disney (Disneychannel.com, Disney.com) consistently and expertly publish exclusive content to young, connected audiences.

By contrast, music has experienced steady declines since 2005, when that non-exclusive content category crested at 45.6% share, and perched at 11.3% share in 2008.

Music remains a top category including UGV video, however, with record labels, artists, fans, agents, producers and directors aggressively publishing (and generating more views) inside self hosting networks.

Long-form primetime television produced 39.1% of the category’s 17% share of total views, up from 13.8% in 2007.

Video sites with more than 50 million views per month averaged 7.5 views per unique user per month. All sites (including print, broadcast, online only, major media brands) averaged 3.5 views per unique user per month.