Frank N. Magid Associates and Metacafe release the survey results revealing consumer behavior and preferences in online video viewing. Notably, the survey found that the top-five most popular categories of videos watched online are all short-form: comedy, music videos, videos shot and uploaded by consumers, news stories and movie previews.

The national study, conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates’ online research division SurveysOnline.com, surveyed nearly 2,000 people between the ages of 12 and 64 with gender, age and ethnicity representations matching those of the U.S. census.

Key findings include:

• 50% of all respondents watch online video weekly.
• 11% of all respondents watch online video daily.
• 28% of those who watch online videos report watching less TV as a result.
• 19% 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:
• Comedy/jokes/bloopers (37%)
• Music videos (36%)
• Videos shot and uploaded by consumers (33%)
• News stories (31%)
• Movie previews (28%)

This research is part of the Magid Media FuturesTM Practice, which surveys consumers annually to identify trends and help clients implement product and marketing strategies that address them. The online video portion of this year’s study was sponsored by Metacafe.

“Short-form video is an emerging entertainment genre – distinct from online TV – that consistently proves popular with people of widely varying backgrounds and tastes, as demonstrated yet again by the Magid survey,” said Erick Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe. “Online TV, or traditional networks distributing their shows on the Internet, is really just the same long-form programs, with the same audience, supported by the same advertisements – only the delivery platform is different. We’re excited about the new and growing opportunity short-form video entertainment presents, and we’re committed to growing our leadership in this sector.”