comScore Media Metrix released an enhancement to its U.S. Video Metrix service, with the inclusion of Flash video content as part of the monthly rankings for streaming video sites. Video Metrix is the first and only service to track actual online streaming video behavior among U.S. Internet users, offering publishers and advertisers valuable insights into the emerging Internet video universe.

"The surge in Web video content enables advertisers to expand beyond banners and reach online audiences using sight, sound and motion," said Erin Hunter, executive vice president of comScore's Media and Entertainment Group. "Fundamental to the effectiveness of online video as an advertising medium is an accurate measurement of streaming video - and comScore is delighted to be the first company to provide that capability to the marketplace."

Yahoo! Sites Attract the Most U.S. Streamers

More than 106.5 million people, or about 3 out of every 5 U.S. Internet users, streamed or downloaded video during the month of July. In total, nearly 7.2 billion videos were streamed or downloaded by U.S. Internet users for an average of 67 streams per streamer, which means the typical video streamer viewed an average of more than two streams per day.

Yahoo! Sites ranked as the top property by unique U.S. streamers with 37.9 million, followed very closely by MySpace, which attracted 37.4 million U.S. streamers. Fast-rising Youtube ranked third with 30.5 million U.S. streamers, followed by the Time Warner Network (25.7 million U.S. streamers) and Microsoft Sites (16.2 U.S. million streamers).

MySpace Leads in Number of Streams among U.S. Internet Users

MySpace fared particularly well in U.S. user engagement. The site ranks first among all sites in individual video streams initiated by U.S. users with nearly 1.5 billion streams, which represented 20 percent of all videos streamed by U.S. Internet users in July. The typical U.S. streamer on MySpace initiated an average of 39 streams during the course of the month, or slightly more than one per day. Yahoo! Sites ranked second in total streams initiated by U.S. users with 812 million, followed by Youtube with 649 million.

   Top 10 Video Properties Ranked by Unique U.S. Streamers
   July 2006
   Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
   Source: comScore Video Metrix

  Property            Unique U.S.  Streams Initiated by   Streams
                       Streamers        U.S. Users          per
                         (000)             (MM)          Streamer
  Total Internet        106,534           7,182            67.4
  Yahoo! Sites           37,934             812            21.4
  MySpace                37,422           1,459            39.0
  YouTube                30,538             649            21.2
  Time Warner Network    25,675             258            10.1
  Microsoft Sites        16,227             156             9.6
  Viacom Digital         14,077             322            22.9
  Google Sites            7,520              60             7.9
  Ebaums World            7,143              67             9.4
  MLB                     6,442              30             4.6
  ROO Group Inc.          5,841             186            31.9

  Note: Streams are attributed to the property that provides 
  the stream. For example, the Youtube data include streams 
  that occurred on their Web property and on other properties 
  whereby Youtube provided those streams.

comScore Video Metrix measures online video content served through all major players, including: Flash, RealPlayer, Windows Media, QuickTime and DivX. The service, which is based on streaming activity among U.S. Internet users, does not include measurement of digital rights management (DRM) content (which is paid, encrypted content), online videos viewed through peer-to-peer (P2P) applications, or offline viewing of video content.

Online Video Webcast

Today, at 1:00 p.m. ET, Leslie Darling, vice president of comScore's Media and Entertainment group, will review findings from the comScore Video Metrix service during a Webcast presented by Medialink. To sign up for today's Webcast, please visit: http://www.iian.ibeam.com/events/mdlk001/20061/ .

For more information about comScore Video Metrix, please e-mail MediaSolutions@comscore.com or call (650) 244-5408.