We have all hit play to watch an internet video, only to be met with that annoying buffering wheel. You begin to debate how much longer you will wait. “Just one more second,” you tell yourself, until finally you close the window and move on to something else.
Knowing this scenario is a frequent occurrence from personal experience is one thing, but understanding how widespread this is and how it impacts millions of viewers and a content owner’s revenue is entirely something else. Last week, Conviva released its Viewer Experience Report detailing exactly what viewers are experiencing and how it impacts their behavior.
According to Conviva data, not only are viewers impatient when it comes to poor quality (Slow-starting video that buffers or is low-resolution), but they are becoming increasing less tolerant. In 2011, increasing the time a viewer’s content buffered by just 1 percent usually led to 3 minutes less of viewing time. Now that same 1 percent increase in buffering leads to 8 minutes less of playtime. Viewers expect high quality, smooth playback — regardless of delivery channel.
The report shows more people than you might think (60 percent of viewers) experience some kind of degradation and that these viewers watch significantly less video after having a bad experience.
In the end though, it isn’t viewers that miss out — it’s the content providers. Conviva estimates that if quality remains the same, content providers will miss out on $ 20 billion total over the next five years. Download the full report here.
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