Increased Online TV Viewership Boosts Online Video Advertising

According to new research from eMarketer, 33 percent of online adults in the U.S. — 58.9 million people are now watching full length TV shows online. “The days when online video was just for ‘fast food’ YouTube clips are over,” eMarketer said in its report. Watching full length TV shows online is fast becoming a mainstream activity.

The popularity of viewing full length shows on network sites, Hulu and other free TV sites has also boosted online video advertising, which will grow by 48 percent this year to $1.5 billion, trailing only search and banner ads in the online market. eMarketer projects the spend on online video ads will triple to $5.5 billion by 2014, with growth in online TV viewing surpassing 39 percent of online adults or 72 million people.