Regular users of streaming audio and video in key age groups spend up to 67% more time online than average Internet users, according to new research by Knowledge Networks/SRI’s MultiMedia Mentor.
Comparing those who use audio/video online streaming at least once a week (“streamies”) to all past-month Web users, MultiMedia Mentor found that:

• Teen “streamies” (ages 12 to 17) spend 28% more time on the Internet
• Young adult streamies (ages 18 to 34) spend 41% more time on the Internet
• Adult streamies (ages 35 to 64) spend 67% more time on the Internet

MultiMedia Mentor also found that 42% of teens (ages 12 to 17) view streaming audio or video on their computers at least once a week — their definition of a “streamie.” Adults ages 18 to 34 also are more regularly seeking out audio/video streaming, with 26% qualifying as “streamies”;
among those 35 to 64, the proportion of streamies is 16%.

The research also shows that, in the 18-to-34 and 35-to-64 age groups, men are twice as likely as women to be regular users of streaming video; but among teens, girls are as likely to be streamies as boys.

“Like the adoption of broadband, frequent use of steaming audio and video represents a watershed moment for marketers who are searching for new ways to reach their audiences,” said Robert DeFelice, Vice President at Knowledge Networks/SRI. “Streaming online media are clearly associated with a greater reliance on the Internet for entertainment and information, which leads to more time devoted to the medium. The fact that ‘streamies’ often belong to such desirable ad targets as teens and young adults suggests the value of a sophisticated marketing approach in this medium.”