WebProNews

A large number of online video viewers are more engaged with what they watch on the Web than they are with TV, according to a new study from online video site Veoh Networks.

Veoh found that what it calls " engaged viewers" (those who watch more than an hour of online video a week) make up nearly 40 percent of all online video viewers and watch close to 75 percent of all online video.

Engaged viewers are more likely to watch videos all the way through, pay more attention to online video than they do to TV and are more likely to rate the videos they watch more frequently.

Over half (61%) of engaged viewers expect to spend a greater amount of time watching online video in the next year. Demographically engaged viewers are 13 to 24 year-olds and make up only 15 percent of the online population, but represent more than 35 percent of engaged online video viewers.

The study broke down engaged viewers into three sub-groups based on time spent watching video, types of videos watched, sharing of videos, and the amount of attention paid to online video compared to TV.

 "Watchers," those who spend just over an hour viewing video each week, don't engage in the experience deeply by controlling playback and sharing videos.

"Controllers," those younger viewers who take an active role in controlling their video experiences and feel that online video is important to their lives.

The last sub-group, "Connectors" make up just 7 percent of online viewers, but consume 20 percent of all online video and do 42 percent of all online video sharing.

"As online video viewing continues to grow as a primary source of entertainment, it will create many new opportunities for content providers and advertisers alike to reach engaged, influential audiences," said Steve Mitgang, CEO of Veoh Networks.

"Now is the time for advertisers to re-think their approaches to marketing in online video in order to captivate these valuable viewers as they drive online video into a mainstream entertainment medium."