Reports Video

Facebook Video Not The Real Deal Yet But Could Still Unseat YouTube

Mark Mulligan
Cover image for Facebook Video
Report Presentation Spreadsheet

Get full access to this report and assets

Already a MIDiA client? Login here to view this report.

If you are interested this report, or related reports such as The Netflix Effect How Netflix Is Changing The Rules For TV, Video Market Country Profile: US The Global Online Video Powerhouse and YouTube Disruptors The Companies That Aim To Challenge YouTube In Its Second Decade get in touch today to enquire about a report bundle.

The 20,000 Foot View

Facebook is emerging as a serious challenger to YouTube and is building clear momentum that is giving the incumbent cause for concern in a way that few other short form challengers have yet managed to do. The total number of videos viewedby Facebook users was            billion a day in April 2015, up from            billion only three months earlier.  Big brand advertisers are also warming to Facebook video with Heineken going as far as to suggest that Facebook is just as important as YouTube for them as a video platform.  But Facebook’s video metrics are not quite the runaway success they might at first appear.  Facebook does indeed have momentum, a momentum that will become self-perpetuating, but its scale of actual user engagement is much smaller than the headline statistics suggest.  A Facebook video view is a very different thing from a YouTube view, with the former diluted markedly by inactive, passive views of silent videos on Facebook news feeds.

  Key Findings

  • Facebook video            growing fast, with            billion daily            views in May 2015 and            penetration compared to            for YouTube
  • However, most            video views are passive views            from autoplay
  • Just            of            regularly un-mute Facebook videos in            newsfeed, rising to            of Facebook            users
  • Four fifths            Facebook’s            million global video audience            watches videos on YouTube
  • The unique            Facebook video audience is just           
  • Thus, being            YouTube only gives content owners            marketers access to the majority            the online video audience while            does not
  • Despite all            though, Facebook could be poised            be a major challenger to            because its video strategy is            suited to Digital Natives
  • Facebook video            emerge as the new home            short form video and user            content, with the personal context            Facebook video a key factor

Companies mentioned in this report: YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Buzz Feed, AOL, MSN, Yahoo