Mobile video watching up 532 percent in two years, study says

Smartphones and tablets are playing a key role in the consumption of online videos, a new study from video technology company Ooyala shows. During the first quarter of 2014, 21 percent of all online video-plays around the world were completed through mobile devices or tablets, Ooyala reported.

In the first quarter of 2012, that figure was at 3.4 percent. It jumped to 9 percent in the first quarter of 2013. The massive growth in online video consumption via mobile devices has changed the paradigm in content availability. Since 2012, mobile and tablet video viewership is up 532 percent.

The data is an important consideration for broadcasters. Over the last couple of years, several companies, including most notably Microsoft with its Xbox One, have been promoting the benefits of multiscreen viewing.

Microsoft in particular believes that there's an opportunity for broadcasters to share relevant content to viewers on their mobile devices as they're viewing something on their televisions. Other companies are eyeing the ways in which tablets and smartphones can be integrated into the viewing experience, though no single firm has established itself as the leader in the multiscreen space.

Ooyala CEO Jay Fulcher said companies need to think about multiscreen viewing to "build a fundamentally better video business."