A recent survey from the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) came out yesterday.
There is a good summary on Guardian Unlimited, which can be found here, with this passge putting some figures behind the theory of just why Video as a medium is still so hot at the moment:
"Of the 169 million Europeans online, eight out of ten are using broadband, helping to explain the rise in popularity of online video and TV services, which need fast connections. Almost a third of European web users have watched a TV, film or video clip, compared with 12% last year. A fifth have downloaded a video. The boom has raised concerns that there could be a capacity crunch. Research by internet networking group Cisco this year forecast internet traffic will quintuple from 2006 to 2011, driven by video services. Cisco reckons internet video streaming and downloading will grow from 9% of all consumer internet traffic in 2006 to 30% in 2011".
I'm not sure of the methodology, but the survey also claimed that for the first time 16-24 year olds are spending more time on line than watching TV.
Although they are probably watching TV online.
On Bebo in fact.
On personalised channels created through the new Open Media Platform initiative which affords content brands to create their own brand channels, use their own technology, sell their own ads, keep all the money and distribute themselves throughout the network.
This on the back of more of Bebo's successful interactive drama programme creation, this time with 'The Gap Years' being commissioned, and they really are busy!