BigShinyThing

Research company ComScore found that 94 million U.S. Internet users, or 56 percent of those online, watched streaming video. Based on the previous three months, the research firm found those watching video did so for an average of 73 minutes per month.

The research represents the first figures released by ComScore’s video ratings service, based on its panel of 2 million Internet users who have their activities tracked by ComScore and extrapolated to the entire Internet audience.

Web video offerings have grown this year, as more than half of U.S. Internet users now have broadband connections. On top of that, advertisers have shown keen interest in placing their TV advertisements online in the form of pre-roll video ads watched before clips.

ComScore found that men are more likely than women to watch Web video, representing a disproportionate 61 percent of Web video streamers against their 50 percent portion of the Internet audience. However, of those who watched Web video, males spent less than two minutes more time watching.

Importantly for advertisers (but maybe not for employers), ComScore found online video is most popular during work hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when consumers are typically difficult to reach via traditional media.

Report from Advertising Age.