AccuStream Research: Streaming Video Up 38.8% in '06 to 24.9 Billion Served.

MONTEREY, Calif. -- Video streams served increased 38.8% in 2006 to 24.92 billion across all entertainment and media sites, including free (ad-supported) and subscription services (excluding User Generated Video delivered via progressive download, and analyzed separately in other AccuStream iMedia Research studies).

This research report, Streaming Media Growth and Viewing Share: 2006 - 2010 provides detailed analysis of video streams delivered by major brands as well as independent destinations.

An entire section of the report is dedicated to Internet music radio, and analyzes usage from 2001 through 2006, with total listening hours provided by site, network, aggregator and service. The entire market grew by 17.9% in '06.

The largest streaming video networks include Internet aggregation sites such as Yahoo, MSN, Real Networks, but the market is in a state of transformation.

Traditional media brands with broadband extensions online such as Disney/ABC, CBS, Viacom, TimeWarner/AOL, NBC Universal also command significant video streaming share, driven up in part by multiple new video initiatives undertaken in '06.

Those were augmented by more syndication relationships and growing reach through content management and distribution platforms like Brightcove and Roo Media.

Reflecting an increasingly competitive content environment, broadband streams per unique user per month per broadband site declined 10.9% in 2006 to 10.6 streams, excluding video advertising streams.

The comparable figure in 2005 was 11.9 video content streams viewed per unique user per month across all broadband sites.

Music videos commanded the largest share of streaming video in 2006, capturing 35.5% of total streams served, and news a 23.6% share.

It was a big year for news. Total streams increased by 90%, and viewing share by 38% over 2005. Music video share declined 22% compared to 2005.

"Media and entertainment brands fully embraced broadband publishing in 2006," commented AccuStream research director Paul A. Palumbo.

"They made more premium content available, that's the key, and fashioned syndication relationships with aggregators who can deliver audiences and began to populate emerging distribution platforms. Moreover, a growing base high speed users and the adoption of Flash propelled the market."

AccuStream iMedia Research (http://www.accustreamresearch.com) publishes industry research reports on streaming and download media, CDN, UGV, subscription and streaming advertising, with extensive data and expert analysis.