Video is growing and going mobile. Nearly half of Canadians are watching online videos more than they were last year. And 35% of smartphone owners, 56% of tablet owners, and 75% of laptop owners in Canada are regularly watching videos on their portable and mobile devices.

These are some of the more striking statistics found in new research from Ipsos Media CT and Google. According to their March 2012 Canada Video Study, Canadians watch an average of eight videos per week, with only 13% watching none.

With mobile opportunities, commenting, and social media, online video is starting to out-engage traditional television: 26% of Canadians now say that online videos are more entertaining than live TV. Further, 23% of Canadians now spend more time watching online videos than television.

88% of Canadians who watch online video use YouTube and 71% say YouTube is their most preferred video site. Traditional outlets with online channels, such as CTV and CBC, were popular with only 25% or less of Canadian online video watchers.

It’s not just about entertainment though. Video drives action. Canadians actively follow up online video watching with various actions: searching for more information (18%), social networking (15%), sharing the video link (13%), visiting a brand from the video (10%), and buying stuff online from the video (7%).

Canadians find reviews and rating from average joes to be the most influential type of video, with 68% finding it helpful. Expert reviews are helpful to 59% of Canadians watching videos online, while informational and product demonstration videos are helpful to 49%.

via Techvibes.com