• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, March 3, 2017

Mobile phones and desktops are neck-and-neck when it comes to video viewing.

More than half, or about 57%, of consumers around the world watch videos on their mobile phones every day. That’s on par with the 58% of consumers who are checking out videos on their computer, according to AOL’s State of the Video Industry Global Research Study.

In the U.S., about 67% of consumers watch video on their mobile phones each day, which compares to 70% who watch on a computer. AOL also found that 62% of consumers anticipate watching more online video in the coming months -- and they’ll be tuning in using the closest device available. That will often be their mobile phone.

Short videos are the most popular. Every day, about 59% of consumers watch videos that run less than 60 seconds. As the length of a video rises, the percent of consumers viewing shrinks.

The live video audience is growing too, and AOL found that 74% of consumers watch live video on their phones.

Given the consumer upticks in mobile videos, advertisers are poised to follow suit. About 70% of advertisers expect to up their mobile ad spend by 25% this year.

Perhaps the rise in mobile stems from the addictive nature of cell phones. About 89% of US consumers and 77% of global consumers say they either can’t live without their smartphones, or they keep them nearby.