Live streaming video use jumps about 650 percent

The Internet is continuing its march into TV’s backyard, this time taking charge at live TV broadcasting as use of live streaming sites exploded in 2010, according to data from comScore.

Time spent watching live streaming services like Ustream and Justin.tv grew nearly 650 percent in 2010, with users clocking in 1.4 billion minutes of use.

Use of hosted content sites rose as well, but only modestly compared to live streaming sites. YouTube saw a 68 percent jump, while  Hulu — which hosts many popular TV shows on major networks — view time rose by around 75 percent. Videos on live streaming sites are also about 7 percent longer than sites that host videos.

comScore said live streaming sites were 72 percent more likely to hit the holy grail of advertising, males aged 18-34, when compared to other video sites like YouTube and Hulu. In July, Ustream attracted 3.2 million unique users while Justin.tv attracted 2.6 million.

Live streaming sites like Justin.tv and Ustream find a number of uses, ranging from streaming live content running on cable networks — such as a sports event — to feeds of a bunch of guys playing video games for charity. Most live streaming services like Justin.tv, a startup backed by the Y Combinator incubator, have already released apps for the Android marketplace and iPhone App Store.

[Photo: TheSeafarer]