• There is greater consumption of video news about national politics (43%), international news (38%) and health or wellness (35%). 

• TikTok, Instagram and X are the favorite platforms among young people, while adults are more inclined towards Facebook or YouTube.

At report in 2023, 71% of online Spanish adults watched news videos in the last week. The data revealed that Spain is the country in Southern and Western Europe where most people consume news video. The 2024 report queried the frequency with which the audience consumes online videos on news-related topics (e.g. via computer, smartphone or tablet) in three typologies: live videos, short videos (a few minutes or less) or long videos. The adaptation of journalistic content to different platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.) makes it possible to connect with audiences that demand conciseness and direct communication. 

This year we have seen a generalized shift towards short-form video consumption in all 47 news markets. Across all countries, more than 40% indicate that they access a short news video at least once a week. The UK is the country that consumes the least amount of news via modality (39% weekly and only 9% daily). 

In Spain, 64% of the audience acknowledges weekly consumption of short videos for news information (20% daily). This trend is similar in the rest of European countries. The highest levels of video consumption are in Africa, Asia (except Japan) and Latin America. On the other side of the Atlantic, short-form video consumption is lowest in Canada (57%) and the United States (60%), and highest in the Latin American markets surveyed: Peru (85%), Colombia (77%), Mexico (77%), Brazil (76%), Chile (75%) and Argentina (66%). 

Frequency of consumption of informative videos

As we have seen, the weekly consumption of videos to receive the most relevant news is a common trend in more than half of the respondents. In the weekly consumption of news through videos, 64% dedicate time to short videos. When considering the other modalities (live or streaming videos and long videos) the values coincide at 46%. The daily consumption of videos for informative purposes is 20% in the short modality . On the other hand, the longer videos and those broadcast live are eight and ten percentage points lower. One of the reasons that seem to explain the figures may be the lack of time to consume more minutes of audiovisual content. 

Having presented the main characteristics, it is interesting to analyze how the three video typologies are distributed by gender and age. Video platforms such as TikTok, reels Instagram or YouTube have gained visibility among younger audiences for the distribution of news. Speed and accessibility are generating changes in the way information is consumed. 

In general terms, the percentage of men who get their weekly information from videos exceeds that of women in all three cases. The data shows that the number of men who opt for more concise videos (67%) is slightly higher than that of women (62%). Likewise, the number of men who watch news via streaming or long-form audiovisual content exceeds 50% (more than ten percentage points higher than women). If we examine the dynamics of daily consumption, we can observe a similar percentage of men and women who opt for short videos (20%). Similarly, the figure for streaming and long videos does not exceed 15% in both cases.

Considering the different age groups, it can be seen that as the age of the respondents increases, audiovisual consumption tends to decrease in all three modalities. For example, 72% of the audience between 18 and 24 years of age accesses weekly news content presented in short videos. On the other hand, the number of adults who watch videos on modality to satisfy their demand for information stands at a not inconsiderable 60%. 

The consumption of live or streaming video streaming allows audiences to access content in real time through online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook or Twitch, among others. The ability for viewers to interact with the content and with other users online explains why more than 50% of respondents between 18 and 44 years of age opt for this modality (weekly). As can be seen in the graph, this figure contrasts with that of older consumers (36% of those over 65). 

Instead of consuming news through shorter formats that synthesize information through headlines or summaries, some people opt for videos that provide a more detailed and exhaustive analysis of the topics covered. In this typology, we can include interviews, reports and analysis videos by experts. As with live video broadcasting, more than 50% of respondents between 18 and 44 years of age have a significant weekly consumption. 

Audience interest and participation in the consumption of audiovisual content

When distributing the habitual consumption of videos by news interest, 84% of the respondents who pay more attention to the news prefer short videos. In contrast, 59% of individuals with little news interest watch short content. If we consider the percentage of Internet users who prefer live or streaming Internet broadcasts, we observe that 70% show a high level of involvement with current events compared to 41% of those who avoid information. The relationship between video consumption as a growing trend and interest in news explains that journalistic adaptation in these digital environments is favored by the accessibility and variety of formats that encourage direct interaction.

 
Once the relationship between the recurrent use of videos and audience interest has been exposed, it is relevant to analyze how video users interact with the news. The most common actions include the reading of news content, dialogue about current events, the exchange of information and the dissemination of multimedia material through social networks. Once again, short videos generate the most attention. Their ease of access and short duration (sometimes less than a minute) intensifies the audience's ability to disseminate them, read comments on media or publishing platforms (91%), talk about current events (88%), comment (93%) and share (91%) information. 

When we look at the behavior of the audience that includes videos with other characteristics in its per diem expenses information, there are hardly any differences. The action of commenting on a news item on social networks or on their website also stands out. This internship encourages participation in various debates. 

The percentage of long-form video is 86% (four percentage points higher than in live broadcasts). The ability to comment on a news item on a social network or a website is a patron saint that has a high presence in all video modalities. However, it should be noted that the percentage of interaction is slightly higher among those who consume longer news videos. For example, 80% of those who spend time reading video comments or content associated with the news show a preference for more detailed videos. As for the ability to discuss a news item over the Internet (either on social networks or instant messaging) with friends and colleagues at work, we note that, both in the consumption of live and longer videos, the percentage exceeds 70%.

Politics, international and health, the favorite topics

The selection made by video users reflects the diversity of interests and preferences when consulting news topics. As can be seen in the graph, most of the audiovisual content selected by audiences falls into the category ofhard news. Thus, 43% consume informative videos on national politics. On the other hand, 38% opt for international news. In addition, there are similarities with respect to health (35%), environment (30%) and, to a lesser extent, science (26%).

On the contrary, a lower frequency is detected in issues related to Economics, crime and Education with a percentage that reaches 20%. Similarly, the rest of the topics are below 30%. Not surprisingly, within the so-calledsoft news, lifestyle topics (sports, arts and culture) are the most prominent with 28%. In addition, entertainment or fun news is at 20%. 

When analyzing data segmented by gender and age, we perceive that there are hardly any differences between men and women. In both cases, hard audiovisual news viewers exceed 80%. The viewing of relevant events is maintained in all age groups. Interest in relevant news increases proportionally with the age of the respondents. For example, 85% of Internet users between 18 and 54 years of age opt for this news option. This sustained and high figure is only surpassed by those between 55 and 64 years of age (87%) and those over 65 (92%). 

The distribution of soft news shows an inverse trend. While in the consumption ofhard news the number of men was slightly higher, in the consumption ofsoft news, 54% of women prefer lifestyle, entertainment or fun news topics (three percentage points higher than men). 

The data shows a slight decrease in the search for these news items in the last two age brackets. The age group that sample shows the strongest preference for entertainment videos corresponds to those aged 45 to 54 (58%). 

In the analysis of the sociodemographic variables, we can observe that as the level of educational and income of the respondents increases, the selection of relevant topics increases or the number of topics selected increases. hard news. Ninety-one percent of people with higher income levels include videos on relevant topics, as do people who have taken a Degree or postgraduate program (92%). In the case of the distribution of soft news we see a balance in the level of educational and income. In general, there is a homogeneous distribution that exceeds 50% in each case. 

After having examined the general data in the choice of the audience by the hard and the soft news it is essential to delve into the specific values of the three topics that most enquiry audiences choose when selecting news videos on the Internet: national politics, international news and health. 

First, interest in audiovisual news is slightly higher among men (46%) than among women (40%). This is similarly seen with regard to the consumption of news about politics, where men outnumber women by eight percentage points.

In contrast, access to health and wellness videos is significantly higher for women at 41% compared to 29% for men. 

Finally, the consumption of videos on national and international politics tends to increase with increasing age, while in the case of health and wellness news, there are hardly any differences. 

The channel of access to videos is essential to understand consumption patterns. This year's results allow us to observe access to social networks and news on the website. The latter correspond to 16% of the audience. In comparison, the use of social networks presents a greater diversification. YouTube is the platform most used by adult Spaniards to consume news videos each week (24%), followed by Facebook (17%), Instagram (16%), X (Twitter) (10%) and TikTok (10%). In last place are Twitch and Snapchat, with 1%. If we compare these data with the weekly consumption of news videos in 2023, we appreciate lower figures than the consumption dynamics in social networks. It is important to note that 4% of respondents say they do not know the channel they use to access news videos. The reasons behind this uncertainty are diverse and are related to the high exhibition to the platforms. 

 
Finally, the analysis by age sample shows notable differences in the subject of network used to watch news. In the case of the youngest, TikTok, Instagram and X are the favorite platforms, with a marginal presence among the older cohorts, while the latter are more inclined towards Facebook or YouTube.