Netflix continues to be the Internet's most popular streaming video service by a wide margin, according to Sandvine's latest Global Internet Phenomena report. Globally, Netflix (37.1%) was followed by YouTube (17.8%), HTTP traffic (6.06%), Amazon Video (3.11%), iTunes (2.79%), BitTorrent (2.67%), Hulu (2.58%) and Facebook (2.53%) in terms of overall global Internet traffic share.
The numbers were similar for North American fixed-line broadband data with Netflix accounting for 34.7% of all traffic, followed by YouTube (16.88%), HTTP, (6.05%), BitTorrent (4.35%), Amazon Video (2.94%), iTunes (2.62%), Facebook (2.51%) and Hulu (2.48%).
“Streaming Video has grown at such a rapid pace in North America that the leading service in 2015, Netflix, now has a greater share of traffic than all of streaming audio and video did five years ago,” said Dave Caputo, CEO, Sandvine said in a statement.
BitTorrent's continued decline in overall data consumption is notable (last year it was 7%) as users continue to flock to a growing a way of less expensive, legal content options. Sandvine notes that "Real-Time Entertainment" (streaming video and audio) traffic now accounts for over 70% of North American downstream traffic in the peak evening hours on fixed access networks. Five years ago it accounted for less than 35%
“With Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video, and Hulu increasing their share since our last report, it further underscores both the growing role these streaming services play in the lives of subscribers, and the need for service providers to have solutions to help deliver a quality experience when using them," the CEO added.
