There's been a huge growth in popularity of online video use among Americans in the past year, according to a national online Magid Media Futures survey conducted in the last week of March 2007, reports MarketingCharts.

Daily usage of online video increased 56 percent over the last year: In 2006, 9 percent of 12-64-year-old Americans who used the Internet reported using online video daily; that proportion has now risen to 14 percent, reported the Magid study.

"Clearly the use of online video demonstrates that the Internet has become a mass platform for distributing video content to a wide cross section of Americans," said Mike Vorhaus, SVP and managing director for Frank N. Magid Associates.

Additional findings from the study:

• Weekly usage of online video has also increased: In 2006, 44 percent of online Americans age 12-64 used online video once a week or more; now that proportion is 52 percent - a growth of 18 percent.
• Among young adult males 18-24, 35 percent report using online video at least once a day, and 80 percent report watching online video at least once a week.
• In all age-groups, males are more regular viewers of online video: Among females 18-24, weekly use of online video is 53 percent, versus 80 percent for males.

MarketingCharts provides more info from the study.