MSNBC At 10: The Streaming Video Surge

> Update: 6:16pm: “MSNBC.com would get even more volume if it did not refuse to allow streaming of some of its content on Macintosh browsers,” an observer notes.



This chart tracks the stunning increase in the number of MSNBC.com video streams since January 2000. These numbers were presented at a MSNBC.com 10th anniversary celebration at Microsoft’s headquarters last Friday.

The first spike came in September 2001, when the 9/11 terrorist attacks resulted in over 23 million streams, up from 6.5 million the month before. The usage temporarily returned to pre-9/11 levels, but not for long. By the fall of 2002, the site was averaging 15 million video streams a month. The second spike came in March 2003, at the beginning of the war in Iraq. March saw 63 million streams and April saw another 35 million. Again, the usage declined, but it climbed past 20 million several times in 2004. By January 2005, the site was averaging 35 million video streams a month. The next peak came in August 2006, as Hurricane Katrina washed ashore. The site delivered 86 million streams in August and 75 million in September.

In June 2006, the most recent available month, the site delivered over 60 million video streams. Of course, MSNBC.com isn’t the only news site enjoying the surge in streaming video popularity. But it’s a great demonstration of the medium’s growth. The site has come a long way from the 2.3 million streams it provided in January 2000…