Brand advertisers who have forsaken the internet and online video ads are missing out, as new statistics out show that August 2012 had record viewership levels of online video content.

According to comScore, Americans watched 37.7 billion content videos online and 9.5 billion internet video ads in August. Of the 188 million Americans who are online, more than 87 percent of them viewed web-based video content, Search Engine Watch reported.

In November 2011, the average internet user spent about 816 minutes a month watching online videos, and in August 2012 that number was up to about 1,335 minutes a month. The average video was more than six minutes long, and the average internet video advertising spot was about 24 seconds long, ReelSEO reported.

Cisco reported that video content is expected to become even more popular over the next four years, as the company anticipates having 1.2 million minutes of content come across its networks by 2016. Additionally, 55 percent of all internet traffic is expected to go to video content within the next four years.

"The data is in and one thing is undeniably clear: people love to watch videos online," Ryan W. Neal wrote in a September 19 article on Business 2 Community. "Each month, the amount of video content seen online grows, and analysts expect the trend to continue through 2016. And [as] the amount of online video grows, so does the amount of online video ads."

Increase in internet video advertising
The comScore report also found that more Americans than ever are watching video advertising online. Out of all of the minutes spent watching videos on the internet, more than 20 percent of that time went to viewing ads. During August, about 54 percent of all U.S. residents saw a video ad spot, and the average American looked at 58 video advertisements during the month, Search Engine Watch reported.

An increase in internet video advertising represents a prime opportunity for brands, as Business 2 Community reported that online video ads average an 81 percent return on investment. In addition, internet video ads are generally considered more favorable, more memorable and more enjoyable that television-specific spots.

"Videos are also shown to be much more effective than other forms of online advertising," Neal wrote. "Not only can digital videos be shared and commented on, they have a click-through rate that is 27.4 times that of standard banner ads and 12 times that of rich media ads."