File under news of the obvious. According to a poll for the BBC, Brits who watch video over the internet or by mobile watch less TV.

Unsurprisingly, online and mobile video is far more popular among the young, with 28% of those aged 16-24 saying they watched more than once each week.

This does not mean that TV is going to go away any time soon. But it does mean that the way we watch video is changing, so TV networks are going to have to change as well. From the BBC article:

“The success of sites such as YouTube over the past year has helped open the door for those who want easy ways to find, watch and share videos over the internet.”

Perhaps the popularity of the Star Wars kid points the way. The two-minute clip of a teenager waving a pretend a lightsaber has become the most successful viral video on the net.

How did this happen? By people sending it on to friends, who then sent it on to others. No marketing, no big Hollywood blockbuster budget.

In the words of UKTV channel boss Steve North:

“It’s now official – with viewing figures like this, virals truly are the entertainment of the future. The magic combination of hilarity and notoriety means that these vignettes are forwarded from inbox to inbox around the world.”

Mind you, he would say that, as his channel has commissioned a TV show based on viral videos.