Snapchat, Gaining on Facebook, Says It Has 6 Billion Video Views a Day
By Carlton Wilcoxson • November 10, 2015
Snapchat Inc. says the number of videos watched each day on its messaging app has grown to 6 billion. The updated figure, first reported in the Financial Times, is the latest chest-beat from social media companies touting their video bonafides. On its earnings call last week, Facebook said more than 500 million people were watching more than 8 billion videos a day on average.
At times, the companies seem like stock cars trying to pass each other in a Nascar race. Just months ago in May, Snapchat said its video views were around 2 billion. They’ve since tripled, gaining on Facebook, whose heady tally has doubled from 4 billion in April.
The list of challengers drafting these video powerhouses is long. They include services such as Twitter’s Vine, Facebook’s own Instagram and Amazon.com Inc.’s Twitch, as well as major content players such as Netflix Inc. competing for people’s attention as more eyeballs watch video on devices. YouTube, the behemoth from Alphabet’s Google unit, doesn’t release data on views but the number is no doubt huge. YouTube counts more than a billion users a month.