Viewing digital video is more common than smartphone use in the UK, making it one of the country's most popular digital activities.

This is according to new research from eMarketer, which shows 43.2 million people are estimated to watch digital video content at least once per month this year.

This equates to 65.1 per cent of the UK population, exceeding the 64.3 per cent who use smartphones. The figure is expected to continue to rise in the coming years, reaching 68.3 per cent in 2021.

Children under 11 and adults 55 and older are the demographics likely to push digital video viewership higher, with much of the long-form video streaming coming through platforms such as BBC iPlayer and Netflix.

Shorter content will be consumed through YouTube or platforms such as Facebook - which represent an opportunity to marketers. Research from Brightcove last year showed of the 47 per cent of UK adult social video viewers who watched branded content on social platforms, 43 per cent went on to make a purchase, a figure eMarketer senior analyst Bill Fisher described as "remarkable".