Measurement
Average Watch Time
The mean duration viewers spend watching a video before scrolling away, used to compare retention across formats.
What it means in practice
Average watch time divides accumulated viewing duration by the platform's counted plays or viewers. Replays, loops, video length, and minimum view rules can change the average.
Why it matters
Average watch time shows where weak retention may limit message delivery and media efficiency.
How it is used
Creator teams compare average watch time with video length and retention curves when planning new edits.
Also called
average view duration
Related terms
- Video Completion RateThe share of video views that continued through to the end of the clip.
- Incrementality TestingA controlled experiment comparing exposed and withheld groups to isolate the additional results genuinely caused by a campaign.
- Lifetime ValueThe total expected profit or revenue from a customer across the whole relationship with the business.