Comedy and humor has overtaken news as the most-watched type of video online, according to a study from the Pew Research Center released Thursday. Half of respondents to the center’s survey watched funny videos online, up from 31% in 2007. News was the second most-popular category, with 43% of adults saying they watched such videos, compared with 37% in the earlier survey.

Not surprisingly, the study, which surveyed more than 750 Internet users last year, found that viewership of all types of videos online is rising, along with the spread of high-speed Internet connections and the increasing availability of better content online. Seven in 10 Internet users in the survey said they watch video online. Movies and television saw one of the largest increases in online viewing, with viewership rising from 16% in 2007 to 32%. Only 7% of respondents admitted to watching “adult” video on the Internet, but that too is up from 2007.

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