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Puppy cam watched for 773 'viewer years'

Ustream's Shiba Inu live video is an undisputed hit. Look out Jonas Brothers.

Nicholas Carson
December 14, 2008: 2:51 PM ET

(alleyinsider.com) -- We once supposed that Ustream's Shiba Inu Puppy Cam might be the most popular live-streaming video of all time.

Wonder no more.

A Ustream source says 's Shiba Inu Puppy Cam has been viewed 15 million times, for a combined 773 viewer years.

For a little perspective, note that 2008's most popular YouTube video -- the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up -- has over four times as many views.

We're willing to bet, however, that the cost of setting up a camera and pointing it a litter of puppies were far less than 25% of the production costs involved in a prettying up the Jonas Brothers.

As the puppies grow up and their owners sell them, the puppy cam population continues to dwindle. But not Ustream's traffic, says cofounder Brad Hunstable.

'All around, we've seen tremendous growth,' Ustream cofounder Brad Hunstable told the New York Times. 'We've seen a spike of about 25 percent growth in new shows, a massive spike in our unique visitors, and gotten e-mails from interested investors.'

More importantly, there's already a new puppy cam up and runningTo top of page

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