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Paid online content revenues hit $2 billion: OPA

Press Release, On Target Media staff

According to the Online Publishers Association's (OPA) full-year 2005 Online Paid Content U.S. Market Spending Report, prepared in association with comScore Networks, there was a double-digit annual percentage gain in online paid content revenues. 2005 also recorded a high in the average amount being spent by consumers in buying online content. Get the full report here.

The sharp growth in paid online content is attributed to the continuation of the digital entertainment explosion that began in 2004.

"The Entertainment/Lifestyle and Games categories continued to experience the greatest growth in 2005, solidifying the Web as an entertainment destination for US consumers," said Pam Horan, OPA Vice President of Marketing & Membership. "The growth in online paid content is clearly widespread," Horan continued. "Multiple content categories, including Personals, Business and Research, saw significant revenue gains and contributed to the record high revenues."

Paid online content reached two notable milestones in 2005, with the average annual spending per consumer crossing the $100 threshold and total consumer spending online reaching an all time high of $2 billion during 2005 -- a 15 percent increase over 2004. The 2005 Report affirms that the continued strong annual growth in online content is fueled both by increased spending and more consumers participating.

Horan commented, "All signs point to very strong and steady growth for paid online content. In each of the last five years, we've seen record revenues and record numbers of consumers paying for content. With only 12 percent of the total Web population purchasing online content, enormous opportunity for growth continues to exist."

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