Millions of consumers worldwide are willing to pay for certain types of online content, and many are open to increased advertising to pick up the costs, but attitudes about paying for content vary greatly by geography, demographics, and content type, according to a survey from Nielsen.
Paying for (Perceived) Quality
Consumers show a higher propensity to pay for music, movies, games, and professionally produced video than for podcasts, blogs, or consumer-generated video. For example, consumers are nearly three times as likely to pay for online music as they are for access to a blog.
That finding validates the notion that consumers globally still place more value on content produced by "professionals" than by other consumers, according to Nielsen. Likewise, consumers are more inclined to spend money on what they already pay for, rather than on what they currently get for free.
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Not All Content Is Equal
Surprisingly, many consumers say they are open to more advertising: 47% of consumers worldwide say they would tolerate more ads to subsidize free content, but that willingness varies by geographic market.
Across selected regions, the following consumers say they are open to more advertising:
- Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan: 57% of consumers
- Asia/Pacific: 55%
- North America: 40%
- Europe: 39%
About the data: The global survey of more than 27,000 consumers in 54 countries was conducted by the Nielsen Company to examine attitudes about paying for online content and to determine which content types consumers were most willing to support financially.
