November 16th, 2009
NPD: The subscription model bucks economy
The economy may stink, but consumers are clinging to their entertainment and mobile subscriptions.
According to NPD, monthly per capita entertainment subscriptions rose to $115, up 7 percent from a year ago.
The breakdown from NPD is notable. To wit:
- As of August, 81 percent of U.S households subscribed to a television service (cable, satellite and fiber-optic).
- 76 percent have an Internet subscription.
- 17 percent subscribe to an online music service or satellite radio.
- 14 percent subscribe to an online gaming service.
- Mobile data subscription plans were 9 percent, up from 6 percent last year.
- 14 percent of consumers had a home-video subscription service like Netflix, up 2 percent from a year ago.
- 29 percent of Americans had a newspaper subscription, down 2 percent from a year ago (you’d think it would be worse).
- And 41 percent of consumers subscribed to magazines, down from 43 percent from a year ago.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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