14% of Americans signed up to online gaming services

A total of 14 per cent of US households now use online gaming subscription services, according to new data compiled by research firm The NPD Group.

The latest update to the "Entertainment Trends in America" consumer tracking study found that entertainment-related content subscriptions have been unaffected by the recession, with monthly per-capita spending rising by seven per cent to USD 115.

The latest figures for August 2009 show that 81 per cent of US households had a television service subscription, 76 per cent an Internet subscription and 17 per cent an online music or satellite radio subscription.

With the rise of smartphones nine per cent of US consumers also now have a mobile data-plan subscription. Home video subscriptions such as Netflix were also up, by two per cent to 14 per cent.

At the same time the number of people subscribing to newspapers fell by two per cent, to 29 per cent. Magazine subscriptions also fell by two per cent, to 41 per cent.

"Consumers are clearly looking to the value offered by entertainment subscriptions and like what they get for their money; plus, new technologies and products have helped bolster data plans and other newer kinds of subscription-based services," said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD.

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