Topic: Surfers accept ads for free content

[Clive]

Sixty per cent of UK consumers would be happy to watch adverts in return for free online content, rather than pay for it, according to a study.

Research from KPMG suggests that ad-supported content is likely to be more popular than paid-for content while browsing the web, in social networks and when listening to music.

Tudor Aw of KPMG said: "This willingness to view adverts in exchange for free content is good news for advertisers and is perhaps a pointer in the on-going debate over whether advertising or subscription is the right revenue model."

Music-streaming site Spotify, which recently opened in the UK, offers both a free, ad-supported service and a paid-for model.

However, reports suggest that the ad-supported version is far more popular than the paid-for service.

Other companies such as AOL recently closed down some its paid-for services such as Xdrive, telling Web User that it wanted to focus more on free offerings for surfers.

[Simon]

I think there's a place for ad sponsored services, as long as there remains a choice, and privacy isn't compromised.

[Reno]

Yup, mom watched about 10 years of bananza through youtubes ads service. I think each flick came with an ad at the beginning and the rest was ad free. I don't see how it makes money. I don't see anyone actually buying something advertised on those ads.  There must be some island of dumbasses out there whose sole purpose in life is to buy s**t out of emails and ads they see on tv.