British internet users are the least likely of any in the world to pay for online news content, a far-reaching report on online consumer behaviour has revealed.
The report by leading accountancy firm, KPMG, shows that 81 per cent of UK web users would go elsewhere for content if a frequently used free site began charging.
The figures are bad news for publishing bosses who are exploring ways of making internet news content cost-effective. They are particularly bad news for the Times newspaper and its parent company, News International, which introduced charges for its content just last month.
Head of technology at KPMG Europ, Tudor Aw, said "UK consumers still haven't come around to the idea of paying for digital content and are clear that they will move to other sites if paywalls are put up."
Aw said the survey had shown encouraging news for gaming, music and video news content with 50, 44 and 35 per cent of respondents respectively saying they would be willing to pay for this content.
He continued, "While these results are bad news for newspaper pay walls, there is better news for videos, music and games creators, as these are the most popular types of content for which people are willing to pay."
