LOS ANGELES-More than 20 percent of teen U.S. cell-phone users have downloaded at least 10 ringtones in the last month, and 12 percent have downloaded 15 or more music clips, according to a survey from Nielsen Entertainment.
The firm’s first mobile entertainment benchmark found that active mobile-phone users spend 13 hours talking on their phones every week and another four hours using data services. More than half of all respondents said they pay for text messaging, 48 percent paid for custom ringtones, and 22 percent reported paying for wireless games.
Further, Nielsen said substantial handset turnover rates provide opportunities for carriers and content providers. More than half of respondents said they plan to buy a new phone within the year, and 37 percent said additional features would play a large role in the decision-making process.
“The direct-to-consumer opportunity afforded by the broad penetration of phones, over 50 percent hardware turnover and the consumer’s increasing desire for mobile entertainment sets the perfect stage for exponential growth in the mobile entertainment marketplace,” said Emily Della Maggioria, Nielsen’s vice president of interactive entertainment. “There is tremendous momentum for hardware companies, aggregators and service providers at this tipping point of mobile entertainment.”
