U.S. Pornography Looks to Go Mobile

The New York Times writes on the potentialof the U.S. mobile porn industry. Roger Entner at Ovum attributed the rise in handset pornography to the easier use of the Internet on phones. "It has every component that has proven conducive to the consumption of adult entertainment - privacy, easy access, and, on top of it, mobility," Entner said.

According to the Yankee Group, the firm "estimates that by 2009, sales of pornography for phones will hit $196 million, still meager compared with a projected $1.2 billion for ring tones." This is a tiny figure given the overall market for mobile content. Plus, will there even be a ringtone market by 2009?

Adam Zawel at Yankee Group noted that for users bypassing the carrier's networks, the "demand for pornography is already higher than for any other category." He added that in Europe, "people spend at least $100 million a year for pornography, from soft-core images of scantily clad models to hard-core images and some video."

Yawn. I guess mobile porn makes good copy and gets people all riled up, which is why there are articles every week on the topic. However, how many people will really want to pay to watch porn on a small screen?