eMarketer: $1.4 B spent on online content in 2003

US consumer online content spending will reach $1.4 billion in 2003, growing 10.4% over 2002. By 2005, one-fifth of US Internet users will be content buyers. The growth rate is one-quarter of that seen in 2002 (43.4%). This year marks the first time since eMarketer began tracking such revenues that online advertising spending, with 14.8% year-over-year growth, is outpacing online content spending. Nonetheless, eMarketer forecasts the percentage of online content buyers in the US will continue to rise steadily through 2005, reaching 35.8 million that year.