Drea Knufken
How big is porn? Well, how big do you want it to be, baby?
Porn sales statistics are notoriously hard to get your hands on. Everyone seems to have a size estimate, but nobody has an accurate measuring stick to see how big the industry really is.
One 2006 estimate has the global porn industry at $97 billion in revenues. Although piracy is eating into the profits of more traditional outlets like paid online subscriptions and DVDs, underpaid porn stars and nearly infinite distribution channels ensure that the industry remains strong. Everyone from Verizon (smartphone porn) to Marriott (pay-per-porn) profits off the stuff. According to one estimate, 28,000 Internet users are watching porn every second.
Adult-oriented video games, magazines, anime and manga also diversify porn’s income channels. Even though the economies of porn market leaders Great Britain, South Korea, and the US have have slumped, peoples’ sex drive hasn’t.
