"This willingness to view adverts in exchange for free content is good news for advertisers and is perhaps a pointer in the ongoing debate over whether advertising or subscription is the right revenue model," said Tudor Aw, a partner at KPMG.

Only 16% said they prefer to pay for online content, the survey by consultancy firm KPMG found.

Some 21% said they would pay to avoid ads on mobile phones, but 40% said they would watch ads in exchange for free music.

The research indicates that UK consumers are more likely to access content that is ad-supported, than subscriptions, he said.