Pricewaterhouse Coopers forecasts the U.S. eBook market

Pricewaterhouse Coopers gave paidContent an exclusive look at new eBook market data from its annual Global Entertainment and Media Outlook report; here's a summary of the U.S. forecast:

• eBooks will comprise 50% of the U.S. trade book market by 2016. 
• Even though consumer eBook spending will continue to grow in North America through 2016, total book spending will be relatively flat--only a “1.1 percent compound annual rate” of increase between 2011 and 2016. 
• Total spending on print trade books will decline, but the growth in eBook sales will be big enough by 2013 to offset those declines. 
• By 2016, the total U.S. consumer book market (both print and eBooks) will be $21 billion, up from $19.5 billion in 2011--in other words, almost flat over five years.