Hollywood saw record sales in the U.S. and abroad in 2007, while noting that the Internet is just short of becoming as influential as television and radio as a marketing medium.

U.S. domestic box office and global box office sales hit all-time highs in 2007, growing 5.4 percent to $9.6 billion in domestic sales and 4.9 percent to $26.7 billion internationally, the Motion Picture Association of America said today.

The MPAA, a group whose membership includes all the major Hollywood studios, said 11 movies in 2007 grossed more than $200 million, twice the 2006 figures. Four movies hit $300 million, the group said.

The Los Angeles-based MPAA also said the Internet is becoming as influential as radio and television for marketing purposes, according to joint research done with Internet portal Yahoo! Online marketing spending has tripled in the last four years, the MPAA's report says.

The study found 73 percent of people used the Internet to conduct research, nearly matching the 75 percent numbers for radio and television. Internet researchers also saw the movie closer to its release date, the study found.

Of the top 20 films of the year, 80 percent were rated PG or PG-13. The number of Rated G movies stayed constant at 5 percent compared to 2006. PG rated movies rose 10 percent to 30 percent. PG-13 films fill from 65 percent to 50 percent. Rated R movies were up 5 percent to 15 percent.

The study also found that the most avid buyers of at home movie options, were the ones most likely to go to the movies.

The study said the avid watchers were the one in seven consumers that bought 5 or more home content delivery option such as digital cable, home theater systems, video-on-demand and movie downloads.

Hollywood