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HOLLYWOOD -- So where did the vaunted 18-34 male demo go when it dropped off the face of the Nielsens? According to Sony, they're sitting in front of their TVs all right -- but only to play videogames online.

The manufacturer of the PlayStation 2 analyzed usage of the online component of the console during the month of February and found that the majority of players were on between 5 and 11 p.m. About 65% of that audience was composed of men 18-34.

The number of people who use the PlayStation 2 online reached 2.6 million in February, according to the report. More than 67,000 new gamers registered for the service last month. Sony expects this number to increase over time thanks to its massive customer base -- currently only one in 10 owners of a PlayStation 2 have hooked it up to play online.

"When people go looking for their favorite entertainment, some are turning to online gaming with PlayStation 2 instead of turning into broadcast television," said Andrew House, exec VP of Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Dozens of games are available to play online with the PlayStation 2, the most popular of which is "SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALS," which has 500,000 online players.