The Times Has 140,000 Subscribers, Approximately £29 Million in Subscription Revenues

The Times’ metered subscription site has added 13,000 subscribers since the start of the year, for a total of 140,000, said News UK CEO

The Times’ metered subscription site has added 13,000 subscribers since the start of the year, for a total of 140,000, said News UK CEO Mike Darcey at a recent conference. A conservative estimate would then put subscription revenues around £29.1 million.That number is derived from assuming that all the subscribers have The Times’ Digital Pack, since Darcey claimed that much of the company’s digital growth is from tablets, with readers wanting on-the-go, multi-device access. (Revenues are likely higher, given that a number of subscribers probably have The Times’ print + digital bundle. At the same time, The Times will be paying a heft 30% fee to Apple for any subscribers acquired through the Apple store.)As I’ve written about before, the tablet has the potential to revitalize newspaper profits, especially if news sites don’t commit journalism’s original sin again of offering content for free. As Darcey alluded, consumers will pay more for convenience. Furthermore, Times’ subscribers are spending about 40 minutes engaged with content through tablet devices — similar to the time spent with print.However, it’s unclear whether The Times is profitable, despite their revenue growth in both print and digital subscriptions. My suspicion is that old-school newsroom expenses are still not being offset by revenue growth, and The Times may need to do some paring down in order to remain a profitable news organization in the 21st century.

Up Next

Register Now For Email Subscription News Updates!

Search this site

You May Be Interested in: