News’ push for paid digital content in Australia passed a milestone last week as digital subscribers topped 100,000.
News Corp Australia chief executive Kim Williams says the total – of which about half are for The Australian – is “a good start”.
“They are encouraging numbers which demonstrate clearly that Australians are prepared to pay for great journalism, well-argued opinion pieces and rigorous analysis,” he says.
“The 100k figure is a good start especially as we are only just ramping up our marketing, as we ensure the reliability in delivery and platform stability.”
News has been offering a variety of packages, including print-and-digital and a deal called News+ which embraces Fox Sports content. Last week’s milestone 100,000 does not include free trials or employee subscriptions, the company says.
A further 300,000 people have registered for the metro sites, accessing number of free articles each month which increases when they register for News+. The company says its mobile audience – at 700,000 unique daily browsers in June – has grown by almost 125 per cent on last year.
“It is too early to declare success, as the challenge to transform our company into the most innovative and engaging media company it can be, is never ending,” Williams says. “However, we are making encouraging progress.”