Some interesting information from News UK, publishers of The sun, The times and Sunday Times. The latter two papers are wrapped up in a company called Times Newspapers Ltd who just announced that they turned a profit of £1.7m in 2014– shedding brackets off the company for the first time in thirteen years.
They attribute most of the turnaround to their growth in digital subscriptions and membership (a print and digital package) and less reliance on advertising revenue. They have 390,000 titles across both titles with 170,000 opting for the digital only proposition. The other 220,000 are undecided and taking “a combined print and digital product” – which is a 9% increase on the year.
Paid sales, that’s membership and single copy sales (retail sales to you and me), account for 51% of total revenues compared with 41% last year.
Across at The Sun they released their digital numbers and they say they currently have 225,000 paying to use its digital package up from 102,000 in December 2013, that up 120%. Forking out €7.99 a month each that brings in £21.57m a year to The Sun.
