Reports Critical Developments

Paid News Legacy Titles and New Media Compete For Share Of Digital Voice

Zach Fuller
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The 20,000 Foot View: In an economy based on attention, the monetisation of news in 2017 balances declining advertising revenues against a push towards building subscribers. Emerging business models and shifts in consumer behaviour are reshaping news monetisation and directly impacting the publishers of news content. Subscriptions are driving digital revenues at a time when overall consumer demand for news sources is now a niche activity, with only            of consumers subscribing to multiple media services. At the same time, news app engagement is stalling, thereby limiting the growth opportunity for news subscriptions. Bundling news subscriptions alongside mainstream consumer services such as Amazon Prime is positioned to become the main monetisation model.

Key Findings:

  • The total            publishing market is worth            as            2017 
    •            of all users consume news online or on mobile
  • Only            of            users subscribe to multiple paid            services across Video, Music and           
    •            of Financial Times subscribers and            New York Times subscribers are now digital only            Amazon Prime accounts create an opportune market for bundles featuring the Washington Post
  • The Washington            is the only major newspaper            to publish all of its            directly to Facebook’s Instant Articles
  • Limited downloads            new apps mean it is            for news sites to engender            audiences on their own platforms
  • BuzzFeed and            have            audience penetration among            but            above           
  • Slowdown in            downloads limits ability to draw            to a core platform outside            bundles

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Apple, Amazon, BuzzFeed, Daily Mail, The Economist, Facebook, Financial Times, Google, The Guardian, Instagram, Mashable, New York Times, Quartz, Snapchat, USA Today, Vice, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post