It reached one million total subscribers, including print customers, in 2019.
According to the publishers, more than half of FT subscribers are based outside the UK, illustrating the publication’s global reach. In recent years the FT has invested in expanding its readership in the US in particular, which now accounts for more than 20% of its subscriber numbers.
The Financial Times first introduced a paywall in 2002. It pioneered a ‘metered’ access model in 2007 before moving in 2015 to paid trials as its primary model. Digital journalism revenues are now equal to all of its other revenue streams combined, while the FT newspaper continues to be profitable: in fact, the FT Weekend publication has seen circulation increase by double digits in the past two years, says the FT.
CEO John Ridding said: “This is another milestone in our successful digital transformation and a strategy we have been pursuing for over a decade. The FT is proof that quality journalism can be a quality growth business, and digital journalism can be a quality global business.”
Editor Roula Khalaf said: “The FT is unique in delivering scoops, deep analysis, investigations, commentary and culture, all from a truly global perspective. Through the pandemic and beyond readers relied on us for trusted coverage and insight - and we have responded with ever more engaging formats like visual storytelling, film and data journalism.”
The publisher says it plans to expand its readership with new products and formats. It will shortly release an app that targets non-business readers, available initially on iOS. This will tap into the FT’s extensive social media following, growing podcast listenership and readers of its themed newsletters.
The FT won 30 global awards for its journalism in 2021, including both International and National Newspaper of the Year at the News Awards, as well as multiple accolades for reporting on Greensill Capital and the collapse of Wirecard.
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