Times reveals digital subscriber numbers

The first official figures on the impact of Rupert Murdoch's paywall around The Times and The Sunday Times have been published by News International, giving an early indication of the scale of audience that is prepared to pay to read general news content online. News International, the UK newspaper arm of Mr Murdoch's News Corp, said that 105,000 customers had so far paid for a monthly subscription, single copy or for pay-as-you-go access to The Times or Sunday Times content online. Coupled with the 100,000 print subscribers to The Times who had activated their free digital accounts, the publisher said that its total paid audience for digital products was close to 200,000. The long-awaited figures will be closely analyzed by other newspaper proprietors and publishers, who have seen their revenues suffer as readers and advertisers have migrated to the web. However, analysts said a lack of detail in the numbers -- for instance, there is no breakdown of how many readers bought the iPad app rather than a website subscription -- would limit the conclusions that could be made about the paywall strategy in general. Times readers are charged £1 for a day's digital access - the same price as the weekday newspaper - or £2 for a week's subscription to the Times and Sunday Times sites. Print subscribers gain free access, while international visitors face charges of $2/€1.50 a day or $4/€3 a week. The Times iPad app costs £9.99 a month.