The number of digital subscribers to The Times and The Sunday Times has exceeded 100,000, almost a year since the newspapers began charging online readers to access their websites.
News International, parent company of the two titles, announced yesterday that the combined number of digital subscribers to The Times and The Sunday Times had passed the 100,000 milestone, up from 79,000 in February, representing an increase of 28 per cent from four months ago.
The figures include subscribers to the two websites, The Times iPad app and the Kindle edition. The Times and The Sunday Times has 101,036 monthly digital subscribers as at the end of June.
On average, The Times is downloaded daily on to 35,000 iPad tablet computers, an increase of 40 per cent since February. The Sunday Times iPad app is downloaded by an average of 31,000 a week, an increase of 41 per cent. Subscribers to the two websites or newspapers also have access to the iPad edition, as well as those who have bought subscriptions directly though Apple’s app store.
There are now 250,000 subscribers to The Times and The Sunday Times, including all of its various formats on print and digital. These subscribers now represent half of all those who buy The Times.
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“One year on from launch we have proved that people are willing to pay for quality journalism in digital formats,” said Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News International. “Many doubted if our digital strategy would be successful - here is unequivocal proof it is moving in that direction.
“We have more committed subscribers than ever before and they are choosing to access our journalism in whatever format suits them best. The growth rate for take-up on tablets is moving at pace and we believe this valuable and attractive audience accessing our digital products will continue to grow.”
The Times and The Sunday Times iPad apps are available as part of a digital subscription costing £2 for a week. The Times iPad app is also available through iTunes at £9.99 for a month, while The Sunday Times app is available from iTunes for £1.79 a week.
The Times also unveiled apps for the iPhone and Android smartphone devices this week. It is currently free to access, though later will be included in the digital subscription package.