TGI stats show the potential value of the online newspaper audience
In our latest research focus article, TGI’s James McCombe says the jury may be out on paywalls but one thing not in question is the potential value of the online newspaper audience. Latest data from TGI show that over 5 million GB adults visit newspaper websites regularly…
A growing audience
Over the past two years, the number of people visiting newspaper websites on a regular or occasional basis has risen steadily from just over 9 million to 10.5 million. The profile of regular visitors is skewed toward men and toward the 25-34 age group. Individuals are twice as likely as the average internet user to have an income in excess of £50K and are 40% more likely to be in the top (AB) social grades.
They are 60% more likely to be influenced by reviews posted online and 50% more likely to be early adopters, buying new products before most of their friends. Although these regular visitors are slightly less likely than the average adult to read a printed newspaper every day, they are 30% more likely to read one four or five times a week. Two-thirds of regular newspaper website visitors read a print edition at least twice a week.
The paywall
New TGI attitudinal statements give an indication of the public appetite – or lack thereof – for paywalls. The latest data suggests that only 4% of internet users would be willing to pay to access content on newspaper websites. However, the figure rises to 12% of those who regularly visit newspaper websites – some 600,000 people.
Interestingly, internet users aged 15-24 are 75% more likely than the average to be willing to pay for newspaper content, possibly because they are already used to paying for digital content such as music. In future the idea that information should be free just because it is digital may be overturned as it has in the realm of entertainment.
Titles
Ranked on the proportion of readers (AIR) who are willing to pay to access content online, the top national print titles are the FT (11%), the Observer (11%), the Guardian (Saturday) (10%), the Guardian (10%), and the Independent (9%). The fact that FT readers are the most accepting of paywalls is perhaps to be expected given the success of that publication’s online model and the elite profile of its audience.
More surprising is the fact that three of the next four titles are owned by Guardian News & Media, one of the companies opposed to the paywall concept. However, this may be due simply to the relatively low median age of Guardian and Observer readers – 45 for the Observer compared to 47 for the Sunday Times, for example.
Although paywalls are not suitable for every title, public acceptance of the model may be just a matter of time. After all, it’s only in the last ten or fifteen years that we have persuaded ourselves that news information should be free.
Source: GB TGI 2010 Q3
Base: All adults