The Times and The Sunday Times are to combine editions in digital – coming together as one website and smartphone app, it has been announced.
The change in strategy will see one edition published at 9am, followed by updates at noon and 5pm. On weekends the edition updates will be released at noon and 6pm.
It is also a departure from the “rolling news” model which publisher News UK said is based on “intensive” customer research that shows readers come to the platforms at set points of the day.
Newsline asked News UK if the move was also motivated by cost savings, but was told it had not reduced any resources and the change amounted to a “considerable investment” that would best serve readers.
“The new publishing times reflect the pattern of our readers’ daily routines and their desire for a curated, finite edition that will keep them fully informed in minimum time, with maximum flair,” News UK said on Wednesday.
However, the platforms will retain the flexibility to follow a big breaking news story if the editors believe it is warranted.
The new website will be more responsive than the current iteration to ensure it works on a range of screen sizes, and the apps have been described as having a “cleaner, smarter design,” to improve the user experience.
“The power of an edition has endured at The Times for more than 230 years. Our challenge is to update this concept for the digital age: to put readers first and cut through the babble,” said Times editor John Witherow.
Martin Ivens, editor of The Sunday Times, added: “An edition-based digital format allows us to showcase the breadth of what we offer in a fresh way that is as easy to navigate and share as our precious print edition.”
Unlike most other UK newsbrands, The Times and Sunday Times operate a paywall model to gain access to the content. According to News UK digital subscriptions stand at 172,000, across a full week.
In print, both titles do well in a crowded but declining market. The latest ABC circulation figures show on average The Times shifts 402,752 copies each day, while The Sunday Times has a circulation of 766,000.
The moves come after a restructure for the commercial side of the business. Earlier this month News UK announced a series of director-level changes to help better serve ad sales at each of the titles.
This article was updated on Wednesday at 21:00 – the original incorrectly stated that it was the first time the two platforms had merged – The Times and The Sunday Times already had joint smartphone and tablet apps, and their website was joint pre-2010.
