The Times loses 1.2 million online users since May

According to data from ComScore, the number of unique visitors to The Times and The Sunday Times websites fell from 2.79 million in May, to 2.22 million in June and finally to 1.61 million in July.

This is a loss of almost 1.2 million users over the two months.

News International introduced compulsory registration to the sites, and began redirecting users from the old site (timesonline.co.uk) on 15 June. Users were charged for access to the two new sites, starting from 2 July.

Justin Barnes, media director at Carat, said: “From an advertiser point of view, the new numbers reveal that The Times is a site that only brands running campaigns for a specific premium advertising audience will be interested in.

“News International needs to disclose internal data which reveals registration levels if it wants to lure in more advertising across The Times sites.”

Paul Thomas, media consultant and former press director at Mindshare, added: “These figures will be a concern for advertisers. Brands will be questioning whether The Times is a digital arm worth investing in.”

Currently, Lloyds TSB and Holiday Place are among the main brands advertising behind the paywall.

Despite these worries, a source at News International told Media Week that “there had been a positive reaction from advertisers and that advertisers have been re-booking”.