At first glance the first official reader figures for the The Times and Sunday Times’ paywalled websites do not look great.

Around 50,000 readers have signed up to become monthly subscribers of the websites, iPad editions and Kindle editions (and that figure also includes corporate subscribers). That’s just over 12,000 a month.

News International has lumped in all the pay-as-you go sales which weren’t renewed to come up with a more eye-catching 105,000 cumulative total: you can read the NI press release here.