July 24, 2015

FT digital subscribers – up 14 per cent to 520k – now make up 70 per cent of circulation

The Financial Times has claimed a 9 per cent year-on-year rise in paid-for circulation. (Picture: Shutterstock)

The title, whose owner Pearson yesterday announced had been sold to Japanese media company Nikkei, now claims a combined print/digital circulation of 737,000.

The newspaper's circulation was 214,256, down 3 per cent year on year, in June, according to ABC.

The FT print circulation is now mainly outside the UK. It divides up as follows: UK and Ireland – 68,000, Europe – 71,000. Asia – 22,000 and US – 42,000.

Pearson's half-year results showed that the title's digital user number was up by 14 per cent to "almost 520,000", representing around 70 per cent of paying readership.

Pearson said this figure has been "lifted by a new access model offering paid trials".

Excluding bulks, the FT has a paid-for print circulation in the UK of around 45,000 per day.

The half-year results showed that Pearson's Professional division – which the FT is part of – recorded an adjusted operating profit of £38m for the six months, up year-on-year from £29m. Professional's turnover was £553m, up from £519m.

Yesterday, Pearson reported that FT Group contributed £334m of sales and £24m of adjusted operating in profit in 2014.

FT Group owns a 50 per cent share of The Economist magazine, which was not included in the deal with Nikkei.

It said the Economist Group made an increased contribution "as growth in circulation, custom research and marketing services revenues offset declines in print advertising".

The magazine's circulation remained at 1.6m, according to Pearson, level with the last two years. The publisher said that the Economist saw a 57 per cent increase in "subscribers choosing digital packages".

Pearson also revealed that the magazine's Espresso app, launched at the end of 2014, has been downloaded more than 800,000 times. In April, the group launched the Economist Global Business Review, an English-Chinese smartphone app. Pearson said this was its first bilingual product.

Click here for Pearson's full results.