The New York Times paid subscribers jump to 7.5 mn

New York: The New York Times had some 7.5 million paid subscribers at the end of 2020, a gain of more than two million during the year, the paper said on Thursday.

About 90% subscribers are digital, said the daily, which released its quarterly earnings.

Print subscribers declined slightly from a year ago to 833,000.

The media group nearly tripled its subscriber base since the start of Donald Trump’s presidency.

“2020 was a seismic year for news,” said Meredith Kopit Levien, president and chief executive officer, in a note.

“The need for quality, independent journalism was as acute as ever in my lifetime, and my colleagues across the Times rose to meet that need with the energy and rigor our mission demands.”

The firm said 18% of its subscribers are outside the US as it focuses on global growth.

The results for the December quarter showed net profit decline 84% to $10 million, primarily on a one-time expense of shifting pension obligations.

Revenues for the quarter were flat at $509 million as gains in subscription income offset a weak advertising wing.

For the full year the company posted a profit of $100 million, down 28% from 2019.

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