'Financial Times' Sees Most Traffic From Mobile
The rapid rise of mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, has triggered sweeping changes in media consumption habits. No medium is more affected than newspapers, which are
transitioning to digital products. One global newspaper, The Financial Times, predicts that most of its readership will access the newspaper via mobile devices before long.
In an interview with Media Week (UK), FT.com managing director Rob Grimshaw said he believes “mobile will be the lead channel for delivery within three to four years” -- if not
sooner, given the rapid pace of change. He noted that mobile currently contributes 25% of FT.com’s total traffic and around 20% of all new subscriptions, including print and digital.
Grimshaw added that “the switch to mobile is bigger in magnitude than the switch from print to desktop, in terms of what it means for the way people consume content, and it’s
happening faster.”
The mobile channel’s high growth rate is especially noteworthy considering FT’s decision to withdraw from Apple’s iTunes store in
2011, which gave up a major sales platform. Since then, some 3.3 million users have downloaded FT’s HTML5 app. Overall, the newspaper’s digital properties -- including mobile -- have
attracted 313,000 subscribers, compared to around 290,000 print subscribers. The digital subscriber base is up 26% compared to a year ago, while the print subscriber base is down 450,000 from a decade
before.
As noted, the potential market for mobile newspaper and magazine subscriptions is growing by leaps and bounds. According to Gartner, the total number of “smart”
mobile devices in operation around the world will hit 821 million by the end of 2012, and increase to 1.2 billion in 2013; that’s roughly one smart device for every six people on the planet.
Recent MediaDailyNews Articles
-
Tradional Radio Revs Flat, Digital Revs Up 9% May 19, 4:26 p.m.
Radio advertising revenues were flat at $3.5 billion in the first quarter of 2013, unchanged from ... -
Original 'Voice' Judges Return May 17, 5:41 p.m.
The original quartet of coaches for “The Voice” will return for the fifth season this fall. ... -
Van Wagner Partners With CineSport For Online Video May 17, 5:34 p.m.
Van Wagner Communications’ Sports and Entertainment division is joining forces with CineSport, partly owned by Van ... -
'Idol' Falls, 'Bang' Leads Thursdays May 17, 3:38 p.m.
The TV broadcast network environment is definitely shifting -- as evidenced by the last major night ... -
Sapient Revs Up 12%, Optimistic About 2013 May 17, 2:47 p.m.
Marketing services company Sapient reported first-quarter revenues of $292.6 million -- up 12% from the same ... -
KSE Finalizes Outdoor Channel Buy May 17, 11:08 a.m.
An entity controlled by sports entrepreneur Stan Kroenke has finalized its acquisition of the Outdoor Channel ... -
'Tonight' Still King Of Late-Night TV May 17, 10:49 a.m.
While NBC proceeds to set up its late-night changes for next year, "The Tonight Show with ... -
U.S. Open Going Cable-Only, Moves To ESPN May 17, 9:18 a.m.
After decades on the network that saw stars from Ashe to Navratilova to Federer win, the ... -
USA Looks To Make Comedy King In The New Season May 16, 10:22 p.m.
What do you do when you’re the last network putting on the last event of the ... -
Comedy Central Goes Dark To Simulcast New Radio Channel May 16, 6:12 p.m.
For the first time since its tribute to Johnny Carson 20 years ago, Comedy Central will ...
Be the first to comment on "'Financial Times' Sees Most Traffic From Mobile"
Leave a Comment