US broadsheet the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is to include online subscriptions with its newspaper circulation for the first time, boosting its total US Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) figure to a record level.

The total US ABC figure for print and online circulation is now 2,091,062 (2,661,650 worldwide, including international print editions).

While other publishers have seen print circulations decline over the past few years, the Wall Street Journal's circulation has remained steady at around 1,800,650. The paid subscription base to its sister site, WSJ.com has grown steadily to its current peak of 686,000.

"We believe this reporting of our circulation to ABC more accurately reflects the total paid circulation of the US journal franchise and will be more useful to our advertisers," said Karen Elliott House, senior vice-president of Dow Jones & Company and publisher of The Wall Street Journal.

"We will offer advertisers new, more flexible ways to reach the largest-ever paid audience of the Journal franchise, in print and online."

Dow Jones plans to more aggressively market print and online subscriptions and to increase cross-promotion of WSJ products to existing customers of each edition.

 "The Wall Street Journal Online has long served as a complement to the print journal," said L. Gordon Crovitz, senior vice president, Dow Jones & Company and president, Electronic Publishing.

"This latest effort will showcase the advantages to advertisers of reaching the full range of subscribers to the journal franchise, while also further encouraging people to subscribe to both print and online."

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