Times paywall

The latest figures show a total of 111,036 digital subscribers as of the end of September

News International has reported a ten per cent increase in the number of digital subscribers to the Times and Sunday Times in the past three months, as it confirms plans to report monthly updates on subscriber numbers.

The latest figures show a total of 111,036 digital subscribers as of the end of September, which, when added to the sales figures for September, is said to give a total paid audience of 540,590 for the Times and almost 1.1 million for the Sunday Times.

In December a report by Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates said the Times' paywall had managed to convert just 14 per cent of its audience into subscribers.

In June this year it was then reported that the two titles had 101,036 digital subscribers, a rise of 28 per cent on February.

A release from News International said that "almost half of the Times daily sale is now made up of print and digital subscribers".

"I am very encouraged by these figures," Tom Mockridge, chief executive of News International added.

"In contrast to the industry trend of declining circulation, the Times and the Sunday Times are showing that they can increase the audience paying for their digital journalism."

The publisher also announced it would be reporting monthly subscriber figures from now on. At the time of writing News International had not responded to a request for comment on when it would be resuming its monthly traffic statistics for the Times website, which it ceased following the introduction of the sites' paywalls last year.

Mockridge added that by reporting its subscriber statistics it aimed to "provide the best possible transparency to our commercial partners and clients".

Update: A spokesman for News International has now confirmed that the Times will no longer public ABCe figures and will therefore not reveal its unique visitor numbers.
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