New Zealanders have put a high value on the importance of quality journalism by backing New Zealand Media and Entertainment’s digital news subscription service, according to CEO Michael Boggs.
“We set ourselves a target of 10,000 paid subscribers within 12 months of our launch on 30 April. I’m absolutely thrilled to confirm that we have signed up our 10,000th paid Herald Premium subscriber in less than six weeks.
“Pleasingly, over 35% of subscribers have opted for an annual subscription, I couldn’t be more delighted for our hard-working editorial teams.” said Mr Boggs.
NZME based its initial subscription targets on a robust analysis of how other subscription services had launched overseas. These assessments are largely based on how many digital users converted to paid up supporters.
“It’s a real boost for all of our journalists,” says Herald Premium Editor, Miriyana Alexander. “Our loyal readers have been buying our newspapers for decades and it’s great to see so many putting that same value on the journalism that we deliver on our digital platforms as well.
“On top of the subscribers we’ve amassed, the other impressive number is the length of time Premium subscribers are spending on our site,” she said. “On average, Premium readers accessing nzherald.co.nz via their web browser will spend three times longer with us than non- subscribers*.”
“That’s incredibly valuable for our advertising partners,” says Mr Boggs. “Premium is a great addition to our impressive suite of digital properties which already achieve significant scale for our customers.
“While we’ll take a moment to celebrate reaching the 10,000 subscribers mark, we also know NZ Herald Premium is part of a strategy that will deliver over the long term - not in weeks or months,” says Mr Boggs.
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ENDS
For further information please contact:
Cliff Joiner, GM Communications, New Zealand Media and Entertainment
+64212709995