OSLO, NORWAY – February 8, 2017 – Schibsted Media Group, an innovative leader in media and marketplaces, today announced that in 2016 it surpassed 510,000 digital subscribers at its media houses in Sweden and Norway. This corresponds to more than 34% growth during 2016.
“We’ve long believed that consumers will pay for quality digital content, be it music, TV and film or great journalism, and it’s heartening to see that they agree,” said Rolv Erik Ryssdal, CEO, Schibsted Media Group. “While we are excited by these numbers, it is worth bearing in mind that the media business is still finding its way in the online world through both subscriptions and advertising, so we have to keep a vigilant focus while our online business models develop and mature.
In Norway, digital-only subscriptions for Schibsted’s subscription newspapers (Aftenposten, Bergens Tidende, Stavanger Aftenblad and Fædrelandsvennen) jumped almost 112% during 2016, ending with nearly 110,000 subscribers. VG’s digital plan, VG+, closed the year out with more than 98,000 subscribers, growing their subscription count by 32%.
“Premium content has been a major focus for our media houses this year and it has generated a record number of new digital subscriptions,” said Didrik Munch, CEO, Schibsted Norway. “Our digital subscribers tend to be younger, which positions us well for the future. I’m proud of the team, but of course we cannot rest as we guide our newspapers through the hardest transition they have ever faced.”
In Sweden, Aftonbladet saw its already-robust digital-only subscribers increase by 11% to 260,000. Svenska Dagbladet grew its digital-only subscription base by more than 98%, ending the year with approximately 42,900 digital-only subscribers.
“Aftonbladet has had a strong digital-first position for many years, and now we see that Svenska Dagbladet is also making great strides,” said Raoul Grünthal, CEO, Schibsted Sweden. “The key for us has always been to couple our great journalism with business models that correspond to how consumers access content today.”
Digital subscriptions also have favorable demographics. The average age of a digital subscriber to Aftenposten was 47 years old in 2016, and trending younger. Over the same period, first-time digital subscribers to Aftenposten averaged 41 years of age versus an average age of 65 for a traditional Aftenposten print subscriber. For Aftonbladet in 2016, 71% of all digital subscribers were under 55, with 44% of all digital subscribers under 44 years old.
For more information:
Thomas Ford
Head of Public Relations
Schibsted Media Group
Phone: +47 902 38 811
E-mail: Thomas.ford@schibsted.no
About Schibsted Media Group
Schibsted Media Group is an international media group with 6,900 employees in 30 countries. From Norway to Malaysia, from Brazil to Sweden – millions of people around the world interact with Schibsted’s popular digital services every day. In Scandinavia, our media houses such as VG, Aftenposten, Bergens Tidende, Aftonbladet and Svenska Dagbladet keep people informed and updated on important issues in society. Our digital marketplaces such as Finn.no, Blocket.se and Leboncoin.fr help people buy and sell new and old things. In addition, our growth companies such as Shpock, Let’s Deal and Compricer provide our users with popular, digital consumer services that make their everyday life a bit easier. Together, this fulfills Schibsted Media Group’s mission of ‘Empowering people in their daily life’. Learn more at www.schibsted.com.
About Schibsted’s Media Houses
Schibsted owns and operates some of the most popular newspapers in Sweden and Norway. In Sweden, Schibsted owns Aftonbladet, the most-read newspaper in the country, as well as Svenska Dagbladet, the leading financial and business newspaper. In Norway, Schibsted owns VG, the country’s most popular news destination, as well as Aftenposten, one of the country’s most revered media houses. Schibsted additionally owns Bergens Tidende, Stavanger Aftenblad and Fædrelandsvennen.