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New York Times Select Rumor - Data Perspective

August 15, 2007

The NY Post set the rumor mill churning last week with a report that the New York Times is set to drop the subscription fee to the New York Times Select. While the rumor may deserve a heaping spoonful of salt, Hitwise data reveals that the decision could make sense.

The top website visited after www.nytimes.com last month was select.nytimes.com, receiving 8% of the site’s traffic. However, the share of traffic that the NY Times sends to NY Times Select has been decreasing over the past year – down by 16% year-on-year in July. With NY Times Select receiving more than two thirds (67%) of its US traffic from NYTimes.com, the decline had an impact with US visits to NY Select down 22% in the past year.

Also interesting, Hitwise Demographic data reveals that NYTimes.com is more successful at attracting younger and higher income readers than NY Times Select. In the four weeks to 11th August 2007, NYTimes.com attracted a 45% larger proportion of its US visits from those under 35 than NY Times Select and 48% more from those who earn $150K a year or more.

Opening up NY Times Select may or may not help the NY Times attract a larger audience online. What looks more certain is that it would put popular columnists back at the fingertips of the wealthy young readers that could help boost advertising revenues.

Posted by Bill Tancer at 09:51 AM | (0) | (0)