ACM is celebrating a key digital milestone with its major mastheads reaching a combined 100,000 digital subscribers.
ACM executive chairman Antony Catalano (pictured) said “This is such an important achievement in a relatively short period of time and shows the power of our trusted mastheads and our quality journalism that has helped us become one of the fastest growing media companies in Australia.”
ACM network’s subscription news sites include The Canberra Times, Newcastle Herald, The Border Mail, Ballarat’s The Courier, and Warrnambool’s The Standard.
Catalano thanked the more than 100,000 digital subscribers who were now helping to support journalism across the country.
“Your support is helping us keep our communities strong, informed and connected,” he said.
“As more and more people move to the thriving regional centres across Australia, demand for quality local content has never been higher and we take pride in delivering the quality independent journalism our 6.4 million readers enjoy each month.”
“I’d also like to congratulate the ACM team on the great work they have done to deliver such a compelling proposition that is attracting and retaining so many readers. Slow uptake for digital subscriptions can occur in some parts of Australia but our innovative approach to content, product and marketing has changed this.” said Catalano.
Following a successful 2016 pilot of digital subscriptions on two small local news websites on the NSW South Coast, the Bay Post at Batemans Bay and the Milton-Ulladulla Times, ACM began rolling out digital subscription packages on its key regional news sites in 2018 and 2019.
ACM managing director Tony Kendall said “The growth has been fantastic with our digital subscriber base up 49 per cent and revenues up 54% year on year. It’s a testament to the great work our teams have been doing to bring quality content to our audiences across the country.”
While The Canberra Times and ACM’s daily mastheads in major regional population centres across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania were the key drivers of subscriber growth, smaller news sites such as the South Coast Register, Armidale Express, Port Macquarie News and Wimmera-Mail Times were also proving popular.
“With the unfolding challenges of Covid, it’s a complex time for many of the communities we serve, and they know who to trust for timely, reliable information,” Kendall said.
“As more people swap the big cities for a whole new lifestyle of working and living in regional Australia, the ACM network is keeping those thriving cities and towns connected.”
To celebrate the milestone of passing 100,000 digital subscribers, ACM is offering some new digital subscribers from each of its major mastheads the chance to give a friend or family member a complimentary three-month subscription.