Digital revenue from Mail Online and Metro.co.uk rose to £8 million in the six months to April 3 – up 50 percent from a year earlier.
On a crude calculation, that means each of the sites’ 66.4 million monthly uniques (ABC: March 2011) was worth £0.12 over the six-month period, or £0.02 per month.
On this basis, the UK’s most-read newspaper site, Mail Online, has some of the lowest business success in the field.
But, unlike many peers, its publisher Associated Newspapers’ parent DMGT, which reported half-year earnings today, actually takes most of its digital income, which is considerable, from a separate and dedicated digital division…
In the former Associated Northcliffe Digital – which was last year disbanded but which continues to operate job, property, motor and travel ad sites – half-year digital income rose by just two percent to £44 million, with growing property and job ad income offset by declining travel and motor ads income.
In DMGT’s regional Northcliffe publisher, digital revenue dipped two percent to £9 million despite 21 percent more visitors and 75 new local websites launching.
Group-wide DMGT operating profit was up to £98 million on higher revenue of £991 million.