FT launches combined audience metric

The metric will be released every quarter in addition to print circulation data produced by the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC).

The first set of results, which are supported by an independent assurance statement from Deloitte for the period 31 May to 4 July 2010, show that at the start of July 2010 an average of 563,026 people around the world paid for FT content every day.

These figures represent the number of average daily newspaper sales as well as active FT.com digital and eReader subscriptions.

John Ridding, chief executive of the Financial Times, said: "Traditional single-channel audience measures only tell part of the story of the FT brand's health in today’s media landscape.

"Our readers are increasingly platform neutral – consuming FT content in print, online and on-the-go throughout the day – and our approach to measurement should reflect these new patterns and platforms."

The print and digital paid-for circulation initiative follows the recent launch of the Financial Times’ Average Daily Global Audience (ADGA) in May this year, which measures the Financial Times’ daily global readership or the number of people who see FT content every day.

Last month, the FT Group, which houses the Financial Times, posted a 7% lift in underlying revenue to £192m, while adjusted operating profits more than doubled from £14m to £30m in the first six months of the year.

Digital readership for the FT Group was up 27% year on year in the first six months, to 149,000, and registered users of FT.com climbed 77% to 2.5 million. The company also reported almost 250,000 downloads of its iPad application.

This article was first published on Media Week