In the eighth consecutive year of decline, print advertising at the nation’s newspapers fell 8.6% to $17.3 billion in 2013, according to statistics released today by the Newspaper Association of America.
This means the primary revenue stream for the nation’s publishers now is barely a third of the record $47.4 billion achieved as recently as 2005.
The 2013 print revenues are the lowest level since 1982, when the industry produced sales of $17.7 billion in revenues, which in today’s dollars would be worth $43.4 billion.
In another key metric released prior to the holiday weekend by the industry trade group, digital ad sales gained 1.5% last year to $3.4 billion.
The increase in digital sales at newspapers compares with the 17% surge in total U.S. digital ad revenues reported recently by the Internet Advertising Bureau.
The IAB, an industry marketing organization, said that total digital ad sales in 2013 reached $42.3 billion, surpassing even the $40.1 billion spent on broadcast television advertising in 2013.
In issuing its annual revenue summary for newspapers, the NAA included not only advertising sales but also the revenues that newspapers are reaping from audience fees, niche publications, marketing services and the production of live events.
Taking all revenue categories into account, the NAA said the industry produced $37.6 billion in revenue in 2013, or a 2.6% decline from the prior year.
Saying that the industry’s business model is “evolving,” the NAA said the industry is taking advantage of “developments in technology, consumer behavior, and advertiser interest, to grow audience and diversify its revenue stream.”
This means the primary revenue stream for the nation’s publishers now is barely a third of the record $47.4 billion achieved as recently as 2005.
The 2013 print revenues are the lowest level since 1982, when the industry produced sales of $17.7 billion in revenues, which in today’s dollars would be worth $43.4 billion.
In another key metric released prior to the holiday weekend by the industry trade group, digital ad sales gained 1.5% last year to $3.4 billion.
The increase in digital sales at newspapers compares with the 17% surge in total U.S. digital ad revenues reported recently by the Internet Advertising Bureau.
The IAB, an industry marketing organization, said that total digital ad sales in 2013 reached $42.3 billion, surpassing even the $40.1 billion spent on broadcast television advertising in 2013.
In issuing its annual revenue summary for newspapers, the NAA included not only advertising sales but also the revenues that newspapers are reaping from audience fees, niche publications, marketing services and the production of live events.
Taking all revenue categories into account, the NAA said the industry produced $37.6 billion in revenue in 2013, or a 2.6% decline from the prior year.
Saying that the industry’s business model is “evolving,” the NAA said the industry is taking advantage of “developments in technology, consumer behavior, and advertiser interest, to grow audience and diversify its revenue stream.”
The key metric is still supposed to be ad revenue per subscriber. The definition of "subscriber" has been debased, of course, but ad revenue peaked at $930 a year per print subscriber in 2006, fell to $330 or so in 2009, and now seems to be close to $500 -- all numbers awaiting more precise calculations taking the current, looser definition of "subscriber" into account.
ReplyDeleteWell, Steve, that means that circ is continuing to decline.
ReplyDeleteOne could claim a better-yet metric is ad $$ (and real, not nominal $$ please) per unit of population.