Five Things to Learn from FT.com

The Financial Times made recent news when it said that 2010 would be the first year revenues from content would surpass those from print advertising. FT.com is known for its “metering” model, which allows readers some free page views before mandating a subscription to gain further access. This model long seemed exotic, but is now getting renewed interest as some US news organizations including the New York Times have announced plans to try metering. Additionally, the upcoming Apple iPad launch gives new lease to paid content opportunities; publishers view the new platform as offering a rationale to charge news consumers. Outsell believes that FT.com’s thinking and learning in other areas of the digital business are worthy of attention by news publishers as well, as they grapple with tools unavailable in the legacy print world. This report focuses on five lessons from FT.com, and includes:

- Highlights of FT.com, including what is working best for it and what makes it unique;
- Analysis of the competitive landscape for FT.com;
- Opportunities and threats facing FT.com;
- An FT.com at-a-glance table, including estimated revenue and details about its business model, web statistics, and key products;
- Essential actions for news publishers.