Financial Times’ Digital Subscribers Eclipse Print

The financial newspaper has garnered more subscribers to its site than its global print edition

Digital subscriptions to the Financial Times have eclipsed daily print circulation for the first time, Pearson Media said Friday.

Subscriptions to FT.com swelled 31 percent to more than 300,000, while registered users increased 29 percent to 4.8 million.

Paid-for circulation to the British newspaper around the world increased to almost 600,000 year-on-year and corporate licenses grew 40 percent to 2,300.

"We have achieved this growth while maintaining a robust print circulation business with growing revenues," the company said in a statement.

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"The FT's successful financial performance underlines our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment," CEO John Ridding said in a statement. "Our growth in this tough climate reflects the measures we took early on, especially to build our content revenues and to drive digital and mobile delivery."

Financial news outlets, which can charge premiums for up-to-date market news and analysis, have generally fared better than other journalism companies.

The Wall Street Journal and the FT erected paywalls on their sites well before the New York Times established its metered subscription.

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