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FT reports 650,000 digital subscribers with boosts around last year’s Brexit vote and US election

By Dominic Ponsford

The Financial Times has revealed that it now has a record 650,000 digital subscribers with gains fuelled by Brexit and the US presidential election.

In “annual results” it also confirmed that digital revenues have now overtaken print.

Privately-owned Japanese company Nikkei bought the Financial Times in November 2015 for £844m.

The FT said it will not be releasing profit and loss figures.

The title said digital subscribers grew 14 per cent year on year to 650,000 in 2016.

Print circulation fell 6 per cent year on to 184,279 in February. The FT’s average daily UK print circulation is 61,158, of which 20,428 are bulk copies distributed at places like hotels and airports. The rest of its print circulation is in Europe (59,771), Asia (27,572) and the US (35,778).

In the weeks surrounding the UK referendum on leaving the European Union and the US presidential election, the FT says it says new subscriber numbers were up 75 per cent and 33 per cent respectively.

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FT chief executive John Ridding said: “Our first year in partnership with our new owners Nikkei saw the FT achieve record levels of paid-for readership and investment in new digital products and revenue streams.

“These will help ensure the sustained success of the FT’s business transformation and support for our unrivalled quality global journalism. We are developing substantial areas of cooperation with our partners at Nikkei, based on our shared values and vision.”

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