News Int claims data shows iPad is “valuable market”

News International has revealed its Times and Sunday Times iPad figures for the first time, claiming that the data proves there is a “valuable market” for newspaper tablet apps.

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About 5% of the Times’ combined print and digital audience now read the newspaper’s content on the iPad, according to News International research conducted in February.

The Times’ print circulation dropped 13.49% year on year to 445,109 in March, according to its latest ABC figures, while 79,000 people a month subscribe to its digital editions online through its paywall or via electronic devices.

IPad editions of The Times are downloaded 25,000 times a day on average. The Sunday Times attracts an average of 22,000 downloads per edition.

Access to The Times’ iPad editions costs £2 a week or £9.99 a month. News International claims the average Times iPad subscriber is 47 years old with an average household income of £109,000.

Digital commercial director Alex Hole claims the high subscription volume combined with repeat daily use prove that iPad apps can be valuable. He adds that they are also an increasingly attractive proposition to advertisers.

“There is a great appetite to reach that attractive early adopter audience and advertisers are now including the iPad as an important part of the marketing mix, to complement print or online display,” says Hole.

He continues: “In future we see a time for more complex targeting around demographic, the user journey or different times of day to meet advertisers’ needs more comprehensively.”