How The Times became a small screen success | Inside Reach's profitable US operation
And we find out about fast-growing podcast network Crowd.
Welcome to this week’s Press Gazette Future of Media newsletter on Thursday, 17 July.
Back in 2004 the leadership of The Times thought shrinking the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid might provide a route to profitability for the heavily loss-making title.
If I told them then they would be making more than £60m a year in profit in 2025 producing content for a 7cm wide screen they would have called me a madman or a fool.
But here we are, proving that digital disruption and change is not always for the worse.
Today we also meet the team behind Reach’s operation in the US two years on. The Mirror may not yet be a top-50 US news website. But along with The Express US and Irish Star, Reach has built a profitable American news business employing 70 staff in what has been generally tough times for ad-funded online news.
And finally, we have an interview with the team behind one of the UK's fastest-growing podcast networks, Crowd.
They explained why they no longer call them podcasts internally and how their joint venture business model works in collaborations with high profile sport stars.
On Press Gazette
The Times: From loss-making broadsheet to profit on a tiny screen
Times Media head of digital Edward Roussel says AI can't replace journalists.
Reach in the US: 70-strong team is turning a profit with more growth planned
US-based versions of Mirror, Express and Irish Star "washing their own face" within Reach.
How social and video drive revenue for UK podcast network Crowd
Producer of For the Love of Rugby and For the Love of Cricket is doubling revenue every year.
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Latest podcast: How The Times became a small screen success story
Times Media head of digital Edward Roussel talks about the relaunched smartphone app which is now the title's most important platform commercially. He also explains why The Times will never use AI to create journalism and why publisher homepages have got far too busy.
Great round up thanks Dom