Friday, February 08, 2013

By the numbers | In 2012, even less print-centric

Gannett's shift toward all-digital edged forward last year, according to this week's quarterly and full-year earnings report. Advertising and circulation revenue from newspapers slid to a combined $3.5 billion, or 65% of the company's $5.3 billion in revenue.

Year by year, here are newspapers' share of overall company revenue:


83%
in 2006. Newspapers generated $6.7 billion of total $8.0 billion in revenue


83%
in 2007. ($6.2 billion of $7.4 billion)


79%
in 2008. ($5.4 billion of $6.8 billion)


73%
in 2009. ($4 billion of $5.5 billion)


70%
in 2010. ($3.8 billion of $5.4 billion)


68%
in 2011. ($3.6 billion of $5.2 billion)


65%
in 2012. ($3.5 billion of $5.4 billion)


Related: spreadsheet shows figures by category 2006-2012; digital breakout begins in 2008 after creation of Digital Segment.

17 comments:

  1. Interesting to see the numbers displayed like that, but I doubt anyone is surprised. Real question is do we have a smart digital strategy going forward. Not so sure we can pull it off considering our current "leadership".

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  2. I think we all know the answer to that question. Gannett does not have a smart digital strategy going forward with the current set of people who take up space on the 11th floor. If you had a smart digital strategy, you would be farther along. being done now is too little, too late and they are way too slow.

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  3. Guess our executive editor had it right when he said a couple years ago that digital was then 20% of revenue, but would be 33% soon. He just wasn't smart enough to realize that's because print ads were tanking so bad, and Gannett has failed in the past six years to do anything to attract advertisers or readers to either platform.

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  4. Without print’s resources and profits, Gannett’s digital offerings would be even more embarrassing, that is unless all think Gannett’s “capacity” to create what smaller, more nimble entities - even students in dorms, created a decade ago is class leading given its scale.

    It’s not.

    Hell, even some of Gannett’s own papers had better strategies and adjacent, new digital revenue streams in the works before corporate “offered” its help. Squandering content people once paid handsome sums to receive is but one example, “bundling” print ad buys that skewed revenues toward digital to “show” growth is but another.

    Yet, some only applaud Gannett’s efforts to date all while trashing the very foundation that still greatly fuels its “transformation” today. Pretty pathetic and limiting, something too many Gannett leaders have exceled at for years at this company’s long-term health and expense.

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  5. It looks like statistically we have a good six or more years left.

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  6. It's worth pointing out that overall revenue has plunged 33%, to last year's $5.4 billion from $8 billion in 2006.

    Seeing print ad revenue starting to dive, it was in 2006 that Corporate shook up the biggest division, the U.S. community newspapers, to draw in more digital sales.

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  7. Years into an existential crisis, a rapidly imploding line of business still accounts for 2/3 of sales. Yikes. Tell me again about that transformational strategery?

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    Replies
    1. And not only that, but the meager top-line turnaround in 2012 was pure windfall (courtesy of a controversial court decision, no less).

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    2. First quarter USAT revenue right on target. Sorry haters

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    3. RIGHT ON TARGET DOWN THE TOILET

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    4. Mr 4:37 PM…the reason maybe because of the merger of USAT with the Gannett papers. There are no more GM positions at USAT. A year ago at the Market I work at the CD and two CM's were transferred to other Gannett daily papers and were never replaced at USAT. I'm sure this is happening all across the "Markets" having a favorable impact on the bottom line for Gannett. There are a lot more changes in the making coming to your town shortly, "Hang on Sloopy"

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  8. Usa today is imploding rapidly. Bad management. Clueless about who does what. Lazy, overpaid editors and reporters and inexperincd know nothings overseeing digital. The morale is stunningly bad.

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  9. 1:31 is hysterical. He/she is literally making up their own story. Take a walk through the newsroom any time of day or night. Simply not true. In fact the story Jim's pals have missed will provide further proof this is a lie.

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    Replies
    1. 1:31 what rock have you been hiding under?

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    2. I agree with 4:34 ... morale has never been higher on the Digital side. Look at the extra money brought in with the initiatives in 2012. I suspect that 1:31 is a former Gannetteer-turned-troll, who just wants to spout negativity. Well, I'm not sorry to report that we HAVE turned the corner, and things are looking better. We have a good long-term strategy for USAToday, USCP and Broadcast, and things are going to be fine. However, I'm sure you'll all be happier pissing and moaning, so feel free to do so. Just don't pretend to know anything about a department you don't work in.

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  10. Seems overall revenue is dropping the same amount as print revenue. I have always been told digital revenue is going up, these stats do not support that. It is also interesting to see that as we invested more expense in print circulation sales the year over year drop in print revenue decreased. Of course we did have the 30% price increase to our subscribers in 2012.

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    Replies
    1. Clearly 7:36 doesn't read earning reports. Look at the changes that began in the 3rd quarter, after the paywall was finished. Is your head in the sand, or stuck elsewhere?

      http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/business/media/gannetts-third-quarter-results-top-estimates.html?_r=0

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