More than 100,000 Kiwis pay for NZ Herald/BusinessDesk digital subscriptions

NZ Herald Premium launched in May 2019, while BusinessDesk's subscription-only business and economic news service started in early 2020. Photo / Getty Images

More than 100,000 Kiwis are now paying for an NZ Herald Premium or BusinessDesk digital subscription in what is being billed as a big milestone for media company NZME.

The stellar growth in digital-only subscriptions is on top of the more than 50,000 New Zealand Herald print customers who receive Premium access along with a newspaper in their letterbox.

Both NZ Herald Premium and BusinessDesk showcase the very best in local and international reporting and have enjoyed strong uptake as audiences continue to flock to trusted and quality news. NZ Herald Premium launched in May 2019, while BusinessDesk's subscription-only business and economic news service started in early 2020.

NZME chief executive Michael Boggs says breaking through the 100,000 mark in just over three years showed the company's focus on its digital transformation was delivering results.

"Three years ago when we launched NZ Herald Premium we were entering into completely new territory, asking audiences to pay for digital news content, which certainly didn't come without risk. We knew we needed to be innovative and forward-thinking in our approach to ensure we were continuing to meet the needs of our current readers, whilst also attracting new audiences, and ultimately ensuring the long-term future and sustainability of our newsrooms and our news platforms, Boggs said.

"NZME continues to offer our valued audiences exceptional experiences, and I'd like to thank our teams across the country for their huge contribution in making our digital subscription platforms the success that they are," he said.

NZME Managing Editor Shayne Currie said he was "proud to have reached such a significant milestone" and that hitting the target was "an immense accomplishment for the company's newsrooms and teams across the country".

"I'd like to pay tribute to our hugely talented team at NZME who are behind this success – our journalists and editorial teams across the country who produce this fantastic content, as well as our digital team, and those that sell and market our premium digital subscription offering.

"I'd also like to thank every one of our subscribers – individuals and businesses alike – for their ongoing support of our premium, trusted, quality news. We will continue with our focus of keeping Kiwis in the know, producing the quality, trusted news that Kiwis know and expect from the NZ Herald, BusinessDesk and through our other platforms across NZME," Currie said.

NZME, in November last year, agreed to buy BusinessDesk for an initial cash payment of $3.5 million, followed by an earn-out amount of up to $1.5m if agreed targets are met by the end of December 2023.