The number of digital subscriptions of the largest Baltic media group, AS Ekspress Grupp increased by 73% across all Baltic States and totalled 81 254 at the end of December.
- The number of digital subscriptions of AS Ekspress Meedia that publishes the news portal Delfi, newspapers Eesti Päevaleht, Maaleht, Eesti Ekspress and several popular magazines increased by 53% year-over-year and reached 49 696.
- At the same time, the number of digital subscriptions of AS Õhtuleht, 50% of which is owned by Ekspress Grupp, increased by 36% to 13 820.
- The market share of Ekspress Grupp in the digital subscriptions of all Estonian media outlets (according to the data by the Estonian Association of Media Enterprises) was 50% at the end of December.
- In Latvia, the number of digital subscriptions of Ekspress Grupp increased by more than 2.5 times and totalled 11 143 at the year-end. In Lithuania, the number of digital subscriptions totalled 6 595 at the year-end, increasing by almost 700% in a year. Both in Latvia and Lithuania, digital subscriptions are not as widespread as in Estonia with Ekspress Grupp launching them in the market in 2019.
The Chairman of the Management Board of Ekspress Grupp Mari-Liis Rüütsalu:
“The year 2020 was a breakthrough year for digital subscriptions of our periodicals in all markets. The driver behind the growth of subscriptions was the change in the attitudes and habits of people who are more willing to pay for digital content in their home language. The general background also supported this change – in the world dominated by fragmented information societies, objective journalism is increasingly more appreciated.
Ekspress Grupp has been the most successful Estonian media company in terms of its digital subscriptions. The most popular subscription is Delfi’s complete package that provides access to the largest media outlets of Ekspress Grupp (except for Õhtuleht).
We launched the sale of paid content in Latvia and Lithuania only in 2019. The preliminary results in these markets also demonstrate that readers are willing to gradually embrace the digital subscription model. We expect higher growth in the Latvian and Lithuanian market in the upcoming years.
At the time when two-thirds of the digital advertising funds of the Baltic States is moving tax-free into the hands of major global platforms, such as Google and Facebook, the addition of new digital subscribers is crucial for the survival of local journalism.“
Detailed overview of digital subscriptions
| Digital subscriptions | 31.12.2020 | 30.09.2020 | change | 31.12.2019 | change |
| AS Ekspress Meedia | 49 696 | 46 362 | 7% | 32 562 | 53% |
| AS Õhtuleht Kirjastus | 13 820 | 12 653 | 9% | 10 197 | 36% |
| Delfi AS (Latvia) | 11 143 | 7 305 | 53% | 3 284 | 239% |
| Delfi UAB (Lithuania) | 6 595 | 3 348 | 97% | 834 | 691% |
| Total Ekspress Grupp | 81 254 | 69 668 | 17% | 46 877 | 73% |
| Total market (Estonia) | 126 601 | 113 873 | 11% | 84 965 | 49% |
The strategic goal of Ekspress Grupp is organic growth of its existing digital business, with the main growth driver being digital subscriptions. Since January 2021, the Group will start disclosing the number of digital subscriptions of its media outlets in all Baltic States once a quarter (on the 12th day of the month following the end of the quarter).
Mari-Liis Rüütsalu
Chairman of the Management Board of AS Ekspress Grupp
mariliis.ryytsalu@egrupp.ee
Phone +372 512 2591
AS Ekspress Grupp is the leading media group in the Baltic States whose key activities include web media content production, publishing of newspapers and magazines and provision of printing services in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Ekspress Grupp that launched its operations in 1989 employs 1700 people, owns leading web media portals in the Baltic States and publishes the most popular daily and weekly newspapers as well as the majority of the most popular magazines in Estonia.