Advance Local Reaches 250,000 Paid Digital Subscribers with AI-Powered Paywall
Since 2018, Advance Local has expanded its base to 250,000 paying digital subscribers. On the Press Gazette podcast, SVP Ann Poe discussed the evolution from a premium content approach to a dynamic, automated paywall that leverages user data. The organization, which publishes print newspapers such as The Plain Dealer and Staten Island Advance, also manages digital platforms like Cleveland.com and NJ.com. Initially, a flexible metered paywall was in place, with voluntary contributions introduced in 2020. Partnering with Mather and utilizing the Sophi platform, Advance adopted user-level decision-making for managing its paywall. Currently, the company boasts nine million registered users, has sold 100,000 day passes, and provided 700,000 free trials. VP Ariel Burkett emphasized the need to balance paywalls with advertising income.
Key facts
- Advance Local has gone from zero to 250,000 paid digital subscribers since 2018.
- The publisher owns print titles including The Plain Dealer in Ohio and Staten Island Advance.
- It operates a dozen news websites in ten regional markets, including Cleveland.com, OreganLive.com, and NJ.com.
- Before 2018, Advance Local monetized websites only through programmatic advertising and digital edition subscriptions.
- In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, voluntary contributions were rolled out across all websites.
- The company works with consultants Mather and their Sophi AI-powered paywall engine, first developed at The Globe and Mail in Canada.
- Advance Local now has nine million registered website users and has sold 100,000 day passes and given away 700,000 free trials.
- Sophi analyzes user features like device, referral source, time of day, geolocation, engagement history, and friction to decide paywall or registration wall.
Entities
Artists
- Ann Poe
- Ariel Burkett
Institutions
- Advance Local
- Press Gazette
- Mather
- Sophi
- The Plain Dealer
- Staten Island Advance
- Cleveland.com
- OreganLive.com
- NJ.com
- The Globe and Mail
Locations
- Ohio
- United States
- Canada