SINGAPORE – More readers are subscribing to print and digital products produced by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), with many saying they are consuming the content more frequently, a survey showed.

The Straits Times saw a 40 per cent increase in digital subscriptions in April compared with March this year, with Berita Harian and The Business Times each doubling their subscription numbers the same month.

Tamil Murasu had a whopping 780 per cent increase in digital subscriptions, with Lianhe Zaobao growing 138 per cent.

This, despite SPH giving non-subscribers free access to Covid-19 articles across all its digital platforms since April 2, starting with The Straits Times.

The SPH survey results, which were released on Wednesday (May 13), also showed a steep 65 per cent climb in print subscribers saying they have been reading newspapers more frequently in comparison to three months ago.

They cited having more time to spare.

Around half of the 1,247 respondents surveyed indicated that they were spending over 30 minutes to an hour reading SPH’s print newspapers: The Straits Times, The Business Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News, Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu.

Simultaneously, audiences have been engaging more frequently and intensively with SPH’s digital sites and applications.

Visitorship to the company’s news sites and apps has nearly doubled, with page views even tripling in April 2020, as compared to April last year.

In a statement, the company said SPH and its associated publications will continue to offer even more content across its platforms, formats, and genres.

For example, apart from delivering the news, titles such as The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, SPH Magazines and SPH Radio stations have ramped up lifestyle content to keep their audiences entertained and engaged.

This includes daily #StayHome guides, videos on sewing your own face mask, easy-to-follow recipes for home cooks and bubble tea-deprived Singaporeans, takeaway recommendations, activities for the whole family, workout tips and more.

These videos are now available for viewing on #StayHomeWithSPH, a dedicated digital platform launched in mid-April.

Mr Anthony Tan, SPH’s deputy chief executive officer, said: “The SPH team has been working hard during the Covid-19 crisis to bring up-to-date and trusted reporting to our audience.

“It is encouraging to see that our subscribers, both print and digital, are more engaged with our content during this period.”

Mr Tan added that SPH will continue to provide Covid-19-related articles for free on its digital platforms, while rolling out initiatives in both its print and online categories to support its advertisers through these difficult economic circumstances.

“We have in fact seen an increase in subscriptions and sales of our physical papers during this period, which is testimony to the trust readers put in our content.

“It is our hope that these new readers will explore our other content, and eventually become subscribers,” Mr Tan said.

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