10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(New York time)

About today's module

What drives subscription growth when markets mature and traditional acquisition strategies lose momentum? We examine the economics of acquisition, retention, and pricing, and hear how three publishers at different stages of their subscription journeys are finding ways to grow: from scaling a successful business to launching new paywalls and rebuilding a stalled programme.

10:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. (New York time)
Welcome and INMA Research briefing: What really drives subscription growth – acquisition vs. retention?

As digital subscription growth slows, many publishers are shifting their attention from acquiring subscribers to reducing churn and increasing prices. But how much growth can these strategies deliver? Drawing on INMA Subscription Benchmarks, Greg Piechota will compare the impact of acquisition, retention, and pricing on subscription revenue – both historically, and when modeling future scenarios. The briefing will examine what these findings mean for setting priorities.

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA, United Kingdom



10:15 a.m.-10:50 a.m. (New York time)
Reinventing subscription growth at The Boston Globe: From long trials to new markets

The Boston Globe has tripled its digital subscriber base since 2019, challenging conventional thinking about subscription pricing and growth. Thomas Brown will explain how the company developed its successful strategy of long, heavily discounted introductory offers, why it prioritises total revenue over average revenue per subscriber, and what years of experimentation have taught the team. He will also explore the next phase of growth: expanding into neighbouring markets, reaching new audiences, and bringing advertising-led properties into the consumer revenue business. The case offers lessons on balancing acquisition volume, subscriber value, and geographical expansion.

Thomas Brown, Chief Consumer Revenue Officer, The Boston Globe, United States



10:50 a.m.-11:25 a.m. (New York time)
Launching paywalls at scale: How Reach is building a subscription business across its news brands

Reach, one of the UK's largest news publishers, is introducing digital subscriptions across its portfolio of national and regional titles, moving beyond a business model historically dominated by advertising. David Bartlett will share what the company has learned from entering the subscription market later than many competitors. He will explain how Reach prepares local newsrooms for paywalls, coordinates launches across multiple brands, and adapts subscription offers to different audiences and markets. The presentation will cover early results, the differences between monthly and annual subscriptions, and the organisational challenges of launching a reader revenue business while maintaining advertising reach.

David Bartlett, Director of Growth, Reach, United Kingdom



11:25 a.m.-11:40 a.m. (New York time)
Refreshment break and INMA Benchmarks briefing: Pricing strategies of the world's largest news subscription brands

What can publishers learn from the pricing practices of the world's 50 largest digital news subscription brands? Drawing on his latest analysis, Greg Piechota will reveal how market leaders combine heavily discounted introductory offers, price increases at renewal, and product bundles to balance acquisition, retention, and lifetime value. Why do most leading publishers discount introductory offers? How do prices evolve throughout the subscription lifecycle? And why has bundling become central to the economics of reader revenue?

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA, United Kingdom



11:40 a.m.-12:15 a.m. (New York time)
Restarting subscription growth at The Daily Beast: From the first 100 days to the first year

How do you rebuild subscriptions in an organisation where growth has stalled and the capabilities needed to restart it are missing? Reema Rao will share her first year transforming The Daily Beast from an advertising-led, product-driven organisation with no dedicated marketing or subscription function into a business focused on reader revenue. She will discuss reorganising teams around the acquisition funnel, establishing a marketing cadence, redesigning pricing, and finding quick wins with limited resources, all while expanding reach and subscription growth through off-platform channels like Substack and YouTube. Beyond the tactics, she will reflect on prioritisation, leadership, and the role of experimentation in building a sustainable subscription business.

Reema Rao, SVP, Consumer Marketing & Subscription Strategy, The Daily Beast, United States



12:15 p.m.-12:30 p.m. (New York time)
Key takeaways and wrap-up

What can publishers learn from these contrasting approaches to subscription growth? We connect the evidence on acquisition economics with the practical lessons from The Boston Globe, Reach, and The Daily Beast, and identify priorities for marketers planning their next growth initiatives.

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA, United Kingdom

10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(New York time)

About today's module

As search traffic declines and audiences increasingly discover journalism through platforms, podcasts, newsletters, and AI-powered services, publishers need new ways to reach potential subscribers. This module explores how to expand the acquisition funnel beyond traditional websites, turn external audiences into paying customers, and develop relationships with readers who are not yet ready to subscribe.

10:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. (New York time)
Welcome and INMA Research briefing: There is no subscription ceiling — there is a website ceiling

Many publishers fear they are approaching the limits of digital subscription growth. But is the problem really a lack of consumer demand, or the limits of the channels they rely on to acquire subscribers? Drawing on data from hundreds of news brands participating in INMA Subscription Benchmarks, Greg Piechota will show how shrinking website audiences threaten growth even when conversion, retention, and pricing improve. He will examine the relationship between reach and loyal audiences, challenge the assumption that better funnel optimisation alone can sustain growth, and make the case for expanding acquisition beyond websites and apps.

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA, United Kingdom



10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m. (New York time)
Beyond the paywall: How Die Zeit is growing subscriptions through podcasts

Die Zeit has developed a new subscription business around its popular podcasts, reaching audiences who might never have considered paying for a traditional news subscription. Steffen Horstmannshoff will explain how the German publisher identified the opportunity, developed paid podcast offers, and began acquiring customers directly through Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Remarkably, 80% of subscribers acquired through podcasts had never previously held a digital subscription to Die Zeit. He will discuss how podcast subscriptions differ from traditional paywall sales, the trade-offs between free reach and paid access, and the challenges of marketing subscriptions on platforms where publishers have limited customer data.

Steffen Horstmannshoff, Director Subscription Revenue, Die Zeit, Germany



10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. (New York time)
Beyond search rankings and traffic: Rethinking discoverability for subscription growth

What does good SEO look like when the objective is no longer simply to maximise traffic, but to attract audiences who will register, return, and eventually subscribe? Harry Clarkson-Bennett, founder at Tomorrow Consulting and former SEO Director at The Telegraph, will explore how publishers should adapt their discovery strategies to AI Overviews, answer engines, and increasingly passive consumption across digital platforms. He will distinguish the fundamentals of SEO that remain essential from emerging opportunities in AI retrieval, citations, and brand visibility. He will also explain how subscription-first publishers can evaluate the commercial value of search traffic, and which familiar SEO investments may no longer justify their cost.

Harry Clarkson-Bennett, Founder, Tomorrow Consulting, United Kingdom



11:15 a.m.-11:25 a.m. (New York time)
Refreshment break and INMA Benchmarks briefing: Newsletters as growth engines: What the largest publishers are doing differently

Newsletters have evolved into substantial product portfolios, creating opportunities to acquire audiences, establish direct relationships, and encourage regular engagement. Drawing on an analysis of 1,594 newsletters and alerts from the world's 50 largest digital subscription brands, alongside INMA Subscription Benchmarks, Greg Piechota will compare different portfolio strategies and reveal significant gaps in newsletter penetration and growth. Why do some publishers invest in dozens of specialist newsletters while others focus on a handful of flagship products? And how much room remains for growing newsletter audiences?

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA



11:25 a.m.-11:55 a.m. (New York time)
Beyond paywalls: How to build communities and monetise brand relationships

For publishers with passionate audiences, charging for editorial content is not always the best way to monetise customer relationships. What if the opportunity lies in building communities around shared interests, experiences, and access? Drawing on her experience as Head of Marketing at Condé Nast Britain, Siobhan Soraghan will share how brands such as Vogue developed new revenue opportunities through specialist communities, newsletters, editorial personalities, commerce, and partnerships. She will explore the relaunch of Vogue Shopping, including collaborations with eBay, and how engaged audiences can create value beyond content consumption. Beyond commerce, Siobhan will reflect on experiments with digital subscriptions and memberships at Vogue and Tatler, explaining why conventional paywalls may have limited potential for lifestyle brands.

11:55 a.m.-12:25 p.m. (New York time)
From registration to subscription: How Svenska Dagbladet is building a free tier to accelerate growth

Inspired by Spotify's freemium model, Sweden's Svenska Dagbladet has introduced a free subscription tier designed to turn anonymous visitors into known audiences and build relationships before asking them to pay. Christoffer Lindvall will explain how the new offer combines curated newsletters, selected premium journalism, and personalised communication without requiring payment details. He will share early results, including experiments showing significantly higher sign-up rates than traditional subscription trials. The presentation will explore how a free product can become an entry point to paid subscriptions, how to encourage upgrades, and how the same model might help retain relationships with subscribers who cancel.

Christoffer Lindvall, Head of Subscriptions, Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden



12:25 p.m.-12:30 p.m. (New York time)
Key takeaways and wrap-up

From monetising podcast audiences to rethinking search and developing free subscription products, what do these approaches reveal about the future of subscriber acquisition? We will identify practical ways to reach new audiences, capture customer identities, and connect discovery across multiple platforms with lasting subscriber relationships.

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA

10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(New York time)

About today's module

Subscription growth depends not only on strategy but also on execution. How do publishers understand what motivates readers, identify opportunities for improvement, and turn experiments into measurable results? This module combines behavioural research with practical case studies of small teams, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous optimisation.

10:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. (New York time)
Welcome and INMA research briefing: A framework for finding tomorrow's subscribers by opening more doors

If websites and paywalls alone can no longer sustain subscription growth, where should publishers look for their next customers? And how can they decide which opportunities deserve investment? Drawing on case studies from INMA Media Innovation Week and Subscription Benchmarks, Greg Piechota will introduce a practical framework for designing an acquisition portfolio. Publishers can build their own products and channels, buy access to audiences, or borrow distribution from established platforms. Each approach can deliver different outcomes: awareness, visits, customer identities, or payments.

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA, United Kingdom



10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m. (New York time)
The science of Kleine Zeitung reader habits: What drives subscription conversion and retention?

Why do some readers develop lasting relationships with news brands while others never subscribe, even when they visit frequently? Drawing on his doctoral research and nearly three decades of experience in subscriptions, Walter Hauser will challenge common assumptions about reader behaviour. He will explain why regularity matters more than frequency, how consuming free content habitually can reduce the likelihood of subscribing, and why forming a reading habit takes longer than many introductory offers allow. Walter will also show how Kleine Zeitung translates these findings into practice through personalised triggers, product development, and subscription lifecycle strategies designed to encourage lasting engagement.

Walter Hauser, Head of Reader/User Market, Kleine Zeitung, Austria



10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. (New York time)
Beyond the website: How Immediate grows subscriptions across brands and platforms

Immediate, one of the UK's leading app, web, pod and magazine publishers, has built a growing digital subscription business by expanding beyond traditional magazine products and websites to reach customers across multiple platforms and channels. Jess Burney will share how Immediate manages subscriber acquisition across a portfolio of specialist brands, connecting content marketing, search, social distribution, and subscription conversion. She will explain how the company adapts its growth strategies to acquire, convert and retain across different audiences, products, and markets, and how it evaluates the contribution of each channel to subscriber growth and revenue. Beyond individual tactics, Jess will explore the organisational and technological transformation behind this approach: connecting editorial and marketing teams, using data to guide investment, and developing scalable capabilities while preserving the distinct positioning of each brand.

Jess Burney, Managing Director, Customer Marketing and Subscriptions, Immediate, United Kingdom



11:15 a.m.-11:25 a.m. (New York time)
Refreshment break and INMA Benchmarks briefing: What drives subscription checkout conversion and how to fix this final hurdle?

News publishers have made remarkable progress in converting purchase intent into paid subscriptions. According to INMA Subscription Benchmarks, median checkout efficiency reached 38% in Q2 2026, more than doubling in just two years. Yet significant performance gaps remain. Drawing on data from hundreds of news brands and examples of checkout experiments, Greg Piechota will examine where prospective customers abandon their purchases and which changes can make the biggest difference. Why do the top-performing publishers convert five times as many stopped readers as the bottom performers? And where should marketers and product teams focus their optimisation efforts?

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA



11:25 a.m.-11:55 a.m. (New York time)
Growing subscriptions through experimentation: How WEHCO Media turns ideas into results with a small team

How much can a small subscription team achieve when technology makes experimentation faster and easier? Britni Tomcho will share how WEHCO Media, a US regional news publisher, tests digital experiences to improve acquisition and engagement. She will demonstrate practical experiments across subscription journeys, including efforts to turn readers who subscribe for a single story into more engaged customers. Beyond individual tests, Britni will explain the simple operating process her team uses to move from ideas to execution, marketing, measurement, and iteration. She will show how AI and accessible technology help a resource-constrained team experiment continuously and learn from changing consumer behaviour.

Britni Tomcho, VP, Digital Consumer Revenue, WEHCO Media, United States



11:55 a.m.-12:25 p.m. (New York time)
Building a subscription growth machine: How Lensing Media experiments in cross-functional sprints

Lensing Media, a German regional publisher, has embedded a cross-functional team directly into its Dortmund newsroom to tackle subscription growth through continuous experimentation. Philipp Ostrop will share lessons from nearly 40 two-week sprints bringing together editorial, product, data, and marketing specialists. He will demonstrate experiments across paywalls, digital products, and subscription journeys, revealing what delivered measurable improvements, what failed, and how the team decides what to try next. The presentation will explore how to prioritise experiments, organise collaboration, and build a repeatable process for learning even in challenging local markets where growing digital subscriptions remains difficult.

Philipp Ostrop, Chief Product Officer and Chief Editor, Lensing Media, Germany



12:25 p.m.-12:30 p.m. (New York time)
Master Class takeaways: A practical roadmap for subscriber acquisition

What have we learned from three days of research, case studies, and experimentation? Greg Piechota will connect the key findings and outline a practical roadmap for accelerating subscriber acquisition: choosing the right growth priorities, expanding the portfolio of audience entry points, and building the capabilities to test, learn, and improve continuously. The Master Class will conclude with questions participants can take back to their teams to guide their next growth initiatives.

Greg Piechota, Researcher-in-Residence, INMA